NAMB hopes as many as 4,000 church leaders will attend its third annual Send North America luncheon as part of this year's SBC Pastors' Conference. The noon luncheon, titled "Building Vision and Celebrating Missions in North America," will be Monday, June 10, in Hall B3.
The free luncheon will help pastors and other church leaders discover how Send North America can help their evangelistic efforts. After the luncheon, attendees can connect with NAMB mobilizers from Send North America cities and regions where they may have an interest in involving their church.
"The 2013 Send North America Luncheon at the SBC Pastors' Conference in Houston will once again prove to be a vital part of NAMB's strategy to mobilize people and churches toward the goal of penetrating lostness in North America," said Aaron Coe (@aaronbcoe), NAMB's vice president for mobilization. "This luncheon is for anyone who is interested in how NAMB can help them in their Great Commission work in the U.S and Canada. Each luncheon attendee is sure to leave inspired and informed."
To register for the free luncheon, visit snaluncheon.com. Free tickets will be required for entry and the box lunch.
Before the Pastors' Conference, Hispanic pastors and church leaders are invited to "Avance Hispano." The conference will celebrate SBC Hispanic ministries and is co-sponsored by NAMB, GuideStone Financial Resources, LifeWay Christian Resources and the International Mission Board.
The event kicks off at 4 p.m. June 9 in and around the third floor Grand Ballroom C with exhibits and workshops from SBC entities. A dinner and a worship service will follow. Gerardo Custodio, pastor of La Familia de Dios church in Ontario, Calif., will be the main speaker.
NAMB's main exhibit opens at 8 a.m. June 10 in the Exhibit Hall. Throughout the Pastors' Conference and the SBC annual meeting, NAMB mobilizers and church planters will be available at the exhibit to help connect churches to mission fields in North America. The exhibit also will highlight NAMB's new TenTwo initiative, which encourages Southern Baptists to pray for North American missions every day at 10:02.
The NAMB-sponsored "Faces of the SBC" exhibit also will highlight the role of the convention's ethnic fellowships and networks.
On the street in front of the convention center, NAMB will sponsor an SBC Disaster Relief exhibit, which will include two semis, an SBDR truck and a mobile command center for convention attendees to visit. Texas Baptist Men and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention will have a semi, shower trailer and a cleanup and recovery trailer set up in the area as well.
Kevin Ezell, NAMB's president, is slated to share NAMB's official report on the convention floor Tuesday, June 11, at 11:05 a.m. The report will highlight NAMB's partnership with Southern Baptists to penetrate lostness through Send North America, update the convention on SBDR recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy and share about the development of a "farm system" to train the next generation of SBC missionaries.
NAMB's LoveLoud team will sponsor a free panel discussion/breakfast titled "The Church, Neglected Children and Biblical Justice" the following morning, June 12, at 7 a.m. in Room 351. The panel will focus on ways the Gospel transforms lives through adoption, foster care and mentoring. For more information and to register, visit namb.net/loveloud.
"We hope this breakfast/panel discussion will be a starting point for understanding how to minister in such situations in measurable and successful ways," said Ryan West (@jryanwest), NAMB's LoveLoud national coordinator. "Pastors coming to this gathering should leave with basic principles and a framework for next steps in seeing Gospel-centered transformation of their communities and cities."
NAMB will sponsor a luncheon for bivocational pastors and their wives at 11:30 a.m. June 12 in Room 352D/E/F. The free luncheon is open to the first 250 people to register. To do so, contact Ray Gilder at rgilder@tnbaptist.org.
As in previous years, Southern Baptists will have a variety of opportunities to share Christ with Houston residents through block parties and special outreach events during Crossover June 8, the Saturday before the start of the annual meeting.
This year Southern Baptists attending the annual meeting will have even more opportunities to share Christ the week before the meeting. Saturday's Crossover activities will culminate a weeklong kickoff of "Loving Houston," the Union Baptist Association's three-year ministry evangelism effort to share Christ's love in word and deed with the people of Houston. For more information on Crossover, visit namb.net/Crossover. For more information on Loving Houston, visit lovinghouston.net.
Tobin Perry writes for the North American Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).
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