Rick and Kay Warren, co-founders of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., will be the featured speakers at 21-C, a conference hosted by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board Feb. 2-3 at The St. Paul's Baptist Church in Richmond.
Every year, the 21-C conference features national and international “best practice” church leaders who demonstrate frontline courageous ministries. This year's conference focuses on the P.E.A.C.E. Plan (www.thepeaceplan.com), developed by the Warrens to address problems of global proportions.
The P.E.A.C.E. Plan is based upon the belief that solutions to global problems will come not from organizations or governments, but rather from “ordinary people empowered by God, making a difference together wherever they are.”
The P.E.A.C.E. acronym represents:
• Plant churches (addresses the problem of spiritual emptiness).
• Equip servant leaders (addresses the problem of corrupt leadership).
• Assist the poor (addresses the problem of extreme poverty).
• Care for the sick (addresses the problem of pandemic diseases).
• Educate the next generation (addresses the problem of illiteracy and lack of education).
Rick Warren is senior pastor of Saddleback Church and the author of the best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life.
Kay Warren has become a leader in helping Christians respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. She speaks about her own ignorance of the AIDS crisis and asks others to join her in ministering to AIDS victims.
Virginia Baptist churches that mirror the P.E.A.C.E. initiative will be featured in case studies at the conference. They include Spring Hill Baptist Church in Ruckersville; Blacksburg Baptist Church in Blacksburg; Powhatan Community Church in Powhatan; Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Herndon; Shining Star Community Church in Falls Church; and The Light Global Mission in Vienna. Through video presentations and live interviews, these churches and their pastors will share their congregational stories and ministry strategies.
Breakout sessions will include an opportunity for dialogue with the pastors of the featured churches; specific training for implementing the P.E.A.C.E Plan in local churches; a discussion of principles of ministry to persons with AIDS, led by Elizabeth Styffe, director of the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church; a workshop for worship leaders, led by Rick Muchow, worship pastor at Saddleback Church; and an exploration of immediate ministry-response possibilities through Virginia Baptist Mission Board partners.
Registration information and fees for the conference are available online at www.21-c.org or by contacting Debbie Cobb at the Virginia Baptist Mission Board at 800.ALL.BGAV (255.2428), ext. 6235, or [email protected].