Plans for the Annual Leadership Team & Regional Leaders' Retreat
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater Podcast - where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director.
Mark, it is the last week of January as we record this. Life, as it typically does, is flying by. As we record this, next week is the first week of February, which means it's retreat time. The leadership team and regional leaders are gathering for your annual retreat, where both groups will assemble.
Typically, this is in February. Talk to us about why you have historically had a leadership team retreat with the regional leaders in February.
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, it's a great question, because once a year, we've just gotten into this rhythm of inviting regional leaders to our leadership team retreat. Typically, it is in February. And we do that because as a leadership team, we lead Sovereign Grace alongside the regional leaders. They are important leaders within our denomination.
The leadership team doesn't lead Sovereign Grace in isolation. You can say it that way, but we lead with the regional leaders. We think about it that way because it's true. But secondly, these men are on the front lines of providing care for pastors and churches and giving input. And so when we gather them, we want to hear from them, learn from them. And we always do. The leadership team always benefits from our time with the regional leaders.
We also just want to take time as a leadership team to care for them, to invest in them, to influence them, because they are really implementing our vision for Sovereign Grace and for our denomination.
And then it just gives us a chance to build together relationally. That's the way we've always built in Sovereign Grace. Thanks to CJ's leadership, we've continued that, and we want to continue it in the future. But we need to model that as leaders. We want to build relationally with those men so they can continue to be a value we uphold at Sovereign Grace.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
We are so grateful for God's gift of leadership, and we're grateful for the way you men on the leadership team and regional leaders sacrifice time away from home and church to gather for this retreat.
Shout out to the best regional leader, Rob Flood. I’m partial to the Northeast.
I'm sure there is an extensive plan with you leading this retreat. What that means is there is a packed agenda because that's how you lead. But what is on your packed agenda for your time together with the regional leaders next week?
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, we do have a full schedule, and we might not get through all of it, but we're going to do our best. One of the things we do, and we actually start the retreat with on Monday, when this episode drops. Again, please be praying for this retreat. But the retreat starts on Monday afternoon, and we are going be listening to our regional leaders.
Jon Payne, who leads them presently, just sent out some regional health assessment questions on preaching, evangelism, and leadership, just to give you the broad categories. And the regional leaders have submitted those. I've begun to read through those, and it's really wonderful to hear their perspective, what they're seeing, and how we can celebrate God's grace upon our pastors and churches, and how we need to grow. So that's always an important discussion that we always start with.
And then we've asked CJ to interview Josh Blunt on the issue of David Powlison and biblical counseling. We just feel like there that we can learn from Josh's study. So I'm really looking forward to that interview.
Actually, one of the things I'm going to teach a session entitled the Wise Guidance of the Regional Leader. In the book of Church Order, one of the responsibilities given to the regional leader is to give advice. And so I just want to unpack that a little bit more, kind of dive into that, and just bring some thoughts, and then hear from our regional leaders.
Jon Payne's going to do a session on returning to the Puritans, just continuing to benefit from the Puritans. And of course, we've been influenced in the past by Puritans and writings. We want to continue to do that. So he's going to talk about that.
And then we asked CJ to bring Carolyn. And she's going to be there for one session where he's going to interview her about womanhood and pastoring women towards biblical womanhood. It's actually one of the things the regional leaders have asked about in the past and wanted to discuss in the past. And so we're just so glad that they're making time to do this.
And then we're going to wrap up at the retreat. I think this will be a highlight – Jeff teaching on some lessons from 2nd Corinthians.
So those are just some of the things we have planned with our regional leaders. And again, please be praying for our time together with them.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Excellent. Well, I'm so grateful for how you pour into those guys. And that sounds like a wonderful several days that you guys are going to have together.
But then they're heading out halfway through the week and the leadership team will continue to meet for a couple more days. What's the plan for the leadership team, the exclusive leadership team, part of the retreat later in the week?
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, we've got a shorter time together. So again, we've got a packed schedule and don't know that we'll get through it all, but some of the things that we have planned, I just want to make sure that the pastoral certification plan that we introduced at the Council of Elders is at least available to our regions and to our churches and pastors to use – just how that's being implementable. Talk a little bit about that.
We've got some polity BCO issues that we need to just kind of make sure are moving ahead. All of those spring from the new business motions that were approved last year at the Council of Elders meeting.
Obviously, we're in the midst of the executive director transition. So transition is always on my agenda, has been for the last three years now, and I want to talk to that. The main burden is that we want to lead through this executive transition in a thoughtful, caring, inspiring, encouraging, and faith-building way. And just want to make sure we're accomplishing that.
Then we'll take some time to finish planning the pastor's conference in 2026 and begin planning the pastor's conference in 2027. And while we're talking about conferences, we'll also then determine the dates and begin initial planning for the Relay conference in 2028.
And then Jon Payne is going to lead a whole session on our global expansion and share some thoughts he has there on how to steward that very, very wisely. And then Jared asked for a publishing update. He's got a revision to his plan he wants the leadership team to review and approve. Again, one of the ways that Jared's serving us is by publishing resources that not only serve our pastors but also members of our churches.
So there's more there, but those are some of the highlights of what we plan to discuss as a leadership team. And again, please pray for us.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Yes, yes, if you are listening to or reading this, let's be praying for these men as they sacrificially serve us in Sovereign Grace churches, leaving their wives behind to serve us.
We'll be praying for you and we're grateful for the update. So thanks for the update and thank you all for checking out the podcast. We'll see you here next week, Lord willing. Bye for now.