Registration fee of “It’s A New Day Orlando” dropped to encourage attendance

JACKSONVILLE , FL—A two-day conference designed to assist pastors with their own financial needs and show how their churches can implement a comprehensive stewardship ministry will be held March 22-23 in Orlando.

The conference, “It’s a New Day Orlando,” is sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, fulfilling a decision made at the SBC meeting in Greensboro, N.C. to move the ministry of stewardship to the Executive Committee from LifeWay Christian Resources.

As a result, the SBC is partnering with Crown Financial Ministries to teach and deliver a comprehensive program of stewardship to SBC churches.

John Sullivan, Florida Baptist Convention’s executive director-treasurer, considers the conference so “vital to the future of Florida Baptists” that he has helped to defray the cost of attending for Florida pastors, dropping the registration cost to $99 per person.

The conference “offers a great measure of hope for directly improving stewardship and indirectly improving Cooperative Program giving in our churches,” said Ed Johnson, director of Florida Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program Department.

“The average American spends $1.20 for every dollar earned. Many pastors and church members are in financial bondage. They would love to give more but they are drowning in a sea of financial indebtedness,” explained Johnson.

“If we could help those pastors and church members become financially unencumbered, we would see an upsurge in giving through the local church. That increase in budget giving to the church would result in increased Cooperative Program giving by the church through the SBC.”

The conference, set at the Rosen Plaza Hotel, will feature Florida Baptist pastors Ken Whitten, Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, and Hayes Wicker, First Baptist Church of Naples.

Registration cost of the meeting, which includes conference fee, lodging, meals and resources, has been dropped to $99 per person, from the original rate of $169 per person.

To register, visit www.sbc.net/newday.

Pastors who registered at the earlier rate will receive a $70 refund by notifying Terry Doherty, SBC Executive Committee, at 615-782-8680 or e-mail tdoherty@sbc.net.