Cultivating a Prayerfully Dependent Church
Cultivating a Prayerfully Dependent Church
At the York Baptist Association, we envision healthy congregations that are prayerfully dependent in all things, intentional in intercession, and immersed in both corporate and personal prayer.
Healthy churches breathe prayer. In this cohort, we’ll explore how to cultivate a culture where your congregation depends on God in everything—planning, preaching, decision-making, and mission. Together, we’ll learn simple, reproducible rhythms that make intercession a normal part of Sunday gatherings, small groups, and everyday life.
Cultivating a Missional Disposition in a Church
Cultivating a Missional Disposition in a Church
At the York Baptist Association, we envision healthy congregations that are outwardly focused and missionally driven to reach both their community and the world by sharing the gospel and demonstrating Christ’s love to those far from God.
Every healthy church lives on mission. In this cohort, we’ll learn how to develop a gospel-centered posture that sees every member as a missionary—sent to love their neighbors, serve their community, and share the hope of Christ wherever they go. Together we’ll explore how to move from maintenance to mission by:
Reigniting passion for the Great Commission in every ministry area
Equipping members to engage their community with gospel intentionality
Creating a culture that measures success by faithfulness and fruitfulness, not busyness
Learning from churches that are effectively reaching people far from God
Who should attend: Pastors, ministry leaders, mission teams, and anyone eager to see their church become a gospel-driven, outwardly focused body of believers.
Cultivating a Scripture-Driven Worship Service
Cultivating a Scripture-Driven Worship Service
At the York Baptist Association, we envision healthy congregations that joyfully exalt Christ above all, are selfless in their worship, rooted in Scripture, and anchored in sound doctrine.
Worship shapes the heart of the church. In this cohort, we’ll explore how to build a culture of worship that is saturated with Scripture, centered on the gospel, and focused on the glory of Christ. Together, we’ll rediscover what it means to worship in spirit and truth—where God’s Word forms the foundation of our worship.
You’ll learn how to:
Anchor every element of worship in the authority of Scripture
Cultivate Christ-exalting, selfless worship that engages the whole church
Guard against emotionalism and empty ritual through sound doctrine
Equip worship leaders and congregations to joyfully exalt Christ above all
Who should attend: Pastors, worship leaders, musicians, and ministry teams who desire to lead their congregations toward biblically faithful, gospel-saturated worship.
Preaching Lab 2
Join us for our next Intentional Equipping Network session as Rev. Ken Forrester leads us in a timely and challenging conversation:
“Leading Change In An Established Church”
Every pastor and ministry leader eventually faces moments when change is needed—but resistance is strong. Whether it’s introducing new ministry strategies, addressing unhealthy patterns, or moving your church toward a fresh vision, leading change can feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
In this session, Rev. Forrester will help us explore how to:
- Discern when and why change is truly necessary
- Lead with biblical conviction while showing pastoral sensitivity
- Overcome resistance without dividing the body
- Build trust and momentum for lasting transformation
You’ll walk away with practical strategies and encouraging insight to help you faithfully shepherd your church through seasons of change—especially when no one’s asking for it.
Preaching Lab 1
Join us for our next Intentional Equipping Network session as Rev. Ken Forrester leads us in a timely and challenging conversation:
“Leading Change In An Established Church”
Every pastor and ministry leader eventually faces moments when change is needed—but resistance is strong. Whether it’s introducing new ministry strategies, addressing unhealthy patterns, or moving your church toward a fresh vision, leading change can feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
In this session, Rev. Forrester will help us explore how to:
- Discern when and why change is truly necessary
- Lead with biblical conviction while showing pastoral sensitivity
- Overcome resistance without dividing the body
- Build trust and momentum for lasting transformation
You’ll walk away with practical strategies and encouraging insight to help you faithfully shepherd your church through seasons of change—especially when no one’s asking for it.
Leading Change In An Established Church
Join us for our next Intentional Equipping Network session as Rev. Ken Forrester leads us in a timely and challenging conversation:
“Leading Change In An Established Church”
Every pastor and ministry leader eventually faces moments when change is needed—but resistance is strong. Whether it’s introducing new ministry strategies, addressing unhealthy patterns, or moving your church toward a fresh vision, leading change can feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
In this session, Rev. Forrester will help us explore how to:
- Discern when and why change is truly necessary
- Lead with biblical conviction while showing pastoral sensitivity
- Overcome resistance without dividing the body
- Build trust and momentum for lasting transformation
You’ll walk away with practical strategies and encouraging insight to help you faithfully shepherd your church through seasons of change—especially when no one’s asking for it.
Canceled: Pastoral Care and Counseling
Join us for our next Intentional Equipping Network gathering as Nick Vinesett, Pastor of Eastside Baptist Church, leads us in a timely and pastoral conversation on:
“Providing Pastoral Counseling and Care for the Sick and Grieving.”
Whether it’s sitting at a hospital bedside, walking a family through loss, or offering hope during seasons of suffering, gospel-centered care is one of the most sacred callings of ministry. This session will explore how to approach these moments with biblical wisdom, emotional sensitivity, and Christlike compassion.
You’ll walk away with practical tools and renewed perspective for ministering to those who are hurting in your church and community.
Preventing Ministry Burnout
Join us for an encouraging and equipping evening as we welcome Chad Merrell, Lead Pastor of North Rock Hill Church, to share practical wisdom on “How to Prevent Ministry Burnout.”
In a culture that often celebrates busyness, many ministry leaders quietly carry the weight of exhaustion, isolation, and unmet expectations. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This session will help you identify the warning signs of burnout, develop healthy rhythms of rest and renewal, and rediscover the joy of sustainable ministry.
This cohort is part of our ongoing effort to equip leaders with the tools they need to serve faithfully and finish well. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow alongside other leaders committed to longevity in gospel ministry.
Developing Emotional Intelligence in Pastoral Leadership
Leading a church presents its own set of challenges, and pastors need not complicate matters further with a lack of awareness. Pastors often face issues such as aging facilities, outdated ministry methods, and limited budgets, highlighting the need to tackle these challenges head-on. However, effective pastoral leadership starts with building strong relationships. To create lasting change, pastors must establish trust within their congregation. This process relies heavily on emotional intelligence—the capacity to understand and manage one’s own emotions while effectively connecting with the emotions of others. This cohort will delve into the crucial role of emotional intelligence in pastoral work and offer practical strategies for cultivating this vital skill.
Next Gen Ministry Essentials
High school students are leaving the church after graduation at an alarming rate—66%, to be exact. These are not unreached students. These are students who have been actively involved in the youth ministry of an evangelical church for at least one year during high school but who now do not attend a church at all. They have stopped attending church in the same way they have stopped going to Friday night football games and pep rallies.
Therefore, this cohort intends to examine how to design and implement a holistic approach to youth ministry that equips students with a faith that lasts after high school.
Leading Church Revitalization
Lifeway Research, in 2019, revealed that “approximately 3,000 Protestant churches were started in the U.S., but 4,500 Protestant churches closed.” Such dire warnings about the state of the American evangelical church—and the alarming number of pastors leaving the ministry—have stirred American evangelicals to reverse the trend. However, with increased awareness, church revitalization is becoming a broad topic with vastly different approaches. Therefore, this cohort intends to examine the solution to the most critical issues facing churches needing revitalization.
Church Budgeting and Exercising Oversight
Learn from Rev. Steve Polk, Executive Pastor at First Baptist Rock Hill on how to become a better steward of your church’s resources by learning to prepare practical and faithful church budgets aligned with the Great Commission.
Creating a Culture of Discipleship Through Intentional Discipleship Relationships (session 2 of 2)
Discover how to disciple others with gospel integrity and intentionality in a way that reflects Christ’s approach and mission in disciple-making. Participants will be assigned reading from Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson. Books will be made available to residents through the York Baptist Association.
Creating and Implementing an Effective Discipleship Strategy Through Small Groups (session 1 of 2)
Learn from Pastor Brad Vassey how to cultivate multiplying small groups that shepherd believers and foster spiritual growth, relational connection, and biblical literacy.
Conducting Gospel-Centered Weddings, Funerals and Administering Baptism and Communion
Learn from Dr. Paul Noe about how to officiate weddings and funerals and administer communion and baptism in a way that exalts Christ and proclaims the gospel. Participants will be assigned reading from A Theology of Death by Dr. Noe. Books are available at no cost through the York Baptist Association.
Missional Engagement Within Your Community
Learn from Will Broadus, Church Planter and Pastor at Reconcile Community Church in Greenville, SC and discover how to cultivate a missional mindset and engage your community with the gospel to make disciples more effectively. Participants must readThe Great Dechurching by Jim David and Michael Graham. Books are made available at no cost through the York Baptist Association office.
Sermon Planning and Preparation
Learn from Rev. Steve Hogg of Rock Hill First Baptist how to prepare and deliver an expository sermon and develop a comprehensive preaching calendar. Participants should read On Preaching by H.B. Charles. Books are available for free at the York Baptist Association office.