MBC prepares for couples conference
JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) is partnering with host Gary Smalley and his two sons, Greg and Michael, to be a part of the “I Promise” ministry couples retreat Oct. 17-19 at the 3,000-seat Tri-Lakes Center in Branson.
Featured speakers for the conference designed for pastors, directors, leaders and their wives will be Gary Smalley, John and Nancy Ortberg, Gary Chapman and Ed and Lisa Young Jr. The conference is being presented by the Smalley Relationship Center.
“We’re able to have a national-quality event right here in our own state,” said MBC Family Ministries Specialist Joe Ulveling, who is slated to lead one of four pre-conference workshops Oct. 17 on the topic of “Balancing Ministry and Family.”
Cost for the conference is $149 per couple, which does not include lodging and meals. A special MBC rate of $99 per couple is available to those who identify themselves as Missouri Baptists when registering online at www.smalleyonline.com or by calling 1-800-84TODAY.
Ulveling said the conference is similar in format to the Ministers Juggling Act that the MBC sponsors in Branson. Worship and teaching begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 17, with more of the same the following day from 8:30 a.m. through noon and 1:30 p.m. through 4 p.m. A scheduled “Date Night” then allows a couple to relax for the rest of the evening.
The final day of the conference, with worship and teaching, runs from 8:30 a.m. through 11:30 a.m.
The three operative words for “I Promise” are relax, refresh and refuel.
“Yes, there are speakers brought in to help encourage, but the retreat, the getaway, is the key,” Ulveling said.
The MBC is listed first among ministry partners and sponsors on the conference brochure.
“To have a good, positive light on this for the MBC is a big win,” he said.