Engage conferences designed to inspire, equip for evangelism

Posted: 11/30/07

Engage conferences designed
to inspire, equip for evangelism

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—Engage and Radical Engage—conferences designed to inspire and equip Texas Baptists to evangelize the state—are scheduled Jan. 13-15 at LakePointe Church in Rockwall and feature speakers from around the nation.

The events continue a long tradition of bringing Texas Baptists together to focus on what God has called them to do—share the gospel, said Jon Randles, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Team.

“Throughout the history of Baptist life, especially here in Texas, the evangelism conferences have been a major player for us to come together around what truly unites us, which is evangelism and missions,” Randles said. “People come together for practical seminars, inspiration and times of fellowship that refresh us to reach those who need Christ in our state.”

To help Christians reach urban, postmodern settings, the Jan. 13-14 Radical Engage conference includes Alex Himaya, senior pastor of The Church at Battle Creek in Tulsa, Okla., the top Oklahoma congregation in terms of baptisms in 2006, and Jose Zayas, international teen evangelism director for Focus on the Family. Shane and Shane also will be part of the program.

Himaya and Zayas also will participate in the Jan. 14-15 Engage, designed to help churches and leaders in more traditional settings.

Other featured speakers include Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, who will describe what is taking place in his congregation following Hurricane Katrina; Gary Dyer, pastor of First Baptist Church in Midland; Jerry Pipes, director of personal and event evangelism at the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board; Sammy Gilbreath, director of evangelism for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions; James Lankford, Falls Creek program director for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma; and Randles.

Many Texas Baptist churches are either plateaued or declining in membership, Randles noted. Engage and Radical Engage will provide practical ways for congregations to increase their evangelistic efforts, he said.

“I don’t see this conference as a fix-all,” Randles said. “This is the beginning.”

Additional evangelistic training and outreach sessions called Engage XP are scheduled Feb. 10-14 in El Paso, San Antonio, Belton, Midland and Kingwood.

“We’re going to go out to the areas where there will be training during the day and during the evenings hold evangelistic revivals,” he said. “We’re going to offer a relationship with Christ. People can bring their unsaved friends to these events and help them find a relationship with Christ.”