Sharing Christ begins with God’s story and your own story of life change. Teaching Christ personally involves commitment and intentional discipleship. Those themes will be intertwined throughout this year’s State Evangelism Conference and the opportunities geared especially for women.
The statewide conference will be held Jan. 30-31 at Oklahoma City, Southern Hills and features several women, including Sonja Burpo, the mother of Colton Burpo, from the book, Heaven Is For Real.
The best-selling book describes the experience of Colton Burpo, who was hospitalized as a 4-year-old and later shared with his parents about his time in Heaven. Sonja Burpo will share her testimony on Monday evening during the general session and will speak at a special luncheon for women on Tuesday at noon. Tickets for the luncheon are $15 and may be purchased online.
“The Burpo story has been read by millions, but very few people have actually heard the story from Sonja’s perspective,” said Kelly King, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma women’s missions and ministries specialist. “Sonja is a ministry wife and has a special desire to connect with other ministry wives as well as other women who are curious about their family.
“There are many critics who believe the story was fabricated, but the story has also brought healing and comfort to many people. When I talked with Sonja, she was quite humble and surprised at the attention the book has received.”
In addition, Tuesday morning will feature several breakout sessions for men and women. Three sessions will be led by women, although men are also encouraged to attend.
One of the breakouts will be led by Marian Jordan, author and founder of Redeemed Girl Ministries. Jordan has a unique evangelistic ministry on college campuses around the country, and she will be sharing ways churches can connect with a younger generation. She will also share her personal testimony during the Tuesday afternoon general session.
Other breakouts led by women include Lorna Bius, the creator of the “Me Too” Evangelism Strategy, and Margaret Slusher, who is the President of LEAD Plus.
“Margaret led several listening conferences around the state in the past year, and people are still talking about how much they learned from her conferences,” said King.
There is no cost to attend the State Evangelism Conference. For more information and for a detailed schedule on the women’s opportunities, visit www.bgco.org/women.
