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American Baptist Churches
of the Central Region

2024 Annual Gathering

First Baptist Church of Lyons, Kansas
September 27-28, 2024

Schedule

Thursday, September 26

              3:00 PM    Minister’s Council Executive Meeting at FBC Lyons

              5:30 PM    Dinner

              6:30 PM    Business Meeting and Worship

 

Friday, September 27

              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 Centre, 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

 

              2:45 PM    Break (sponsored by Ottawa University & Central Baptist Theological Seminary)

 

              3:00 PM    Workshop Session #1

                                It’s a Balancing Act: Panel Discussion (Sanctuary)

                                On Earth as it is in Heaven: Mercy Gonzalez- Barnes (Conference Room)

              4:15 PM    Workshop Session #2

                                When You’re Too Tired to Care: Julia Stegeman (Conference Room)

                                Should A Multi-Vocational Pastor Serve Your Church?: Steve Van Ostran (Sanctuary)

              6:00 PM    Dinner at Celebration Centre, Lyons

              7:15 PM    Session #3 Celebration Centre, Lyons

                                                         Global Servant, 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- Joel Grizzle (Sanctuary)

              9:00 AM    Business Meeting & Installation of Officers

              9:30 AM    Session #4 at 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:

Presenter: 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.

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.

There are numerous Bed & Breakfasts in the area. You can make reservations on the AirBnB website.

https://www.airbnb.com/

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