TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 275

SUMMARY: The call to make disciples of all nations is not just for missionaries—it’s for local churches, too. In this breakout session, Karl Garcia and Jay Bauman will challenge pastors and leaders to embrace a global vision for church planting. They will explore why local churches should take an active role in planting churches beyond Houston and how this can be done in a way that strengthens both the sending church and the new church. Through practical insights and real-world examples, this session will equip churches to engage in global church planting with strategic partnerships, sustainable models, and a heart for seeing the gospel take root in new places. Whether your church is just beginning to consider global church planting or already engaged in international work, this session will provide biblical encouragement and actionable steps to take the next step.

PRESENTERS: Karl Garcia + Jay Bauman

Jay Bauman is the founder and director of Restore Brazil.  Jay is involved in advancing the gospel to Brazil and beyond.  Jay has a Masters in Business from Baylor University and has studied at Reformed Theological Seminary.  Jay resides in Orlando, FL with his wife Luciane and daughters Sophia, Olivia and his son Joshua.  Jay is the Pastor of the Brazilian Ministry at First Baptist Orlando and continues to oversee Restore Brazil as well as our work in Mozambique. 

Karl Garcia is the Pastor of Clear Creek Community Church—Clear Lake Campus, which he planted in 2011. With over 15 years of experience on staff at CCCC, Karl brings a wealth of leadership and vision to the church. In addition to his pastoral role, Karl oversees CCCC's global missions initiatives, helping to foster impactful partnerships on four continents. The church is actively involved in transformative work with organizations like Restore Brazil and Restore Mozambique, alongside projects in Cuba, Honduras, and the Iberian Peninsula. Karl and his wife, Nichole, are proud parents to four adult children and are passionate about serving both locally and globally.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 175

SUMMARY: What steps can you take to nurture a culture of prayer in your church, to reflect the deep prayer culture reflected in the early church in the Book of Acts and expressed throughout Paul’s writings.

PRESENTER: Jeff Wells is the founding pastor of WoodsEdge Community Church in Spring, Texas. He and his wife Gayle founded WoodsEdge along with a handful of people in November, 1993.
Jeff’s desire is to see Houston become a city of God.

He loves pastoring, especially leading, preaching, and mentoring young pastors. He is also the author of five books: The Great Verses (2015), Breaking Free of OCD (2016), Love: Revealing the Heart of God (2018), Unhurried Time With God (2019), and Soul on Fire: The Privilege of Preaching (2019).

Jeff is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary where he earned the Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry degrees. Jeff and his wife Gayle met in Eugene, Oregon, where Jeff was serving in a church and running with Nike and Gayle was working as a nurse.

Jeff's hobbies include reading, running and anything outdoors with his family.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 225

SUMMARY: Disciple making is not what we do, but who we are. Jesus modeled and handed down a process of disciple making that comes from an intentional lifestyle. The methods of Christ lead to multiplication and the advancement of his kingdom. In this workshop, you will learn practices and tips to live an intentional lifestyle of becoming a disciple who makes disciples.

PRESENTER: Brandon Guindon is the lead pastor of Real Life Ministries Texas, a church he and his team planted in Tomball, Texas, 30 miles north of Houston. Brandon has led churches worldwide to become healthy and effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ. He has been an executive team member at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, ID and at The MET in Houston, TX. He has authored and co-authored several publications on biblical discipleship, including Intentional, Disciple Making Culture, Stay the Course and the Real Life Discipleship Training Manual. Brandon holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Linfield College and an M.A. in Church Leadership and New Testament Theology from Hope International University. Brandon is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He and his wife, Amber, have been married for more than 25 years and have four children, Emma, Olivia, Grady and Garrett.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 200

SUMMARY: Throughout Scripture, we see the intentional advancement of the Gospel in and through the partnership of men and women working healthily together in ministry. God’s specific and unique design of women to be equal in value, yet distinct in role, can often feel secondary to the demands of church planting. The equipping, cultivating, and releasing of God-glorifying women plays an essential role in catalyzing a movement of the Gospel. This workshop will give an example of the beauty of men and women working together while maintaining theological convictions and fostering a familial culture. We’ll discuss the outsized impact of Gospel-centered women in the life of a church plant in relation to some good intentions, strategic structures, and prayerful longings.

PRESENTERS:
Peyton Silva has the joy of serving as the Minister of Spread Hope with Seven Mile Road Houston, and spends her days equipping 7MR to proclaim God’s glory to all nations, both locally and globally. Her role on staff also includes leading the Kalos Team, a commissioned group of women who partner with our elders to gospel the women of 7MR into the mission of God. Peyton and her husband, Matt, have been part of Seven Mile Road since the early days of planting. When not chasing their two small children, Margot and Ben, they enjoy exploring the wonderful city of Houston.

Peter Kim has the privilege of serving as the Pastor of Leadership & Strategy with Seven Mile Road Houston. As part of the initial planting team, he has helped shape the organization’s structures and leadership pipelines. His primary objectives today are to lead the elder board and staff with prayerful excellence and strategic alignment. Peter gets to be married to his beautiful wife, Kat, and father his delightful son, Elijah. The three can often be found playing baseball in their backyard, taking advantage of every unpurchased toy at Target, and enjoying their way through Houston’s diverse restaurant scene.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 150

SUMMARY: Every sending church starts somewhere. Whether you’re at ground zero or already actively taking steps towards multiplication, this workshop will guide you from vision to action. Learn how to develop a residency program that equips and sends church planters with purpose. Through practical exercises, you’ll discover steps towards building a sending culture, identifying and developing leaders, and design an outline that moves your church from simply gathering to actively multiplying.

PRESENTER: Jason Crandall is the founding pastor of CityView Church, which he planted 11 years ago with a vision to make gospel-centered disciples and multiply churches. Under his leadership, CityView has sent or helped send 14 churches in just over a decade. Jason also serves as the Church Planting Leader for Texas with Send Network, where he has played a key role in helping send and plant nearly 150 churches across the state in the past three years.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: AUDITORIUM

SUMMARY: This session is for those who are thinking about planting a church as well as for churches looking for a future planter. We will look at the main factors/grid by which we determine if a person should think about being a lead planter.

PRESENTER: Matt Lee currently serves as the Director of Residencies at HCPN. In the past 26 years, he has helped to plant five churches, two as the lead planter, served as the Director of Church Planting Programs at Fuller Seminary and as the National Church Planting Director for the ECO denomination. Having taught church planting classes at Fuller, John Leland, and Gordon-Conwell Seminary, his passion is to strengthen and train church planters throughout the Houston area. He attended the University of Virginia, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, and received his Ph.D. from Biola University. Matt and his wife, Grace, have two boys: EJ and Aaron.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 250

SUMMARY: Immigrant churches are the fastest growing sector of the church and are bringing the riches of the global church to North America. Houston, the most diverse city in the US, is at the epicenter of this quiet revolution. Nearly 1 in 4 Houstonians are foreign-born and just under 50% of children are diaspora next gen having at least 1 immigrant parent. A quick Google search reveals over 20 Nigerian led RCCG churches in Southwest Houston and there are easily 40 South Asian churches throughout the city. Unreached people groups include the Rohingya from Myanmar and Pashto speakers from Afghanistan. How can we join God in what he is doing in and through the nations?

RESUMEN: Las iglesias inmigrantes son el sector de la iglesia de más rápido crecimiento y están trayendo las riquezas de la iglesia global a América del Norte. Houston, la ciudad más diversa de los EE. UU., está en el epicentro de esta revolución silenciosa. Casi 1 de cada 4 habitantes de Houston son nacidos en el extranjero y poco menos del 50% de los niños son de la próxima generación de diáspora teniendo al menos 1 padre inmigrante. Una rápida búsqueda en Google revela más de 20 iglesias RCCG dirigidas por nigerianos en el suroeste de Houston y hay fácilmente 40 iglesias del sur de Asia en toda la ciudad. Los grupos étnicos no alcanzadas incluyen a los rohingya de Birmania y a los hablantes de pastún de Afganistán. ¿Cómo podemos unirnos a Dios en lo que está haciendo en y a través de las naciones?

PRESENTERS: Jonathan Abraham Kindberg was born in Perú and is the director of the Diaspora Network. He has helped plant and support immigrant churches in Chicago and across the country. Carlos Eliel Rebollar was born in Mexico and raised in Houston by immigrant parents. In addition to his work as an urban pastor in Houston's oldest Latino community (East End Houston), he works for Urban Strategies as the Director of Community Partnerships. In this role, he is responsible for building and managing a robust partner network made up of local churches, non-profits, and agencies that can be mobilized to serve immigrant children and families through Urban Strategies' work with the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

PRESENTADORES: Jonathan Abraham Kindberg nació en Perú y es el director de Red Diáspora. Ha ayudado a plantar y apoyar a iglesias inmigrantes en Chicago y en todo el país. Emery Bastidas, el Catalizador Hispano de la Red Diáspora, es originario de Venezuela y ha residido en Houston desde 2008.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 250

SUMMARY: This workshop, presented in Spanish, will explore the essential characteristics of a sending church. A sending church is one that actively participates in God’s mission beyond its local context by making disciples, equipping leaders, and planting new churches. It embraces generosity, multiplication, and action, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide its efforts. Join us to learn how churches can faithfully live out their calling to expand God’s Kingdom.

PRESENTER: Esteban Vazquez serves as the Associate Pastor for the last 12 years at Champion Forest Baptist Church Español. He is the Director of the residency church plant program in Champion Forest. He holds a Doctorate in leadership and theology from MWBTS. Esteban has been married for the last 30 years with Karina and they have 4 kids.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 200

SUMMARY: Ministry is busy. Life is busy. How do we manage the needs of both, our personal lives and the lives of those we serve? Especially when everything is coming at us like a fire hydrant?? It often doesn't feel like "lying down in green pastures... beside still waters." Let's take a quick hour to discuss how to manage the lives God has called us to in a way that honors Him and is sustainable. 

PRESENTER: Courtney San Miguel is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Houston area. Courtney spent the last decade supporting church planters in the Pacific Northwest as a counselor, women's ministry teacher and leader, and assessor and counseling resource for the North American Mission Board. Courtney and her husband, George attend Bayou City Fellowship Spring Branch where he serves as the Community Groups Pastor. They have two daughters: one in high school and one in junior high.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: AUDITORIUM

SUMMARY: Many of us became worship leaders believing 90% of the job was leading songs on a stage and 10% was all the other stuff. In reality, it’s completely the opposite for most leaders.
Let’s take a deeper look at the complexities of the worship leader role in the modern church, considering three areas of focus: the MUSICIAN, the MINISTER and the MULTIPLIER. Understanding this role and knowing how to disciple and equip young leaders is a non negotiable for the future of worship in the church.

PRESENTER: Robbie Seay serves as EVP of Leader Development + Content at The Worship Initiative where equipping and encouraging worship leaders is his daily focus.
He lives in Dallas,TX with his wife of 26 years, Elizabeth. Together they have 4 children. He is widely known for his songwriting, worship leading and recording career, which still play a big role in his life & ministry. His heart for the church and the men and women who lead worship in local churches has led him to devote much of his time and energy to mentoring young leaders/songwriters.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 225

SUMMARY: Evangelism is one of the keys to a fruitful church planting culture. When people are anxious about evangelism, they indulge in avoidance behaviour. In the Bible we see that evangelism is not a place of anxious activity, but a winsome invitation. The workshop explores the following questions: How to design a model for evangelism that activates the whole community to engage in evangelistic calling? How to leverage the common interests of our congregation in order to embed evangelism in their regular rhythms? How to make evangelism non-anxious and accessible even for those who shy away?

PRESENTER: Emmanuel Paulpeter grew up in India practicing street evangelism. He worked in the world of software project management for 10 years. Then heeding God's call, he went to seminary. After graduation, he joined First Presbyterian Church Houston. For the past seven years he has been involved in building a model of evangelism at First Presbyterian Church which has seen multiple people coming to faith. Combining his project management and real life experiences he has put together a model of Evangelism which is applicable to different Church contexts. In 2024, Emmanuel completed his Doctor of Ministry in Evangelism. He and his wife Rachael love nature, reading and going on long road trips.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 175

SUMMARY: There are so many things to focus on as a church planter! From recruiting and equipping your core team, fundraising, reaching the lost, vision casting, finding places and homes to meet in and much more. But what is the most important thing we should be focusing on as church planters? What should have the top spot on our calendars and guide our goals as we start our churches? We believe it should be your inner life with God. This workshop is going to help you organize your church plant in such way your inner life with God doesn’t dry up but can actually flourish.

PRESENTER: Chuck Land is the Lead Pastor of Crossbridge Church in Sugar Land. Chuck planted Crossbridge in 2002 and has been a part of the Houston Church Planting Network since it’s beginning. He currently leads a Florishing Cohort for HCPN. He has been married to Kathleen for 31 years and has 4 children ranging from 26-17 years of age.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 125

SUMMARY: A co-vocational church planter is one whose primary vocation is in the marketplace and at the same time is called to start a church. A “covo” planter has a clear calling in the marketplace and never intends to leave. They know God has called them to be a teacher, mechanic, graphic designer or doctor and they desire to weave that calling into the plan to plant a church. This workshop will discuss the challenges yet, the incredible opportunities available to those who feel called and/or are considering the route of a co- vocational pastoral ministry.

PRESENTER: Dayo Adeyefa is the lead pastor of King’s City Church right in the heart of Houston, Texas. Dayo and his wife, Dupe planted King’s City Church in January of 2022 envisioning what would life look like if every area of life and sphere of influence was under the lordship of Jesus. Happily married for 15 years and with 4 children, Dayo also happens to work vocationally as an anesthesiologist. As such, one of his passions is seeing how faith in Christ can be integrated with work in the marketplace as a leverage for reaching more souls with the gospel of the kingdom.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 275

SUMMARY: There are many challenges to planting in the urban context. This workshop will discuss the need for more urban church planters and the challenges they face along with best practices and methods in supporting the vital mission of urban church planting.

PRESENTER: David Hill is currently the Pastor of Restoration Community Church in Houston Tx and Director of Planting Urban Churches Network. He has served in multiple urban church plants in cities like Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Jackson Ms. Having over thirty years of inner-city ministry and urban church planting experience. David not only has a passion for preparing the next generation of urban church planters but he also has a heart to connect urban and suburban churches in the gospel mission of redeeming the cities.

TIME: 11:00am
ROOM: SB 150

SUMMARY: Revitalizing a church can be one of the most rewarding things ever for a pastor, a congregation, and for a city…if you can survive it. Just like when you have a used car, a used house, or used furniture, there are aspects of being “old” that give it beauty, but there are also aspects of it being used that make it challenging and frustrating. This workshop will discuss some of the practical steps needed to restore a used or “old” church to become something that God blesses, uses, and has greater days ahead than what it had before. If you are a pastor of a church that needs revitalization or are considering it, this workshop is for you.

PRESENTER: Chris Kouba has served as the lead pastor of United City Church since 2019, providing biblical teaching, leadership, and direction to both the staff and the church body. In his brief tenure at this historic church, founded in 1906, he has successfully helped bring revitalization to the church through a name change and a building renovation focused on a fresh vision to unify the community through the simple yet powerful message of the Gospel. As a result, UC has experienced record baptisms, significant growth in attendance, membership, and serve team members.

TIME: 1:00pm
ROOM: SB 125

SUMMARY: Discover how a vision for gospel saturation, multiplication, and citywide transformation can come to fruition with simple, reproducible churches. Learn how planting the Gospel and gathering disciples into simple micro-churches, working in collaboration with prevailing models, can lead to an infestation of the city with disciples, leaders, and churches. Together, we’ll explore how this approach can spark a movement that truly transforms a city.

PRESENTER: Guy Caskey and his wife Kelli have been making disciples and planting churches, both locally and globally from their home with a big enough vision to think small.

He is a pioneer pastor who has led strategy connected to large missions organization, served as mission pastor at a large mega church.

Since 2011, he and Kelli have led the M4 Network, a church of churches that catalyzes movements.