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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Learn from Pastor Brad Vassey how to cultivate multiplying small groups that shepherd believers and foster spiritual growth, relational connection, and biblical literacy.