Workers Conference - "Only One Life"

How to book

Bookings for 2014 are not yet open, but will be made through The Good Book Company.

Contact with church leaders

One of the great advantages of this conference is the opportunity there is to speak to experienced gospel ministers. This can happen in three settings.

- Firstly, each delegate is put in a small group, which has two leaders. They will generally be single-sex, but there is often also a group for married couples. The purpose of this small group is to create a setting where the talks can be discussed and questions raised. There is always a time of prayer, and it is also a chance for delegates to know a few people a bit better.

- Secondly, each leader is encouraged to meet up with those in their small group one-to-one. This is not a requirement, but can be the most useful part of the weekend for many. Of course, the leaders often can not give very detailed advice if they have just met those in their groups, but it can be a great chance to work out which are the important issues to think through.

- Finally, many delegates come away having had the most productive and informative chats informally over lunch or on a Saturday afternoon walk. There is plenty of time in the programme for these chats to take place.

Leaders from churches all over the country give up their time to lead on this conference showing their commitment in their ministry to raising up new leaders for the harvest field. 

Interviews

Up-front interviews with some of the leaders on the Saturday evening, is a great chance to see the route that some full-time gospel ministers have taken. Mark O'Donoghue will normally interview two or three different leaders.

Who should come?

This conference is ideal for anyone who is considering going into part-time or full-time gospel ministry. It is equally useful for both those who have had this possibility in their minds for many years, and for those who have only just started thinking these issues through. It is not designed to pressure anyone into signing their lives away, but rather just to present the facts, give delegates an opportunity to discuss their futures with experienced gospel ministers, and apply biblical teaching to their lives. Many delegates come away one step closer to deciding that full-time gospel ministry is not for them at the moment, and some begin taking steps towards it. This conference is ideal for those in their 20s and 30s, although still of great use to those who are older. Those who are retired are most welcome as are postgraduate students. There is a conference especially for undergraduate students - the Student Conference.

To back up our commitment to work in partnership with local churches, each delegate must have a recommendation from a church leader if at all possible. It would be well worth talking through your thoughts about full-time gospel ministry with your church leader before coming on the conference, and afterwards as you consult and pray with them to see if this is the right thing for you.

Note to church leaders

If you are a church leader and you are intending on sending a number of people from your church on the conference, you would be most welcome to come on the conference yourself, either as an ‘official' leader (one that looks after those from other churches as well as your own), or as a leader of those from your church. It can be a great chance to be away for the weekend, receive the teaching from the conference and to benefit from discussion about full-time gospel ministry. Many leaders find that they can have discussions on a 9:38 conference with those from their churches that they would not normally find time to have back ‘at home'. Please contact the 9:38 administrator, Lise-Kate Campbell, to chat through possibilities. Even if you cannot attend the conference yourself, please do consider sending us any in your congregation for whom this conference might be a great help. And be assured that your church members will be looked after by a great team of Bible believing and teaching leaders from across the country, and will probably be sent back to you with more questions than answers!