Bible Conference to focus on the Holy Spirit

AUSTIN—The topic of the Holy Spirit can sometimes seem minimized or ignored in Baptist life because of fear related to excesses in other churches. However, the person and work of the third member of the Trinity is vital for every church and thus worthy of attention, says Danny Forshee, pastor of Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin and president of the 2016 SBTC Bible Conference.

“We live in difficult days where the hopes of many men and women of God are waning. Only the Holy Spirit of God can bolster them and lift them (Romans 15:13),” says Forshee, whose church will host the Bible conference and annual meeting Nov. 13-15.

The theme for this year’s conference will be “The Holy Spirit,” with the theme verse Zechariah 4:6—“ Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

“I feel it is imperative that pastors in these hard days be reminded that effective ministry comes not from our strength or might but only through the Holy Spirit as Zechariah 4:6 so profoundly teaches us,” Forshee says.

All sessions are free and open to the public, and Forshee says he is especially praying for pastors and their wives.

“So many dear pastors and their families are struggling with discouragement,” Forshee says, “and my prayer is that the Holy Spirit would lift them up through the worship, biblical teaching and fellowship with other pastors.”

Sunday evening’s session, which begins at 5:40 p.m. on Nov. 13, will feature messages by Rhys Stenner, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga.; Matt Carter, pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin; and Dante Wright, pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church in Round Rock, Texas. Music will be led by Terry Hurt of Great Hills Baptist along with Leo Day, dean of the School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Sweet Home Baptist Church’s choir and Austin Stone’s praise team.

Additionally, a Spanish session will be held Sunday evening at High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin. The session, which begins at 6 p.m., will feature speaker Carlos Navarro, pastor of Iglesia Bautista of West Brownsville.

Monday morning’s session, which begins at 9 a.m., will feature messages by Juan Sanchez, pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, and Steven Smith, preaching professor and vice president for student services at Southwestern Seminary. Following the main morning session, breakout sessions will focus on the Holy Spirit’s character and role in revival, worship, evangelism, preaching, student ministry, and church growth.

During lunch, from noon to 1 p.m., the Ministry Café will offer a panel discussing the Holy Spirit, moderated by Forshee. Panel speakers include Steven Smith, Rhys Stenner, and Jim Henry. Cost for the lunch is $5 and can be pre-purchased online.

The final session, which begins at 1:30 p.m. will feature messages by Rhys Stenner and Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis and president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

For more information on the Bible conference, including childcare, schedule, the Sunday evening Spanish session and purchasing tickets for the Ministry Café, visit sbtexas.com/bc16.