‘Fast 50’ information now online

Church leaders can find information online about a series of intensive ministry training seminars to be conducted in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in June. 
   
Beginning Feb. 1, Southern Baptists can visit www.lifeway.com/events for registration forms and information on “Fast 50 … 50 Seminars for Growing Leaders.” 
   
LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention will host the “Fast 50” seminars June 23–24 immediately after the annual meeting of the SBC in Nashville. The event will feature 50 seminars designed for pastors, church staff, church leaders, denominational leaders and lay leaders. 
   
The seminars will cover such topics as evangelism, discipleship, Sunday School, general church leadership, age-group specific leadership and mission leadership. Seminar leaders include specialists from SBC entities and successful ministry practitioners.
   
The online information features the titles and descriptions of specific seminars along with the names of all seminar leaders. 
   
“LifeWay is excited about providing information online about ‘Fast 50,’” said Donna Gandy, director of church leadership training at LifeWay. “For the first time, church leaders will see the broad scope of the training, the nationally known speakers and conference leaders we have assembled and be able to select the topics that will meet their unique ministry needs.”
  
The two-day event will include an address by James T. Draper Jr., president of LifeWay Christian Resources. 
   
“LifeWay is committed to training and equipping, and this is a great opportunity to use the excellent facilities and staff that we have to provide a remarkable opportunity for Southern Baptists coming to Nashville next summer,” Draper said. 
   
LifeWay personnel designed “Fast 50” to meet the needs of Southern Baptists who requested times of ministry training in conjunction with SBC annual meetings, said John Gardner, associate to the vice president of corporate affairs at LifeWay. 
   
“One of the things that we’ve been hearing from folks about coming to the Southern Baptist Convention is that they enjoy the music and they enjoy the preaching,” Gardner said. “But this is a time where they would like to sharpen some of their skills and find out what other churches are doing and be able to get some leadership development also. “We felt like this was a need that we could meet — especially since the convention is going to be right here in Nashville where LifeWay is located. We can capitalize on having some of the best folks right in this area to lead these conferences.” 
   
The “Fast 50” program also will include “Beach Blast!” an event for children ages 3–12, and Centrifuge for students completing the seventh–12th grades. 
   
Program participants will have the opportunity to attend four seminars each day. 
   
“‘Fast 50 … 50 Seminars for Growing Leaders’ is a great way to add church leadership training to the inspiration and fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention,” Gandy said. “You won’t find a wider variety of ministry conferences anywhere.
   
“This is a family event, too, with ‘Beach Blast!’ for your children and Centrifuge for students. ‘Fast 50’ gives you the opportunity to extend your stay in Nashville, learn from national leaders and return to your church recharged.”  (BP)