Disciple-Making Conference set

By Grace Thornton

Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist

It’s easy for pastors to get discouraged when they feel like they go to a conference, get handed a magic bullet for evangelism and then go back to their church to try it — and nothing happens.

“Sometimes someone will say, ‘go back and do this,’ like there’s magic dust or something that you’re going to sprinkle on your congregation from the pulpit and everything is going to change all at once,” said Daniel Edmonds, director of the office of Sunday School and discipleship for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM). “But there’s no magic dust for that.”

No quick fixes

That’s why he’s got different hopes for the FlashPoint Disciple-Making Conference set for Jan. 13–14, 2017, at Samford University’s Wright Center in Birmingham — hopes that don’t involve any quick fixes.

The conference, he said, is a journey back to how Jesus made disciples — investing in a small group of people and expecting growth that happens over time, Edmonds said.

“There are several Christian leaders in this country who are feeling this burden that we need to ignite a disciple-making movement,” he said.

Those leaders — including FlashPoint founder Craig Etheredge, pastor of First Baptist Church, Colleyville, Texas — will offer tools and resources at FlashPoint in hopes that it will equip and encourage believers to model their outreach after Jesus Himself.

“In attending FlashPoint, you will get a renewed vision for disciple making and be encouraged to really start making disciples who make disciples in the local church.” Etheredge said.

During the conference, Etheredge will walk participants through what Jesus did and how they can do it too in their own contexts.

Other speakers will include:

•Robby Gallaty, pastor, Longhollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, Tennessee.

•David Fedele, children’s pastor, First Baptist Church, Colleyville, Texas.

•Ken Adams, pastor, Crossroads Church, Newnan, Georgia.

A variety of breakout sessions also will offer information specific to men’s, women’s, children’s and other types of ministry.

“Ken Adams likes to say simply this — ‘Jesus started the Church the way He wanted it and now He wants the Church the way He started it,’” Edmonds said. “The conference is encouraging, it’s inspirational, it’s very focused. You walk away knowing, ‘That’s why I’m here, that’s who I’m supposed to be and I can live life like that and lead my church to make disciples.’”

To make the conference possible, SBOM is partnering with Samford’s Ministry Training Institute, something its executive director, Kevin Blackwell, said he’s excited about.

“It is an honor for Samford to host the conference,” he said. “I had the opportunity to attend a Disciple-Making Conference last April and I was blown away by the experience. I wish this conference would have been available to me as I began my pastoral work years ago.”

Blackwell said if a pastor can only attend one workshop this year, this should be the one he chooses.

“It truly is more than just a conference — it is a movement of disciple making that has the potential to transform our culture,” he said.

Registration is now open and seating is limited. For more information or to register, visit birmingham.flashpointconference.com.