Registration is OPEN for this year’s Cultivate Conference: Cultivating Discipleship!

We hope you’ll join us in Sioux Falls, SD, at Faith Baptist Fellowship (601 W 57th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57108) September 26-27. The Cultivate Conference has something for everyone in Converge Heartland, whether you’re a pastor or member of your church congregation.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, September 26

1:00 pm | Main Session 1 with Jonathan Dodson

2:15 pm | Main Session 2 with Joe Basso

3:25 pm | Workshop Session 1

4:25 pm | Workshop Session 2

5:30 pm | Dinner with Aleksander Dimov and Volodimir Pomazkov

7:00 pm | Main Session 3 with Steve Krier

Friday, September 27

8:00 am | Sponsor Breakfast with Guardian Wealth (sign-up required)

9:00 am | Main Session 4 with Jonathan Dodson

10:30 am | Main Session 5 with Jim Capaldo

11:20 am | Season of Prayer

Main Session Speakers:

Jonathan Dodson

Jonathon Dodson is Theologian-in-Residence at Citizens Church and Founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship.com, which produces resources to help make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus. He is married to Robie, with whom he started The Fair Deed Project and planted City Life Church in Austin, TX.

He is the author of a number of books including The Unwavering Pastor, Our Good Crisis,  Here in Spirit, and The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing, Gospel-Centered Discipleship. He is also a contributing author to the Foundation series, designed to help local churches teach all that Christ commanded.

Just about any week, you can catch Jonathan listening to The War on Drugs, watching sci-fi, and going for a walk.

Joe Basso

Joe is the lead pastor of Felch Mountain Bible Chapel in Felch, MI.  Pastor Joe is an engaging and caring leader who loves to help people grow in their faith and get closer to God.

Jim Capaldo

We will also have the chance to fellowship with Jim Capaldo and hear him speak one last time before the ratification of our next Regional President.

Several breakout sessions are planned, and, as always, we’ll enjoy a good meal and time of worship on Thursday evening. More details coming soon!

Workshop Speakers:

Joe Basso

Joe is the lead pastor of Felch Mountain Bible Chapel in Felch, MI.  Pastor Joe is an engaging and caring leader who loves to help people grow in their faith and get closer to God.

Tom Scott

Tom Scott serves as Executive Director for The Center for Biblical Living where the mission is to provide biblical guidance and counseling for ministers of the gospel, reminding them of the power of the gospel, so that they will be effective and fruitful in living the gospel in their families, churches, and communities.

Lauren Eberspacher

Lauren Eberspacher is a blogger and author who lives intentionally for Jesus. She desires to give heartfelt encouragement to the everyday mama and wife.

Jon Reed

Jon Reed is the Pastor of Care and Equipping at The Fount in Kansas City, MO. He also works to facilitate connections between churches and Lifeway, providing support to resource the local church.

Thank you to our event sponsors!

We are excited for Converge Heartland Middle School Camp July 28 through August 2 at Swan Lake Christian Camp in Viborg, South Dakota.  Dave Johnston, Midwest Regional Director for Infusion Ministries, will bring us dynamic and engaging teaching. 

Students entering 6th grade through those who’ve completed 8th grade will engage in small and large group Bible studies, organized games, time at the lake, theme nights, and campfires. 

Check in:

Sunday, July 28 from 4:15 – 5PM

Pick-Up:

Friday, August 2 at 1:00 PM

**Please double check times and be prompt for dropoff and pickup.

The 2024 RENEW Retreat is a relaxing and encouraging weekend retreat open to all ministers and ministry couples serving in Converge Heartland churches.

This year’s retreat will be April 5–7 in the Lincoln Hay Market at the Hyatt Place Hotel, located at 335 N 8th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. 

This year, we are excited to host Dr. Tim Adrian as our speaker. Tim and his wife, Pam, serve at Westside Baptist Church in Hutchinson, KS, where Tim has been the Lead Pastor for 27 years. Westside has been a significantly influential church to our district as the sending and mother church of district church planters and pastors in the greater Wichita metro area.

Tim regularly speaks to pastoral groups and has recently served as the President of Baptist Bible Fellowship International, a movement of over 2,000 churches with more than 700 missionaries serving domestically and abroad. Tim and Pam have three adult children and nine grandchildren.  

Schedule:

Friday, April 5

3:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Check into hotel. Evening dinner is on your own.

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Dessert Social Fun/Game Night

Saturday, April 6

7:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Breakfast at Hotel

9:00 AM - 10:15 AM: Session 1

10:30 AM-11:30 AM: Session 2

11:30 AM - 6:00 PM: Lunch in Haymarket and Free Time

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Evening Dinner and Encouragement

Sunday, April 7

7:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Breakfast at Hotel

10:00 AM-11:30 AM: Worship Service & Communion

Dismiss and checkout by noon

Prayer enables us to commune with our gracious, faithful Father.  For thirty years the people of Converge Heartland began gathering for a time dedicated to worship and prayer.  Each March, this refreshing break from the pressures of daily life and ministry enabled people to recharge in God’s presence.

This year we return to our roots as we gather March 4-6 at Converge Church in Omaha, NE, the home of the first-ever Prayer Gathering.  Chris Atkins of Center Baptist Church will lead us in worship through song as we prepare to commune with God in prayer.  Please join us for this special time of worship, focused prayer and “one-another” ministry.

Schedule

Monday, March 4

5:15 pm – Check-in
5:30 pm – Supper together
6:00–9:00 pm – Worship & Prayer Session 1

Tuesday, March 5

7:30 am – Breakfast available
8:30–12:00 pm – Worship & Prayer Session 2
12:00–2:50 pm – Lunch (on your own) & Free Time
3:00–5:15 pm – Worship & Prayer Session 3
5:30 pm – Supper together
6:30–9:30 pm – Worship & Prayer Session 4

Wednesday, March 6

7:30 am – Breakfast available
8:30–11:30 AM – Worship & Prayer Session 5
11:30 am – Lunch (A sack lunch to go is available upon request!)

We look forward to the Winter Retreat at Camp Judson near Keystone, SD, February 16-19, 2024! This retreat begins with dinner on Friday and ends with breakfast on Monday. The long weekend provides a time for students to unplug from the fast pace of school and routine and be refreshed with biblical teaching, worship, and times of small group conversations. Plenty of fun to be had!

Students are responsible for transportation to and from the retreat. Check with your church or youth group to see if they are providing transportation.

Thank you for joining us in prayer over the next 21 days as we ask God to move in every area of Converge — Starting new churches, Strengthening existing churches and Sending global workers to the unreached people groups of the world. The theme of our time is United in Prayer — Praying Scripture Together. This theme has many layers of meaning.

Learn more here.

The 2023 Cultivate Conference is being held on Thursday, September 14, and Friday, September 15, at Faith Baptist Fellowship, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is open to all.

Immediately preceding the conference will be the Converge Heartland District Annual Meeting & Luncheon which is open to leaders and voting delegates of affiliated churches as well as those church leaders interested in affiliating with Converge Heartland.

Church leaders across the Heartland acknowledge their desire to see people come to faith in Christ and to experience stronger conversion growth. To help resource this critical area of church health, the 2023 Cultivate Conference is focused on “Cultivating Evangelism and Outreach.” With five keynote sessions and multiple workshops to choose from, this is a conference that will encourage and equip your church leaders and influencers.

Workshop Topics

• Evangelism & Outreach in Small Town and Rural Contexts

• Evangelism & Outreach in a Post-Christian Context

• The Role of Prayer in Evangelism and Outreach

• Love & Discipleship: Precursors to Evangelism

• Church and Pastoral Finances

SPEAKERS

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 14

1:00 PM Welcome & Worship

1:20 PM Main Session 1:

2:25 PM Workshops - Session 1

3:25 PM Workshops - Session 2

4:25 PM Main Session 2

5:30 PM Dinner

7:00 PM Main Session with a Season of Worship