American Baptist Churches
of the Central Region
2024 Annual Gathering
First Baptist Church of Lyons, Kansas
September 27-28, 2024
The 2024 ABCCR Annual Gathering will be held at First Baptist Church in Lyons, Kansas from September 27-28th. The keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran. He serves as the Executive Minister for the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains. He is passionate about empowering local churches and in helping them become the incarnated body of Christ in their community. He has served as Executive Minister since March of 2008 and has been involved in coaching pastors and local churches since 2003 after 18 years of pastoring local churches.
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Below are registration options. There are both online and paper registration options for All-Church registration, Individual registration, and Youth and Child registration. CHILDCARE WILL ONLY BE PROVIDED ON SATURDAY MORNING.
Paper registration forms can be sent to the region office. You can mail them to: 5889 SW 29th St. Topeka, KS 66614. For more information about Annual Gathering please visit abccr.org.
Please plan to make lodging accommodations as soon as possible. There are limited options in Lyons, and you may have to expand your search to surrounding areas such as Sterling, McPherson, Great Bend, and Hutchison.
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Celebration Centre Inn and Suites- Lyons, KS
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Lyons Inn- Lyons, KS
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Country Inn- Sterling, KS
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The Historic Wolf Hotel- Ellinwood, KS
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Holiday Inn Express & Suites- Great Bend, KS
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Quality Inn- Great Bend, KS
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Best Western Angus Inn- Great Bend, KS
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Holiday Inn Express- Hutchinson, KS
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Comfort Inn & Suites- Hutchinson, KS
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Hampton Inn- Hutchinson, KS
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Fairfield Inn & Suites- McPherson, KS
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Holiday Inn Express & Suites- McPherson, KS
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Hampton Inn- McPherson, KS
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There are numerous Bed & Breakfasts in the area. You can make reservations on the AirBnB website.
Registration
Schedule
Friday, September 27, 2024
​8:30 AM Registration begins at First Baptist Church Lyons
9:30 AM Session #1 – First Baptist Church Lyons
Greetings
President’s Remarks
Business
Executive Minister Address
11:00 AM AB Women’s Luncheon & Meeting at Celebration Center, Lyons
AB Men’s Luncheon & Meeting at First Baptist Church Lyons
1:15 PM Session #2 First Baptist Church Lyons
Ottawa University Focus
International Ministries Focus
Offering
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran
3:00 PM Workshop Session #1
Panel Discussion
Missionary Rev. Mercy Gonzalez-Barnes
4:15 PM Workshop Session #2
Compassion Fatigue
Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran
6:00 PM Dinner at Celebration Center, Lyons
7:15 PM Session #3 Celebration Center, Lyons
Speaker: Rev. Mercy Gonzalez-Barnes
8:30 PM Ice Cream Social
Saturday, September 28
​8:00 AM Registration Continues at First Baptist Church Lyons
8:30 AM Devotion
9:00 AM Business Meeting & Installation of Officers
9:30 AM Session #4 First Baptist Church Lyons
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran
10:45 AM Worship
Workshops
It’s a Balancing Act:
Panel discussion with participants serving/attending churches in the context of part time ministry.
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On Earth as it is in Heaven:
Presnter: Mercy Gonzalez- Barnes
Join Mercy Gonzalez-Barnes, International Ministries Global Servant, as she shares about the missional work as a regional consultant in theological education and leadership development in Iberoamérica and the Caribbean.
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When You’re Too Tired to Care:
Presenter: Julia Stegeman, LSCSW, LCSW, LMAC, CCFP
Anyone who is in a caregiving role or works with people can struggle with compassion fatigue, the result of taking on someone else’s pain and suffering. Compassion fatigue can involve symptoms of exhaustion, burnout, and secondary trauma. Symptoms can appear in physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health and in your work. This workshop will provide tools to help you build and maintain a resiliency plan that involves self-care and boundaries.
Should Your Church Be Served by A Multi-Vocational Pastor?:
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran
This workshop will explore the history and breadth of “part-time”, “tentmaker”, “bi or multi-vocational” ministry as well as its benefits and a variety of successful models for this ministry.