DOVER–More than 400 participants gathered to increase their understanding of every facet in Sunday School ministry and to discover how to expand God’s word to the multitudes during the annual Central Florida Sunday School Conference Sept. 14 at First Baptist Church in Dover.
With the theme, “Groups Still Matter,” keynote speaker Fred Boone, minister of education at First Baptist Church in Mount Dora, outlined “The 5 Best Practices of Churches with Growing Groups” helping participants understand why Sunday School and small groups are still a key to reaching the masses.
Boone, who is also known as the “Sunday School Doctor,” also led sessions for general leaders addressing “Proven Concepts for Reaching People” and “Barriers that Hinder Growth.”
The meeting, hosted by the Florida Baptist Covention, brought ministry specialists from LifeWay Christian Resources to lead age-related break out sessions.
LifeWay leaders and sessions included Alan Raughton, “Leading Your Class with Preparedness;” Ken Braddy, “Outward Focus Matters;” Claude King, “Muliplying Disciples though Transformational Groups;” and Drew Dixon, “Six Distinctives of Student Bible Study.”
Other break out sessions were led by Florida Baptist church leaders.
Pat Quimby, former director of preschool ministries, at Idlewild Baptist Church, said it was “encouraging to see so many leaders from churches in Central Florida show up on a Saturday morning to be better equipped in reaching the millennial generation of parents.” She led the preschool focused sessions, explaining that “providing excellence in our approach to meeting the needs of children and families today through our preschool ministries is key.”
According to Nathan Schneider, Tampa-area Baptist Campus Minister who led the collegiate focus sessions, “The breakout sessions addressed issues pertinent to all age groups, including college students and young adults. Each breakout seemed to be well attended and the discussion in the breakout I led was lively.”
First Dover has hosted the annual conference since 2011. Jeffery Singletary, catalyst for the Central Florida region, expressed appreciation for Kevin Parker, minister of education at First Baptist Church, Dover and his team of volunteers, who “never cease to deliver exceptional hospitality to all our conferees. We are blessed to utilize this superb venue.”
For information on the 2020 Central Florida Sunday School Conferences or other training conferences, go to https://flbaptist.org/event/.