I hope you’re planning to join us for our annual Fall meeting on October 5-6. This year Refresh will be held at the beautiful campus of the Montana Christian College in Kalispell. If you’ve never been on the campus, you have a real treat coming up. You can go to the college website at www.montanacc.edu to see some great pictures of the campus and learn about the school.
Being in the foothills of the Rockies is only part of what Refresh holds this year. We’ll also have great times of worship with Danny Kugelberg, the worship pastor at Church at the Gates in Missoula. Danny and his worship team will lead us to sing praises to God, not just to sing some worship songs. We only get all of us together a couple times a year, but when we do, the worship is spiritually powerful. I believe it can restore an exhausted soul, and who among us couldn’t use that?
In addition, we’ll hear from our convention president Greg Payton. This is Greg’s final time to lead us as president. I’m sure he’ll have an inspiring, challenging word from the Lord for us. Evangelist Brad Bennett will close out our time together. Brad has a unique motorcycle outreach ministry. After he shares the word with us, he’ll give us a demonstration of his ministry and what he can bring to your church to help you attract some people to share the gospel with.
I really like the breakout sessions we have planned for this year, too. I’m going to have some of our ministry partners talk about their ministries and how they can come alongside our churches to provide ministry and outreach. Oftentimes, we see the exhibit tables when we come to these meetings, but we really don’t have time to learn about how they can help us in our communities. This year, you can come to this breakout and get some fantastic ideas for unique ministry. Brad Bennett is also going to lead a breakout. He’ll be talking to us about evangelism that works. We’ve all learned some gospel sharing method, but how effective has that been? Brad will share from his years of evangelism experience.
Denise will also be leading a breakout for our pastors’ wives. I think the loneliest person in the church today is the pastor’s wife. The pastor can talk to his wife about the challenges he is facing, but his wife often carries her burdens in silence. She can’t talk to members of her church, and she doesn’t want to add to her pastor husband’s burden. So, she keeps it all in. You need to make sure your wife can be at this breakout. This is one of the few times she can gather with other pastors’ wives, hear an encouraging word, fellowship with ladies who know what she is going through, and pray and worship with other women who share her unique perspective on ministry.
Then, of course, there’s the business. You’ll hear encouraging reports from our Church Strengthening Director Darren Hales and our Church Planting Catalyst Lee Merck. I guarantee that you’re going to like what you hear. These men and their teams have been all over our state. They have some really wonderful things to tell you about what has already happened, but also about what’s coming up. You need to hear this. In addition, we’ll have representatives from many of our national Southern Baptist ministries, including the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. You’ll also have opportunity to hear about other MTSBC-affiliated ministries right here in Montana, like our Montana Southern Baptist Women and their missions work, our disaster relief work being led by Joliet pastor John Finley, and many others. We’ll be approving a new budget for 2024, electing new officers, MTSBC board members, and committee members.
Refresh 2023 is a going to be wonderful time in the Lord. To find out more, go to www.mtsbc.org/refresh/. You’ll be able to see the schedule, find out about hotels, and register. I look forward to seeing you there.
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