Pastors, leadership expert headline Empower Conference

Annual event, Feb. 26-27, aims to strengthen believers for evangelism work

IRVING  Bob Goff, J.D. Greear and Robby Gallaty will headline the Monday night main session of the SBTC’s 2018 Empower Conference, Feb. 26-27 at the Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas. 

Goff, author of the New York Times best-seller Love Does, writes, speaks and coaches on topics of dreaming big and “building the rocket ship that was supposed to be your life,” according to his website bobgoff.com.  

Greear leads The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., which for several years has made Outreach magazine’s “top 25 fastest-growing churches in America.” He is the author of Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send.

Robby Gallaty is the pastor of Tennessee’s Long Hollow Baptist Church. His story includes Catholicism, college basketball, a failed business, bartending, serious back injuries in an automobile accident that led to a prescription drug addiction, and God’s transformational grace that called him to radical surrender and to ministry.  

Empower’s Monday evening session will kick off with music led by popular contemporary Christian duo Shane and Shane, who will also lead worship in the Tuesday main sessions.

“With 18 million lost people calling Texas home, it is imperative that we return to what is closest to the heart of God—him being glorified, lost people being found, and disciples being made.”

Shane Pruitt, SBTC Evangelism Director

“The Power of One” is the theme of the 2018 evangelism conference. SBTC Evangelism Director Shane Pruitt said, “With 18 million lost people calling Texas home, it is imperative that we return to what is closest to the heart of God—him being glorified, lost people being found, and disciples being made.” He added, “When one person points one person to the One Person, Jesus Christ, who can transform lives, that is truly powerful indeed.”

The conference is free and open to everyone. Pruitt encourages people to register online as soon as possible. “We want to help with networking opportunities for attendees and registration will help us do just that,” he said. The first 1,500 to pre-register and check in at the conference will be eligible for a drawing to win one of four iPads. 

A Classics Luncheon, the first event at 11:45 on Monday, aimed at senior adults, will feature Christian author and humorist Dennis Swanberg. 

Music in the Monday afternoon Classics session will be led by sibling gospel group The Erwins. Speakers for the Classics session are Junior Hill, who has served as an evangelist for 50 years; Herb Reavis, pastor of Jacksonville Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.; and Tom Elliff, longtime pastor, former SBC and International Mission Board president and founder of Living in the Word Publications.

During the two-day event, attendees will hear from more than 20 pastors and ministry leaders with five main sessions of worship and challenging messages, 10 breakout session options, two dinner events and two evening afterglow events. 

For more information on the Empower Conference, including registration, lodging, schedule of events and a promotional video, visit sbtexas.com/empower

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