
Spark 2026 scheduled at Central Baptist
The Total Church-Equipping Conference is coming to Americus, GA this fall! The Friendship Baptist Association calls on its churches to support this opportunity. Scroll down to learn more.
*Friendship Baptist Association is offering scholarship funds to our churches as needed so that every church can send their leaders to this conference. Contact Bro. Charles Stoops or the FBA Office for more info.
Who is the Spark Conference For?
The Spark Conference is for every lay leader, ministry leader, or paid staff member of Southern Baptist Churches. It doesn’t matter at what stage you are at in your ministry, the total church-equipping conference is designed to help you confidentially follow God’s calling.
Breakout sessions are offered in 16 different categories:
- Church Planting
- Church Revitalization
- Collegiate
- Counseling Ministry
- Disaster Relief
- Discipleship
- Evangelism
- Men’s Ministry
- Ministry Administration
- Mission Georgia
- Missions
- Next Gen
- Pastor Wellness
- Public Affairs
- Women
- Worship and Music
Schedule
03:45 PM – Doors open/Registration
04:30 PM – Worship and Message – Ken Whitten
05:35 PM – Dinner* and Meal & Learn
06:25 PM – Breakout #1
07:25 PM – Breakout #2
08:15 PM – Dismiss
*The meal will be provided as part of the conference.
How Can we make the spark conference a success?
Bro. Charles Stoops is calling on the Friendship Baptist Association to support this conference. For years, our churches have had to drive to attend training like the SPARK Conference. Now, one of our own churches, Central Baptist Church, is hosting. Please take advantage of this opportunity to receive quality training while it is closer.
Here’s how you can help make the Spark Conference a success:
#1 – Be Specific While Inviting Your Leaders
Pastors, give direct invitations to your deacons and ministry leaders. Before you invite them, take a look at breakout session list. Then, invite your leaders to attend specific breakouts that are geared towards their ministries and giftedness. Please note that some breakout sessions are only offered once in the schedule. Here’s when those classes are offered according to the conference registration page.
Breakout Session #1
| Category | Breakout Session Title |
|---|---|
| Church Planting | Church Planting is a Team Sport: Finding your role in starting new churches |
| Church Revitalization | Why Vision Without Structure Exhausts People |
| Collegiate | Maintaining Collegiate Ministry Momentum |
| Counseling Ministry | Grief Care Giving |
| Disaster Relief | Becoming a Disaster Ready Church |
| Discipleship | Beyond the Baptistry: Creating a Scalable Strategy to Move New Believers into Lifelong Discipleship |
| Discipleship | From the Crowd to Committed: Developing an Effective Discipleship Pathway |
| Discipleship | Senior Adults: Strategies for Sharing Jesus in Simple, Doable Ways |
| Discipleship | Teaching Beyond Borders: Overcoming Common Obstacles |
| Evangelism | Reaching Your Church’s Mission Field |
| Men’s Ministry | Building a Band of Brothers |
| Ministry Administration | Artificial Intelligence: Using AI to Maximize Your Ministry Impact (Ethically) |
| Mission Georgia | Supporting Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families |
| Missions | How to Maximize Your Local Missions Partnerships |
| Next Gen Kids/Students | Practical Strategies for Ministering to Exceptional Kids and Students with Special Needs |
| Next Gen Kids | Top 5 Characteristics to An Unforgettable Children’s Ministry |
| Next Gen Students | Hey Youth Ministry Volunteers! |
| Pastor Wellness | Equipping and Encouraging Pastors |
| Pastor Wellness | The Mission Moves at the Speed of Trust |
| Pastor Wellness | Faithful in the Middle: The High Calling of a Deacon |
| Public Affairs | The Importance of the Church Understanding God’s View of Human Life |
| Women | Conversations That Count: Guiding Women to Share Faith with Confidence |
| Worship & Music | How to Lead Congregational Singing without any Musicians |
| Worship & Music | What’s driving you as a leader in your ministry? Discover how you lead from your deepest emotional need. |
| Worship & Music | ’Front of House Ministry’: Serving in Church Audio and Visual |
Breakout Session #2
| Category | Breakout Session Title |
|---|---|
| Church Planting | Church Planting is a Team Sport: Finding your role in starting new churches |
| Church Revitalization | Why Vision Without Structure Exhausts People |
| Collegiate | Keeping High School Graduates Engaged in Your Church |
| Counseling Ministry | Grief Ministry: Help for the Journey Through the Valley |
| Disaster Relief | Becoming a Disaster Ready Church |
| Discipleship | Beyond the Baptistry: Creating a Scalable Strategy to Move New Believers into Lifelong Discipleship |
| Discipleship | Beyond the Surface: Helping Young Adults Find Real Connection in the Church |
| Discipleship | From First Hello to Fully Home: Turning Guests Into Family |
| Discipleship | Teaching Beyond Borders: Foundations for Building Trust & Credibility in the Learning Experience |
| Evangelism | Living Life in 3D |
| Men’s Ministry | Forming Men of Courage: Building an Intentional Plan for Reaching and Connecting Men |
| Ministry Administration | Artificial Intelligence: Using AI to Maximize Your Ministry Impact (Ethically) |
| Mission Georgia | People, Not Projects: 3 Ways to Love Your Neighbor |
| Missions | Best Practices for Community Missions |
| Next Gen Kids | Getting to Know Gen Alpha: Understanding the Next Generation Before You Reach Them |
| Next Gen Kids | Simple Steps to a Buddy Ministry |
| Next Gen Kids | Understanding the Kids You Teach |
| Pastor Wellness | The Mission Moves at the Speed of Trust |
| Pastor Wellness | Faithful in the Middle: The High Calling of a Deacon |
| Public Affairs | Reducing the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in the Church |
| Women | Women’s Ministry: What to Do When They Don’t Show Up |
| Worship & Music | How to Lead Congregational Singing without any Musicians |
| Worship & Music | What’s driving you as a leader in your ministry? Discover how you lead from your deepest emotional need. |
| Worship & Music | ’Front of House Ministry’: Serving in Church Audio and Visual |
PRO TIP: Make it as easy as possible for your church leaders to attend by asking the church budget to cover all registration fees. to attend by covering the cost of attendance. Similarly, Bro. Charles Stoops does not one finances to prevent any church for participating. The Friendship Baptist Association is offering scholarships to our churches who can greatly benefit from SPARK but don’t have the budget to pay for the cost.
#2 – Volunteer to Help Central Baptist Host
Central Baptist Church is calling for the assistance of the wider association as they host our region’s SPARK Conference. There is need for volunteers to guide parking, help with registration, give directions throughout the church, and act as room hosts.
Rev. Kevin Kilgore says, “If you or some of your people would be willing to serve, I need you to do two things for me. First, I need you to go to SPARK Conference Registration and register for the Southwest Region at Central Baptist Church using the Code “SPARKVOL”. You will be prompted to select the two breakout sessions that you would like to attend. Select both of those even though you are volunteering.”
Those who have completed this step need to message Kevin or call him. You can find contact information on the staff page of Central Baptist church.
#3 – Promote
Help promote this conference. Here’s some ideas:
- Add a presentation slide to your Sunday morning loop – find one below!
- Call one pastor friend who is outside our association and invite his church to participate
- Share on social media
- Invite one friend to go with you
Downloadable Promotional Materials
#4 – Follow Up
The greatest success of the SPARK Conference will be how it impacts your church. Get the most of the time by planning a follow-up meeting with your attending leaders:
- Allow them to share about their breakout sessions
- Discuss takeaways
- Work together to implement strategies or suggestions
- Share with the wider church – let your leaders carry their training back to your congregation
What would your church look like if every leader was equipped for ministry?
Register for the SPARK Conference Today!
Questions?
If you have questions, you can contact Lauren Moye at the FBA Office or one of the staff at Central Baptist Church.




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