Preaching as a Team: Preaching as a Community for Our Communities – Jay Strother

• In this breakout we talk about how to build a preaching team, how we collaborate to build an annual sermon plan, how we study and prepare as a team weekly.

Brentwood Baptist Vision Frame: How We Engage the Whole Person With the Whole Gospel, Anywhere, Anytime With Anybody – Jay Strother

• Every church has to find a way to communicate its biblical mission, vision, values, and strategy.  In this session we’ll share ours, how we developed our framework, and why it’s essential for alignment, goal setting, and more.

Multi-Site Ministry Models: Why We Chose Regional Campuses and How They Work as One Church at Nine Locations – Jay Strother

• In this session we’ll look at the paradigms for church multiplication and their strengths and weaknesses.  We’ll share why we chose our current model, how they function together, and what we see coming in the future.

Be doers of the word: Crafting Effective Sermon Applications – John Joseph

• Are your sermons inspiring but you’re not sure if they’re translating into real-life change? Do you want to craft messages that not only teach but also transform? Join us for an engaging breakout session where we’ll explore the art of crafting effective sermon application. Learn how to take biblical truths and turn them into practical, life-changing steps for your congregation. Whether you’re a seasoned preacher or just starting out, this session will equip you with the tools to make your sermons more relevant, impactful, and transformative.

Creating Missional Urgency: How Small Groups Can Lead the Way – Wade Owens

• In this breakout session, we’ll uncover how small groups can become powerful catalysts for creating missional urgency within your church or community. Attendees will learn how to inspire and equip small group leaders to embrace their role in reaching the lost, building meaningful relationships, and fostering a culture of outreach. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies to mobilize small groups for effective, mission-driven growth.

Having Hard Conversations with Team Members – Brandon Hays

• Most leaders don’t list “having hard conversations” among their favorite aspects of the job, yet these discussions are vital for effectively shepherding people. In this breakout session, we will explore the “why” behind difficult conversations and equip you with practical strategies for approaching them. Participants will leave with actionable tools to gain confidence and foster open communication within their teams. Join us for an engaging discussion that will empower you to lead with grace and truth.

What You Know Matters: Better Pastoring Through Giving Data – Ken Schafer

• We all know that acknowledging first-time givers is important, and year-end contribution statements are part of every church’s annual rhythm. But have you considered how the giving data in your system can be used to better pastor your people? Any change in giving data is a pastoral opportunity. With regular donor care as a baseline habit, this presentation explores the idea that a handful of actionable data points may be the most underutilized pastoral resource in your church.
• Objectives: After listening to this presentation, the audience will:
  • Understand that the data they maintain has a pastoral purpose
  • Have no qualms about using (deidentified) giving data to help their teams better pastor their people
  • Have clearly identified next trial steps

Pastoral Care: How to Create A Christian Therapeutic Referral Network – Keith Tenpenny

• In shepherding God’s flock, there are times we may need to refer people to counseling professionals. How do we do this? To whom do we send them? Discover a strategy for developing a list of people in your community you can trust for referrals.

Transition Planning for Key Staff  – Brian Coates and Stan Breeden (Brentwood Baptist), Tim Foot and Matt Wright (Slingshot Group)

• What if a key lead staff member leaves or retires?  Do you have a plan for how transitioning to a new leader.  Churches often focus on the senior pastor’s transition but there can be other key leaders on the staff team.  How does the senior pastor’s transaction impact the staff?  We will discuss how Brentwood Baptist has gone through the transition of both the senior pastor and the senior executive pastor roles in the last 3 years including utilizing an outside organization to help with the process. 

Central Support  (Hiring, Training, and Retaining) – Bill Ferrell

• This breakout will discuss the structure of our Central Support Department which includes Finance, HR, Facilities, Live Production, and IT. Particular attention will be given to hiring and training practices. We will give an overview of our “Selection Toolkit” as well as assessments we use in the hiring process. There will be plenty of time for Q&A as well.

Leading and Caring for Staff – Stan Breeden

• The church staff is our primary ministry resource.  How do we communicate with, care for and organize our staff?  What is their role in leading the ministry of our church? This session includes:

  • Staff org chart (including church governance structure

  • All-Staff Meeting

  • Staff Training

  • Shepherding Staff

Why Do We Need a Safety and Security Plan? – Todd Bishop

• Where to begin?
• What should be included in a Safety and Security plan?
• Security and Technology
• Off-duty officers vs Lay lead security teams, pros, and cons
• Training and Equipping volunteers for safety and security

Multi-Site: Alignment and Processes – Brian Coates

• Leading a multi-site church requires more than adding campuses—it’s about ensuring your mission, vision, and strategy stay aligned while empowering each location to thrive. This seminar will provide practical tools to help you create clarity, streamline communication, and build processes that work across your campuses.
• We’ll focus on:
  • Keeping your mission central while adapting to local contexts.
  • Developing clear systems for communication and decision-making.
  • Navigating challenges unique to multi-site ministry.
  • This session is designed for pastors, ministers, and other campus leaders who want to strengthen alignment and processes while staying focused on Kingdom impact.

Preschool Ministry: Beyond the Classroom  – Todd Villemont, Amy Keys

• Many times in Preschool Ministry we focus a lot of our time and energy to what happens inside the Preschool Classroom. Come and learn how to interact with Parents, Volunteers and Kids outside of the classroom to build community and relationship within the Preschool Ministry of your church.

Building Blocks of Preschool Ministry  – Renee Blaine, Kelsi Lynne Taylor

• From Birth to Kindergarten development is crucial for the little ones in your Ministry. Come learn about the basics of Preschool age development and learn and how what you teach can build a foundation for the Gospel in the hearts of those in your Ministry.

 Go and Transform: Leading Student Mission Journeys for Spiritual Transformation – Evan Kunz, John Walker

• Leading mission trips from start to finish…and creating onramps to what’s next when they return.

 Developing Leaders Among Students – Evan Kunz, Billy Mahaffey

• Sharing the Brentwood model of inspiring, equipping, and mobilizing students into leadership opportunities now and for future impact.

 Asking The Right Questions in Kids Ministry – Lauren Denton, Brad Smith, Taylor Johnson

• Creating an effective, impactful, and engaging Kids Ministry through planning and evaluation by asking the right questions.

 5 Values of Brentwood Family Ministry – Linc Taylor, Taylor Johnson

• A deep dive into the primary values that give shape to how we lead and equip families to be intentional in their homes and how we best design church ministries to champion the parent/child relationship.

Building Bridges: A Collaborative Approach to Foster Care and Adoption – Elizabeth Cochran

• A Collaborative Approach to Foster Care and Adoption - An in-depth look at our ministry, our collaborative efforts within our church ministries (respite, equip nights, Groups in WRAP teams, etc.), and concerted efforts with the state and other organizations.

Special Needs Ministry 101 | The Basic Steps to Create a Ministry that Works for Your Church – Ellie Axford, EmbraceTeam

• Discuss the start of our ministry, basic beginning pieces such as the mission, policies and procedures, programming and events, team building, etc…including why each church should have some form of SNM and be prepared to serve these families.

Mobilizing Members for Local Projects and Partners – Vicki Howell, Sarah Beth Strong

• How do we make members aware of opportunities and needs? How do we connect them with projects and partners? How do we measure success and celebrate?

Developing/Growing/Maintaining a Global Worker (Missionary) Pipeline – Keith Holloway, Brett Freemon

• How do you recruit, train, send and support your global workers? We will share our best practices and look forward to collaborating on how to do things better. We will spend time discussing how to be a great sending and supporting church.

Why and How We Send Short Term Teams – Keith Holloway, Brett Freemon

• What is the role of a short term team? How do we avoid overwhelming a partner? What preparation is needed and how do you find and train team leaders? How do we involve the whole church?

Creating a Healthy Missions Ministry from Scratch – Josh Lynn

• Where do I start? What is ‘Missions Ministry’ and what’s not? What is healthy versus unhealthy? What to do when I don’t have much in the way of a budget?

Building and Discipling Effective Guest Services Teams – Kiefer Johnson

• Guest Services teams play a crucial role in welcoming people into our church. While this ministry is essential, there is so much more we can achieve. In this breakout session, we will explore strategies to foster discipleship within the Guest Services ministry. We will also discuss how to develop servant leaders who exemplify a culture of hospitality, setting a powerful example for the entire church community.

Every Member a Minister: Engaging Your Congregants’ Gifts And Passions – Stephanie Prince

• Is your church experiencing volunteer burnout? Join us as we dive into the importance of empowering congregants to recognize and cultivate their unique spiritual gifts and passions for the building up of the body of Christ.   Every member can be equipped by God to not only serve but thrive in their calling!

Leveraging Your Membership Process – Michele Dyer

• Is your membership process designed to create meaningful connections and drive engagement for every new member? Join us as we explore practical strategies and tools to help new members embrace their unique calling and find their place within their new church family.

Connection Ministry: Moving First Time Guests to Fully Engaged – Hadden Finch

• Does your church have a Connection Ministry, or would you like to start one? Discover why Connection Ministry is so important and the steps that your church can take to help a First-Time Guest become fully engaged.

Understanding the Purpose and Vision of Small Groups – Paul Wilkinson, Truett Ross

• Objective: Introduce the biblical foundation and strategic purpose of small groups in the church
• Action Step: Begin drafting a vision statement for small groups in your church
• Description: The book of Acts highlights the rapid growth of the early church and the formation of Christian communities. Acts 5:42 states, ‘Every day in the temple and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.’ This session will delve into the biblical foundation for small groups and examine their strategic role in strengthening believers’ faith.

Building Effective Small Group Leaders  – Matt Purdom, Alec Beard

• Objective: Equip participants with the tools to identify, train, and support small group leaders.
• Action Step: Develop a plan for recruiting and training small group leaders in your church
• Description: The effectiveness of a small group ministry depends on how well its leaders are trained and prepared. This session will explore practical ideas, tools, and systems for recruiting, training, and equipping leaders to serve effectively in your small group ministry.

Structuring and Sustaining Small Groups – Shannon Moore, Ian Price

• Objective: Teach participants how to organize and maintain small groups that thrive.
• Action Step: Outline a small group structure for your church, including how new groups will be started and supported.
• Description: An effective structure and system are essential for fostering healthy small groups. This session will explore practical strategies for organizing and structuring small groups to ensure their success.

W.O.M.E.N: “The one where we started a ministry” – Amy Jo Girardier

• Hey women’s leaders!  Come pull a chair to the table and let’s talk like friends about women’s ministry basics. This breakout will frame up the conversation like a TV episode show. Brentwood Women has started and the basics for launching a women’s ministry alongside of other campuses that minister to women as well.

How AI Can Help Your Church Improve Your Communications – Dillon Sherlock

• This session explores how churches can harness the power of artificial intelligence to enhance their communication strategies. From automating email campaigns to optimizing social media engagement and tailoring messages to specific audiences, you’ll learn practical AI tools and techniques to save time and connect with your community effectively.

How to Build a Church Brand – Madi Wuebben, Mallory Nall

• Discover the principles of creating a memorable and impactful church brand. This breakout will guide you through identifying your church’s unique voice, defining its visual identity, and ensuring consistency across all platforms. Attendees will leave with actionable steps to communicate their mission and vision clearly.

The 2025 Guide to Social Media for Your Church – Dillon Sherlock, Laila Al-Hagal

• Stay updated on the latest trends, platforms, and strategies in social media for churches. This session will cover how to effectively create content, manage multiple platforms, and measure success to ensure your church’s message reaches and engages your community in 2025 and beyond.

Leadership Pipeline – Roger Severino, Michele Dyer

• Do you have enough spiritual leaders to do what God has called your church to do? This session will explore how we seek to identify, equip, and deploy our people into spiritual service based partly on principles found in Mac Lake’s The Multiplication Effect.

Developing Leaders: Residency, Bi-Vocational Residency, and Lay Training – Roger Severino, Chris Hoppe, Jim Dickey

• Have you ever considered a residency, internships, or lay training courses to raise up the next generation of spiritual leaders for your church or God’s Kingdom? Come learn about the history of BBC’s residency and the changes we made after a few years. Come learn the details of “why” and “how” we do our Ministry Residency, Bi-Vocational Residency, and Lay Training initiatives.

Church Revitalization – Fady and Steven

• Every church needs renewal. The truth is that throughout the life of any church many different seasons will be experienced. There will be seasons of plenty as well as harder seasons of searching. And since it’s not a matter of “if” but “when,” every church should focus on how they will journey through; today. So, if you are a pastor and are looking to renew your church’s mission and presence within your community or a pastor of a church in distress, come explore intentional methods to revamp or reboot your ministry.

Marks of Healthy Church – Fady Al-Hagal, Steven Wald

• Are you pastoring a church and hoping the congregation and community around you will catch your vision? As you implement your ministry plan, how do you know if you’re setting your church up for success? Further, what does success even look like? Come hear more about the biblical marks of a healthy church and how to implement them within your own church.

Non-Negotiables for Leading Multi-Generational Choirs – Travis Cottrell and Mackenzie Burns

• This breakout will focus on principals for making decisions in your ministry to help recalibrate how you see your church goers and how you make decisions to minister to them

The Reinvigorated Choir – Travis Cottrell

The choir is not back. It never left. But it may have been your experience that it has waned in effectiveness and reach. We will talk about core principals and practices to reinvigorate your choir experience, and creative ways to incorporate different worship cultures in your own context.

Leading Your Team Well – Nic Gonzales

• Principles and guidelines for keeping your teams functioning healthy, happy, and growing

Your Worship Ministry’s DNA – Luke Roman

• Do you know your DNA? Your ministry’s DNA is who you are, what you do, and the way you do it. In this breakout, we’ll explore the importance of shaping, articulating, and ministering from your Worship Ministry’s unique DNA.