ATLANTA LINE & MORE
Meet some of our keynotes and breakout session leaders.
Atlanta doesn’t do small—and neither do we. This stop is all about bringing leaders together for powerful breakout sessions and main stage moments with voices who are actively leading and shaping ministry across the Southeast.
You’ll hear what’s actually working on the ground—real stories, real strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to build thriving small groups and healthy discipleship pathways in today’s culture.
And just as important? This is your space to connect. With other leaders. With new ideas. With people who get the weight—and the joy—of what you carry.
Come ready to learn, be challenged, and walk away with what you need to lead well in your context.
BREAKOUT SESSION TOPICS
STARTING A
PLETORA OF NEW GROUPS
Healthy churches continually make room for new people—and one of the best ways to do that is by starting new Bible study groups. Research and experience both show that new groups grow faster than existing groups, creating fresh opportunities for connection, discipleship, and outreach. Yet starting a new group can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? How do you find leaders, hosts, and momentum? Join us as we discover practical, proven steps for launching new groups in your church. If your church desires to grow, strengthen community, and reach more people, this conversation is for you.
Creating Clear Vision for Groups and Discipleship
Quit trying to do everything and do one thing excellent. You want more groups, more leaders, more volunteers, and more staff involvement, but your lack of a clear path forward is slowing everything down.
Launching Groups for Single Moms and Dads: A Practical Strategy for Church Growth
What if your next wave of group growth came through intentional partnerships in your own community? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to launch groups for single pregnant moms, single young moms, and young fathers while building a consistent referral pipeline from local pregnancy centers into your church. We’ll walk through a simple, proven model that not only meets real needs, but creates a steady on-ramp into groups, discipleship, and long-term connection. This is a practical, scalable way to grow your groups by reaching people who are already looking for support
Leading Your Team Through a Building Project
Thinking about building or expanding? Learn the hard-won lessons, the warning signs, and the five areas of planning that keep a project true to the vision and honest about the budget, from a team that has built only for churches for 30+ years.
Building a Culture of Discipleship Through Multiple Spaces
Small groups are a vital part of discipleship, but they were never meant to carry the entire weight of spiritual formation. Throughout Scripture, Jesus intentionally used a variety of environments to form His followers: large gatherings, tables, one-on-one conversations, mentoring relationships, prayer, and mission. In this breakout, you'll discover how to move beyond a one-size-fits-all discipleship strategy and build a culture where people can grow through multiple intentional spaces. You'll leave with a practical framework for identifying gaps in your church's discipleship pathway and creating environments that help people know Jesus, become more like Him, and make disciples of others.
Helping couples in your small groups have difficult conversations well.
Every couple faces, difficult conversations, but many struggle to navigate them in healthy and productive ways. As a small group leader, you have the opportunity to create an environment where couples can grow in communication, deepen their connection, and learn to approach conflict with grace and wisdom. In this practical breakout session, you’ll learn how to foster safe discussions, ask thoughtful questions, encourage healthy, communication, engage in active listening, and how to teach these important lessons to your group.
New to Faith. New to Groups.
Healthy churches help people move beyond attending services into authentic biblical community. This breakout is designed for pastors, ministry staff, and small group leaders who want to launch or strengthen a small group ministry specifically for new and renewed believers. Participants will learn practical strategies for creating a discipleship pathway that helps people build relationships, establish biblical foundations, and take meaningful next steps in their faith. The session will explore key principles for developing leaders, connecting people into groups, and creating a welcoming environment where spiritual growth can flourish. Whether your church is starting from scratch or refining an existing ministry, you'll leave with practical tools, proven strategies, and a clear framework for building a sustainable small group ministry that equips new believers to grow in Christ and become fully engaged in the life of the church.
Strategy for Training Your Small Group Leaders
This interactive session is designed to help you create an effective strategy for training the small group leaders in your church. It includes the use of various effective training methods, a sample training session you can use for shaping your own training, including time and activities, and a list of training tips and insights you can use as you structure and plan the execution of your training.
The 6 Areas of a Groups Ministry
Most groups ministry have 3 to 4 areas built out and are missing 2 to 3 of the six areas of a groups ministry. Even if a groups ministry has all six areas considerably built out, they often have incoherent, inconsistent, and inconsiderate steps in their process for potential, new, and existing group leaders. Learn what the 6 Areas of a Groups ministry are and how you can create a clear, consistent, coherent, and considerate process that unleashes God's people to fulfill God's mission through your groups ministry!
Startling Statistics in Groups & Discipleship
Through Build Groups research, startling discoveries have been made regarding what congregational members believe groups and discipleship are purposed for, which directly contradicts the view of pastors and staff. In addition to a confused understanding of groups and discipleship, more telling statistics provide an x-ray of the necessary changes churches must make to see progress. You will learn what's wrong, missing, right, and needs to be added to the missing ingredients of your church's groups and discipleship ministries.
Recommended Hotels
The hotels below are all within 10–20 minutes of Dogwood Church. We recommend booking early. All rates and availability are subject to change;
please get in touch with properties directly.
