Last weekend and the weekend before I was on the road attending both sessions of the GO Georgia conference. Before saying anything else I need to applaud the volunteers of both churches that hosted our conference! Oh my word they were SOOOO amazing at both locations. I don’t know what the preparations were like for each church heading into the conference and I don’t know what happened in those churches afterwards but I can say this without hesitation: the volunteers of First Baptist Church Jonesboro and First Baptist Church Statesboro represented the Lord, their churches, and their communities exceptionally well! Thanks for opening your facilities to Georgia Baptists welcoming so many into your churches.
With such excellent host churches, making sure the two days lived up to the hype was considerably easier for the folks at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and the program did not disappoint. If you’ve never heard Mark Croston preach then you’ve missed out. That brother brought an excellent message and at one point (both weeks mind you) I wondered out loud if he had taken a breath in several minutes.
I have been connected with Jamie Dew on social media for several years (long before the whole becoming president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary thing) but had never had the opportunity to meet in person. I also didn’t know his story of coming to faith and how he came into his new role there at NOBTS. I sent my pastor a text message from my seat in Jonesboro as Dr. Dew was wrapping up and said something to the effect that I understood why the NOBTS search team was so impressed. I think it is safe to expect great things from Dr. Dew and the team he’ll be leading there in the years ahead. The school is in good hands!
I count Levi Skipper among my friends and have had the pleasure of hearing him preach before. In fact, our pastor has had Dr. Skipper at our church before (and probably will again at some point) so I knew he would bring a powerful message. Well, that was an easy prediction. His megaphone & pillow illustration was excellent and on point. In his new role as our Evangelism Catalyst, Dr. Skipper will help a lot of Georgia Baptists rekindle our fire for reaching the lost in our state.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the worship time at both locations before moving on here. I don’t know how people who attended both in Jonesboro and in Statesboro could have had a better worship experience than what we had at GO Georgia this year. Folks, it wasn’t phoned in; it wasn’t leftovers; what it was was Christ honoring, Spirit-filled, genuine worship that prepared our hearts for the messages that followed. Homerun in both churches!
If you missed it, I enjoyed GO Georgia (a lot) and think it is an amazing opportunity for the churches in our state. Apart from amazing preaching and worship, I want to offer three additional reasons to consider planning to attend the conference next year.
Practical Training
People who know me know I’m a very practical person when it comes to my approach to doing things. One of the best reasons I can think of for a church attend GO Georgia is for training. At this conference,
Networking
Something I already understood when I entered vocational ministry is that I’m probably not the first person to do whatever it is I’m trying to do any given day in my church. There is someone out there who wouldn’t mind getting an email or phone call from me and perhaps may even be willing to spend a little time with me and answer 101 questions. Relationships are important and not just when it comes to inviting people to church. Relationships with others in ministry are essential and in my experience the folks a little farther down the path ahead of me are happy to connect and share what they can to help.
The GO Georgia conference is an ideal place to meet people doing the same ministry in other churches. They have similar questions and are attending some of the same breakout sessions with you. What an opportunity to meet some new people and get to know them. Earlier this year I planned an entire day to spend with two brothers who are doing very similar ministry in their churches. We got together, compared notes, shared stories about how God has moved in our churches, and what we’ve each learned from mistakes we’ve made along the way. Networking with others in ministry is a huge blessing and GO Georgia is a great conference for that.
Team Building
There is something about a shared experience that draws people closer together. For all of us nerds there is actually quite a lot in the literature on this topic but suffice to say there is actually science behind this assertion. Strong teams have increased trust in one another, communicate better with one another, collaborate more easily. Those kinds of unifying bonds help us to better carry out the Great Commission in our particular context.
Think of it this way: what kind of investment are you willing to make for help cultivate these kinds of traits on the team in your church? The time commitment is fairly short, just two days, and the cost is very reasonable. Oh, and this isn’t just for pastors and church staff! Lay leaders in our churches benefit from the training they receive AND your team grows closer together in the process. That’s a real win-win any way you look at it.
Practical training, networking, and team building…there are probably more reasons I could list but I’d rather hear from others and what they think. Post a comment and share your thoughts on these ideas, the conference itself, and if you’re planning on attending next year.
Blessings,
Chris