Registration Open for Church Excellence Conference in OKC Oct. 26-27

St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City is partnering with Oklahoma Baptist University to host the 2018 Institute on Church Excellence (ICE) Conference Friday, Oct. 26, through Saturday, Oct. 27. The conference theme is “Building Better Bridges: Moving Ministry from Maintenance to Excellence.” It is not too late to register to attend.

Designed to help small churches grow in the areas of leadership development, administration, millennial issues and technology, the event will feature engaging workshops, keynote speakers and practical discussion on various relevant topics. Additionally, the conference will provide practical tools and skill development opportunities for participants while sharing with and learning from others who are doing similar things successfully.

Today’s churches are facing fierce challenges including financial crises, social/cultural shifts and demographic changes. With limited resources, small churches need assistance. The ICE Conference addresses these needs.

Dr. Major Jemison, who is the conference founder and senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, explains the critical need for this type of conference.

“The Institute on Church Excellence provides small churches and remote located churches with the necessary tools to be successful in a changing world,” Jemison said. “Areas to be covered include administration, finances, worship, youth programs and other pertinent topics. Workshop leaders are considered experts in their field and have a love for God and humanity.”

The conference will feature Dr. Joel C. Gregory, George W. Truett endowed chair in preaching and evangelism at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University, as the keynote speaker. Other workshop leaders include Dr. Major Jemison, senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church; Dr. Heath Thomas, dean of the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry at OBU; Dr. Daryl Green, assistant professor of business and Dickinson Chair of Business at OBU; Dr. Ray Owens, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Tulsa; Dr. Lawrence Kirk, director of education at St. John Missionary Baptist Church; Dr. Sandra Thompson, professor of music and undergraduate coordinator at the University of Central Oklahoma; and Terry Buxton Sr., senior pastor of Agape Bible Fellowship in Tulsa.

As Ephesians 4:11-12 is the central verse for the conference, the vision of ICE is “to help smaller churches grow in areas of leadership development, administration, millennial/youth issues and technology, creating connections by sharing and learning from others who are doing similar things successfully while being inclusive and intentional in embracing diversity within the body of Christ.”

The conference features many workshops. Friday’s workshops include the power of prayer; developing young disciples of Christ through Children’s Ministry; practical strategies for reaching America’s largest generation, The Millennials; intentional worship that experiences God’s presence; and ensuring safety within the church. Saturday’s workshops are broken into three tracks: administration and leadership development, technology use in ministry, and financial management. These three breakdowns allow minsters to decide what information best fits their church’s needs.

The Institute on Church Excellence Conference will be held at the St. John Missionary Baptist Church Conference Center at 5700 N. Kelley Ave. in Oklahoma City. Spots are still available to attend. The cost of the event is $75 per participant. To register for the event, visit http://www.stjohnokc.org/ice-conference.