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The Heart of a Busy Day

By June 23, 2010September 7th, 2023No Comments

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—“We can be born with high IQs, but no one can make us wise,” Dan Davey said in introduction to his sermon from Daniel 2 during the second day of the 2010 GARBC Conference. “It has never been about the intellectual knowledge of God, but about the brokenness of the heart.”

The week of expository sermons continued with Ken Spink preaching from Daniel 3 and an evening sermon from Davey from Daniel 4 (see the list of audio links below). Preaching remained at the center of a busy day full of activities.

Conference organizers had planned a series of “Excellence in Church Ministry” workshops for Tuesday morning. Lee Kliewer, registrar of Baptist Bible Seminary (Clarks Summit, Pa.), found an easy connection between the conference preaching theme and his workshop about strategic planning.

“There is a relationship between the sermons of this week and our workshops. God has a master plan—a plan for the church to grow and prosper,” Kliewer said.

Attendance at the 10 workshops was strong, with conference guests spilling out into the hallway for the most popular topics. Retired GARBC pastor Bob Sauser was happy to see his crowded room. “This is the only time they have asked me to speak at the conference, and it was standing room only!” Sauser said.

During the afternoon business session, John Greening outlined a few dominant themes for the next two years, emphasizing how the GARBC network fit his essential beliefs as a Baptist.

“Out of all the places I could make my ministry investments, this network is the one that closest fits the profile of who I am,” Greening said.

Greening expressed a desire to make new friends with other like-minded organizations. “There are other independent Baptists who share our convictions. I want to make new friends with them. The GARBC is not a closed club,” he said.

Greening also emphasized a coordinated grass roots strategy for church planting, including a special emphasis at the 2011 GARBC conference, training webinars, mentoring relationships, assistance from Baptist Builders Club, feature profiles in the Baptist Bulletin, partnering relationships with state and regional associations, and assistance from church planting mission agencies.

Three generations of Greening women were featured in the ladies’ luncheon, including Iva Greening, mother of GARBC national representative John Greening; Daria Greening, John’s wife; and Andrea Gower, John and Daria’s daughter. The luncheon theme was “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

In the afternoon, more than 30 teens passed out flyers on behalf of Great Commission Baptist Church, a new church plant in Schamburg. Read “Teens Canvass Schaumburg” for a full report.

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