There are three important events happening this week: Sending Lab, Priority of Preaching Conference and Rose Day.
Sending Lab
This Friday, Jan. 31, Oklahoma City, Bryant Avenue is hosting a free Send Network Sending Lab. This is a workshop that focuses on teaching churches how to develop a vision and plan for sending out church planters. Sending Labs let pastors on similar journey connect with each other while also providing guidance on how to identify the next steps for finding, developing and sending church planters.
The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 31 with a check-in at OKC, Bryant Avenue, followed by dinner, welcome and introductions at 6:30 p.m. The first of six sessions of Sending Lab will be held that evening, titled “Why Sending?”, and the remaining sessions will be held the following day, Sat., Feb.1.
Snacks, breakfast and lunch will be provided at OKC, Bryant Avenue, but the attendee is responsible for their own transportation and lodging. Those who are traveling more than 50 miles to the event will have their hotel room costs covered by the Oklahoma Baptists African American Ministry Partnership. This can be requested upon registration.
Send Network Oklahoma is a partnership between Oklahoma Baptists and the North American Mission Board that facilitates church planting in Oklahoma. Since 2010, Southern Baptists have planted more than 11,000 churches across North America. Send Network provides resources for churches that want to multiply by equipping church planters to bring the hope of the Gospel to more cities.
Click here to register for the Oklahoma Sending Lab. For more information about Send Network, visit namb.net/send-network.
Priority of Preaching Conference
On Monday, Feb. 3, Oklahoma City, Quail Springs will host the annual Priority of Preaching Conference from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “The Pathway of Progress” which will focus on helping pastors further their progress in preaching and ministry.
Tony Merida and Scott Pace are this year’s guest speakers, each with numerous years of ministry experience to pull valuable wisdom from. Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C. and is the vice president of Planter Development for Send Network. He has also written several books including, “The Christ-Centered Expositor, Love Your Church and multiple volumes in the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series. Pace is the Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Preaching at Southeastern Seminary. Pace’s ministry as a pastor has extended over 20 years in a variety of full-time and interim capacities through three states.
All those who register will receive a book on preaching. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from these amazing speakers and make progress in your ministry of preaching.
2025 Rose Day
One of the most important pro-life events in Oklahoma will be held at the State Capitol on Weds. Feb. 5. The annual Rose Day Pro-Life Rally is the most longstanding faith-based, pro-life event in Oklahoma. Each year, hundreds gather at the Capitol at the beginning of the new legislative session to promote and support the lives of unborn babies. Attendees are encouraged to meet with their state senators and representatives and present them with red roses, which represent the sanctity of human life and the unborn.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. on the second-floor rotunda of the State Capitol and rose distribution, the time at which attendees present the red roses they bring to their respective elected officials, will begin at 9:30 a.m. The indoor rally will begin at 11:15 a.m. inside the Oklahoma State House chamber with a brief pre-rally choir concert performed by Light Christian Academy Choir, directed by Kerry Andrews.
Following this, various speakers will take the podium to share their personal stories of fighting for the rights of the unborn. This year’s keynote speaker is Rebecca Kiessling, a pro-life speaker and attorney who was conceived in rape. She has been an international pro-life speaker and adoption speaker since 1995, speaking for various pro-life organizations including right to life groups, crisis pregnancy center fundraisers, 40 Days for Life events, rallies, churches, high schools and more throughout North America, Europe and Latin America.
Rose Day began in the early 1990s as a way for Oklahomans to share their concerns about abortion with elected officials at the beginning of a new legislative session. Originally, it was started by members of the Oklahoma Catholic community, but Southern Baptists and individuals representing a variety of Christian denominations have participated in the event each year.
For more information about the upcoming Rose Day and to view videos from past Rose Day rallies, visit roseday.life.
