Pulpit Magazine

Due to the holiday weekend, registration for the 2008 Shepherds’ Conference will begin on Tuesday, September 4. Last year, the conference was full by December 15 (just over 100 days after registration began). So if you’re planning to come next March, don’t wait too long.

Below is a letter from our conference director, Brent Small, with regard to conference registration:

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Dear Shepherd,

From a human point of view, success can be defined in many different ways: fame, wealth, accomplishment, education, or simply achieving the American Dream. Even in the church, the measure of success often is a matter of numbers in attendance or popular appeal. But from God’s perspective, success is not any of those things. It is, instead, defined by faithfulness.

The Word of God is clear on what true success looks like. It means faithfulness to the Master (Matt. 25:21; 2 Cor. 5:10); faithfulness to His message–both in private practice and in public proclamation (Josh. 1:8; Psalm 1:2–3; 2 Tim. 2:15); and faithfulness to the ministry (2 Tim. 4:7–8; 1 Pet. 5:1–4). Faithfulness takes discipline, courage, integrity, and humility. It requires hard work and a resolve that perseveres week after week, even when the going gets tough. For the pastor, faithfulness demands purity in devotion, submission in obedience, selflessness in service, accuracy in interpretation, diligence in administration, and kindness in spirit–and not just once in awhile, but every single day.

Ultimately, of course, faithfulness takes a lifetime to achieve. Yet it is the constant pursuit of every true pastor. Your desire to please the Chief Shepherd in all that you do is what endears you and your ministry to us and ours. We have all been called to be faithful. And it is to that end that we labor together for the sake of His name.

It is in this vein that we are writing to invite you to Shepherds’ Conference this coming March. The conference is an amazing time of worship and fellowship, as pastors from around the world gather to celebrate their common calling as bond-slaves of Christ. Our goal is simply to encourage and refresh you, and to spur you on to greater faithfulness in your life and ministry. No gimmicks. No programs. Just an opportunity to be recharged and reminded to fight the good fight, finish the course, and run the race.

The 2008 Shepherds’ Conference, which will be held March 5–7, will feature preaching and teaching from John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Phil Johnson, Tom Pennington, Steve Lawson, Rick Holland, and the Grace Church staff. Registration will begin September 4, 2007 (immediately following Labor Day weekend). You can sign up online by visiting http://www.shepherdsconference.org.

Because space is limited, please be sure to register and make your travel arrangements well in advance. A list of hotels and other travel helps is available online.

On behalf of our conference staff, please know that it is an immense privilege for us to minister to those, like you, who faithfully minister to others. I look forward to seeing you in March as we come together to be equipped by the Word and encouraged to excel still more.

Because He is faithful,

Brent Small
Conference Director

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