The 2012 Congress on Evangelism is All About Catching, Keeping and Developing
by Jeff Jones*
As fishers of men and women, we throw our nets wide to attract as many new believers to the faith as we can. This year’s Congress of Evangelism will focus on not only catching new believers, but keeping them. From January 3-6, 2012, the Council on Evangelism and the GBOD will host their annual forum on evangelism in Nashville, TN. Following the theme, “Catching and Keeping: Discipling in the Local Church,” church leaders will learn new and creative ways to help new followers grow into fully developed disciples of Christ.
The 2012 congress features:
- Encouragement from experts on making Christian disciples.
- Six small group workshops with practical application.
- NEW workshop track for African-American church leaders.
- Tracks for Certified Lay Speakers and Local Pastors.
- Hispanic/Latino leadership sessions with Spanish-language Bible study.
Confirmed speakers include Dr. R. Wade Paschal, Jr., senior pastor of First United Methodist Church Tulsa; Debi Nixon, one of the managing executive directors at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection; Vance Ross, pastor of Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church in Nashville; and Dr. Stephen Gunter, associate dean for Methodist studies and research professor of evangelism and Wesleyan studies at Duke Divinity School. Some of the workshop titles include, “Women Discipling Women,” “Youth and Young Adult Ministry,” “How to Conduct a Revival in a Local Church” and “Early Methodist Tradition of Class Meetings as an Evangelism Tool.”
The Congress on Evangelism is sponsored by the Council on Evangelism and the General Board of Discipleship with the support of The Foundation for Evangelism. The congress meets every January at different locations presenting motivational speakers and workshops based on evangelism.
Meeting facilities and primary lodging will be provided by Gaylord Opryland Resort with special rates available for congress participants. The Foundation for Evangelism also provides a limited number of scholarships for the event to first-time attendees. Contact the Foundation for more information about scholarships.
To learn more and to register, log on to The Congress of Evangelism website: www.congressonevangelism.org.
*Jeff is the Director of Operations for the CTC Center for Evangelism & Church Growth. jeff@ctcumc.org