One of the greatest tools in the discipleship process is small group ministry. The first National Conference for Small Group Leaders will be held in Cleveland, Tennessee on Saturday, March 28, 2015.
David Gosnell, coordinator of Adult Discipleship for the Church of God said, “We hear the questions every day, such as ‘How do we start small groups?’ ‘How do we make our small group ministry more effective?’ ‘How do we train our group leaders?’ We know relationships are vital in the discipleship process. How do we build community in groups to be more effective in making disciples?”
[1]The speaker for the conference will be Debi Roam, Discipleship Pastor of the Twin Rivers Church of God in St. Louis, Missouri and small group specialist. She is one of the foremost specialists in the country on the topic of small groups. She spent many years on staff at Berea College organizing groups on campus and developing group leaders within the student body. For the past several years she has worked on the staff of Twin Rivers Worship Center in St. Louis and started the small groups culture from the ground up. Today, under her guidance, Twin Rivers has over 100 active Life Groups as well as a leadership development program for raising up new life group leaders. Debi Roam is tops in her field and one of the few experts on this subject who really understands how to implement small groups on the local church level.
“Debi believes it is the heart of God to grow strong and healthy disciples for Christ, and therefore is passionate about helping senior pastors to adopt a thriving discipleship model at their churches,” Gosnell continued. “As an ordained minister in the Church of God, Debi understands the unique needs when it comes to discipleship within our denomination. She trains pastors, church leaders, and church volunteers across the U.S. who understand the importance of discipleship but seek the ‘how to.’ Debi is gifted in implementing a biblical discipleship model that will meet the varying needs of a specific congregation.
During the conference, participants will learn to: Start and grow small groups; lead groups effectively; build community in groups; reach the community; and make disciples. Participants will receive valuable professional resources that can be personalized and used for promotion.
The conference will be conducted in the Leadership and Communications Center on the campus of the International Offices from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The cost is $35 per person or $50 at the door. To register, call 423-478-7286 or visit www.coglifebuilders.com [2] and click on the conference graphic.