MILTON–“There is a race for the hearts and lives of children,” said Dennis Dean, minister of children at Olive Baptist Church. “Beliefs and moral foundations are in place by age 13, and Satan is competing very hard for children’s souls because he knows they are vulnerable. Schools have removed moral boundaries; national and state laws have lowered moral boundaries; and debt and busyness are wrecking home lives.”
Dean spoke during the annual Sunday School Training Conference hosted by Pine Terrace Baptist Church in Milton, giving timely training for integrating evangelism, discipleship, worship, missions and leadership training within children’s ministry.
Throughout the conference, Sunday school and small group leaders for preschool through adults, as well as church members who want to be involved, were encouraged and equipped for small group ministry.
Keynote speaker Allan Taylor, executive pastor of ministry at First Baptist Concord, Tennessee, shared wisdom from decades of experience in Christian education. Taylor is the author of “The Six Core Values of Sunday School” and travels the nation to mentor and encourage leaders within the church.
Taylor’s message, titled “You Matter,” drove home the point that everyone really does matter. “I pray that every person who walks through the door at Pine Terrace knows how much they matter, especially to God,” said Ashlee Campbell, an attendee at the conference. “We are all part of this wonderful thing that is God’s design.”
Teaching on an evangelistic Sunday school, Taylor gave specific and actionable items for outreach and being intentional. “When Allan is speaking, you don’t want him to stop,” said attendee Phillip Knowles. “I will definitely begin implementing in my own Sunday school class some of the ideas that he shared.”
Additional wisdom and insight for ministering to adults of all ages came from Mark Thompson, executive pastor at Centerview Baptist Church in North Carolina.
Zac Workun, student ministry specialist for Lifeway students and co-founder of Youth Ministry Booster, spoke from more than 15 years of experience, equipping leaders to impact the next generation.
Breakout sessions for preschool through all next generation ages, including safety and security training came from Faye Scott, content editor for Lifeway’s Bible Studies for Life Kids.
A humorous and practical message on how to be the “most welcoming place in town” was delivered by Lewis Miller, recently retired Florida Baptist Convention catalyst for the West region. Miller asked attendees to consider the difference between greeting and welcoming, not just our friends, but those who will become our friends.
In advance of the conference, Miller said, “We love our Florida Baptist family and look forward to seeing so many dear friends from across the region. I’m grateful for Pastors Nathan Brown and Ray Summerlin and all of the Pine Terrace staff for partnering to strengthen our churches.”
The annual event is sponsored by the Florida Baptist Convention, West Region and hosted by Pine Terrace Baptist Church in Milton. The next conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026, and will feature keynote speaker Ken Braddy, director of Sunday school for Lifeway.