In a strategic effort to provide Sunday School training for urban churches, the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) hosted its first “Building a Vibrant Sunday School in the Urban Church” conference May 2 at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, Birmingham.
Offering training tracks for pastors, lay leaders, Sunday School teachers and superintendents covering multiple age groups — preschool, children, youth, adults and seniors — the conference served to not only motivate but also to sharpen skills, said Rick Ellison, an associate in the office of Sunday School for the SBOM.
“[W]e helped those who attended to develop skills to reach out into their communities to teach God’s Word and minister to people effectively,” Ellison said, adding that the overarching goal was to help strengthen churches.
And by partnering with the Birmingham Baptist Association (BBA) and Ronald Davis, SBOM program coordinator for black church work, hopes of 100 attendees was far surpassed as nearly 250 filled the seats of the BBA church.
“There is a great need out there for training in urban churches. … I think [the conference] meets a big need and helps the churches connect with associations there for follow up that might be needed,” Ellison said.
Plans are underway for a 2010 conference in Mobile.
For more information about future training conferences, contact Ellison at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 200 or e-mail rellison@alsbom.org.
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