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This year’s GARBC Conference promises to be rich in theological teaching and practical application! Sixteen workshops on various topics will provide something for everyone. Whether you are a pastor, associate, lay leader, or student, start planning now what workshop you’ll get in on. Here are summaries of the workshops being offered on Tuesday, June 30:

New Theological Viruses Affecting the Church
Leader: Doug Brown
Discuss big issues in the Biblical theological world that impact and threaten the church: (1) canonicity and the reliability of the Scriptures (attacks levied by Bart Ehrman on the origins of Christianity); (2) the historicity of Genesis and Adam (evaluating proposals by Peter Enns); (3) the hermeneutics of same-sex marriage (how scholars and pastors are using Scripture to justify same-sex marriage); and (4) redefining justification and the role of works in salvation (evaluating the impact of the new perspective).

Revitalizing Sunday and Wednesday Night
Leaders: Mike Augsburger and David Strope
In a previous era of church life, fundamental, Baptist churches could be identified by the question, Do they have a Sunday evening service and Wednesday prayer meeting? Mike Augsburger and David Strope will address the changes in their churches’ Sunday and midweek ministries that have brought increased levels of participation and talk about the ministries that truly contribute to making disciples. Examine the process of change in the growth of both churches. Two different men and two different churches arrive at remarkably similar places in the revitalization of their churches.

Crisis Ministry
Leaders: Laird Baldwin and Mike Crawford
Crisis is bound to happen in churches. The question is how to respond effectively. Learn how to help your church be alert and safe by preparing your property and your people to meet a variety of crisis situations. Good preparation will help people avoid—or get through—a crisis.

Teenage Triumph: Discipleship Ministry with Youth
Leader: Jason Blunk
In our culture today, discipling teens in and through the local church can be a daunting task. Families and churches face many challenges. How can we connect with students yet remain true to the Word of God? Take a look at the foundations of discipling teenagers in our present-day culture, learn Biblical discipleship methods, and discuss how we together can best equip students for impact today.

Sustaining Emotional Health
Leaders: George and Sharon Coon
The sustaining power of the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the community of God are more than sufficient in comforting and strengthening a pastor’s heart. A pastor’s life is his ministry. How we react to circumstances preaches more than our vocal cords. There is power when we live what we preach.

When the Pulpit Meets the Newsroom: The Ministry of Analyzing and Expounding Current Events
Leader: David Gunn
“Pastors should be exegetes of both Scripture and culture.” This refrain is commonly heard in ministry circles today. But while divinity students spend years learning to exegete Scripture, very little training is ever provided in cultural analysis. Designed to stimulate interest in and competence for cultural exegesis, this workshop will discuss the why, when, and how of expounding current events and cultural trends in the context of pastoral ministry.

Reaching Your Community
Leader: Will Hatfield and Dwight LaPine
Churches have become houses of administration and busyness rather than places of equipping saints for the work of evangelism and discipleship. Rethink the Great Commission on a local level. We are Christ’s ambassadors, meant to reach our communities through prayer and interaction. Discover practical suggestions and helps for reaching deeper into the lives of the people in your community.

Walking Life’s Tightrope: Maintaining Balance
Leader: Melissa Wiita
How is your balancing act? Sometimes you may feel like you are walking on a tightrope; one more thing may just throw you off the edge. Take heart, my friend, as we can find hope in this somewhat chaotic life to which God has called us!