American Baptist Churches of Ohio

Great Lakes Leadership Retreat April 23-25, 2024

The Great Lakes Leadership Retreat will be held April 23-25, 2024! We are coming together for a multi-region summit with the American Baptist Regions of Ohio, Indiana/Kentucky, Great Rivers and Michigan.

This is an opportunity for church leaders to be equipped in the foundational skills necessary to develop mission-centric congregations today.

The retreat will be held at Cedar Lake Ministries in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

We are excited to welcome Jason Gray who will be leading the retreat in worship everyday.

Continuing education grants are available for those who apply by November 15, 2023. The funding for this ministry is made possible by generous individuals, churches, and organizations.

Plan to join us April 23, 2024 at 2:00 PM through April 25, 2024 at 1:00 PM.

Cedar Lake Ministries is located at Cedar Lake, 13701 Lauerman St, Cedar Lake, IN 46303, USA.

Pastor's Getaway Ideas

Every vocation has stresses and stressors. Pastors, like others, need a time to get away and recharge. Being a pastor is not a job that cannot be done well in a constant state of stress!

With that in mind, our own ABC Ohio Regional Minister Rev. Kevin Thomas has compiled a list of Pastor's Getaway Ideas to provide places where pastors can get away to rest, relax, refresh, recharge and rejuvenate.

Download the Pastor's Getaway Ideas HERE!

At the end of the document are a number of websites which list other opportunities. Some of them may not be current. It would be up to individuals to check them.

It is our hope that this will be helpful for pastors who need a time of refreshing and renewal. It is also helpful for those whose compensation may limit the opportunities before them.

United Mission Matters Newsletter Available!

The first edition of the newsletter “United Mission Matters” is available!

This publication will be released on a quarterly basis, aiming to share the valuable insights of our Regional Executive Ministers, local churches, national partners and others on matters related to Discipleship.

In these pages, you'll find a wealth of resources, inspiring stories, and insights into how churches throughout the United States are dedicated to instructing and engaging with their communities to align with Jesus’ mission in our neighborhoods.

See the first edition here: https://conta.cc/3SzlW78

2023 Annual Gathering Video Links

The 197^th Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio was held October 10-11, 2023 at the Crowne-Plaza Hotel – Columbus North.

“IGNITE 2023: Sparking New Life through the Power of Jesus Christ,” based on 2 Corinthians 12:9 was the theme of our Gathering.

Missed out on the in person gathering? Here are the video links for every presentation during the Annual Gathering:

Tuesday Celebrating Ministries

Tuesday Bible Study

Missions Banquet

Tuesday Evening Worship

Wednesday Bible Study

All Convention Luncheon

United Mission Support of American Baptist Churches

This video is an overview of how United Mission works to support our churches, regions, ABCUSA and our partners.

View the Multi-Region Webinar with Tod Bolsinger

We are inviting pastors and church leaders to view the Multi-Region Webinar with author Tod Bolsinger from Thursday, November 18, 2021. Tod unpacks his book “Canoeing the Mountains” to give vision to how we can be adaptive leaders in times of change. This was a FREE webinar sponsored by ABC Ohio and ABC partner regions. The recording of the webinar can be found by CLICKING THIS LINK.

Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.

Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world. If you’re going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools.