SPARK conferences open with record participation, powerful messages By HENRY DURAND, The Christian Index Tuesday, August 26, 2025 ROCK SPRING, Ga. — More than 630 attendees from some 80 churches gathered Saturday, Aug. 23, at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring for the first of this year’s six SPARK church-strengthening conferences hosted by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. The following day, 720 participants representing 103 churches came together at Brewton-Parker Christian University, setting a record for the largest number of churches ever attending a SPARK event. “Southeast Georgia really showed up big!” said GBMB Discipleship Catalyst Scott Sullivan, who celebrated the strong turnout. “SPARK Rock Spring and Brewton-Parker are the two biggest opening-day SPARK conferences to date. The number of volunteers that we are seeing at each location is inspiring.” Last year, more than 3,600 participants representing 385 churches attended SPARK conferences statewide. Sullivan said he expects this year’s gatherings to surpass that total. “The beauty of SPARK is the partnership between the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, the local host church, and the regional Associational Missionary Strategist,” he added. “That is a big reason we are seeing such big numbers.” At the Rock Spring conference, GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond urged churches to embrace their local mission fields. Quoting Matthew 9, he reminded participants of Jesus’ command to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers. Hammond also introduced Prayer 365, a new initiative calling every Georgia Baptist church to adopt a day in 2026 to pray specifically for the lost across the state. “Each congregation that signs up will have a day of praying for the lost in Georgia, for the harvest, and for churches to be equipping and training their folks to share the gospel, and for the Lord to send out laborers into the mission field we know and love as Georgia,” Hammond said. Lead Pastor Joel Southerland opened the gathering in prayer, thanking God for men and women who support their pastors and seek to reach their communities with the gospel. He asked the Lord to send encouragement, motivation, and practical tools that participants could put into practice immediately. Keynote speaker Dr. David Allen, longtime seminary professor and preacher, returned to his home state of Georgia to preach from Luke 19 and the account of Zacchaeus. “Some of you are looking at this text and saying, ‘Dave, have you lost your mind? This is a children’s Sunday school text,’” he said. “But do you know the back story? Do you know the rest of the story?” Allen described Zacchaeus as the “kingpin of the Jericho tax cartel,” despised for collaborating with the Romans yet determined to see Jesus. Though rejected by the crowd, he was called by name and transformed when he welcomed Christ. “Isn’t that amazing? Jesus doesn’t see crowds—he only sees individuals,” Allen said. “He knows your name. He calls your name today and says, ‘Come fellowship with me.’” Citing Zacchaeus’ dramatic pledge to give away half his possessions and repay fourfold those he defrauded, Allen underscored that salvation changes lives. “You talk about tax reform,” he quipped. “That was the day tax reform came to the city of Jericho.” Jesus’ declaration that “today salvation has come to this house,” Allen said, showed that genuine faith always bears fruit. “When Jesus saves you, he changes you,” he said. “Jesus is a lost-and-found kind of Savior,” Allen told the audience, pointing to the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. From the outcast tax collector to the modern-day skeptic or prodigal, no one is beyond His reach. “Our mission is to be on mission with him. Our message is his message, to tell as many lost people as we can that Jesus has come to seek and to save you.” At Brewton-Parker, the crowd was led in worship by Russ Lee, lead singer of NewSong. Lee reminded attendees that NewSong launched their historic career in South Georgia. The band started out 20 years ago as a church band for Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta. The keynote address at Brewton-Parker came from Thom S. Rainer, former president of LifeWay Christian Resources and founder of Church Answers. Rainer told the story of a young woman who was invited to church by a member, later connected to a community group, and eventually accepted Christ. “And now the harvest is out there, the fields are ready,” Rainer told his listeners. “Will you go?” In addition to the main speaker, attendees at each event were able to choose from a wide array of breakout sessions on topics. Attendees could hear experts on discipleship, evangelism, missions, worship and music, ministry to kids, teens, and young adults, and more. The strong opening attendance is a hopeful sign that Georgia Baptists are ready and willing to mobilize and reach the more than 7 million lost people in the state with the gospel. ___ Registration is currently open for the remaining 2025 SPARK conferences at https://www.thesparkconference.com/. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20250825-161314-cb2-29.jpg Caption: David Allen presents the keynote to a packed house at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161317-295-8.jpg Caption: A van from First Baptist Church McCaysville/Copperhill drops off attendees at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161334-a99-10.jpg Caption: Attendees arrive for the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161337-2e7-14.jpg Caption: Attendess pick up their lanyards, tags, and shirts at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-163748-774-2G0A6760.jpg Caption: Russ Lee, lead singer for NewSong, leads worship at the SPARK conference held Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, at Brewton-Parker Christian University in Mount Vernon, Ga. (Index/Krista Roe) File: 20250825-161341-588-21.jpg Caption: The worship team at Peavine Baptist Church performs during the opening SPARK conference in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161346-214-23.jpg Caption: Thomas Hammond, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, speaks at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250826-103146-c63-2G0A6750-2.jpg Caption: Russ Lee, lead singer for NewSong, leads worship at the SPARK conference held Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, at Brewton-Parker Christian University in Mount Vernon, Ga. (Index/Krista Roe) File: 20250825-161349-c2b-60.jpg Caption: Joel Southerland, lead pastor of Peavine Baptist Church, prays at the start of the opening SPARK conference in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161353-6a6-49.jpg Caption: Josh Garrison, worship pastor at Peavine Baptist Church, sings during the opening SPARK conference in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161357-50e-74.jpg Caption: Attendees worship during the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-163743-ed8-2G0A6671.jpg Caption: Attendees worship at the SPARK conference held Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, at Brewton-Parker Christian University in Mount Vernon, Ga. (Index/Krista Roe) File: 20250825-161401-648-52.jpg Caption: Aimee File: 20250825-161404-be8-76.jpg Caption: David Allen preaches at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161417-2a8-78.jpg Caption: David Allen preaches at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-163750-575-2G0A6863 copy.jpg Caption: Steven Echols, president of Brewton-Parker Christian University, leads a discussion during the SPARK conference held Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, at the school in Mount Vernon, Ga. (Index/Krista Roe) File: 20250825-161425-f70-33.jpg Caption: Scott Smith, left, and David Allen lead a breakout session on preaching at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161428-6fa-36.jpg Caption: Dwain Carter, director of Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief, leads a breakout session at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20250825-161431-9e8-89.jpg Caption: Keith Wade, campus minister at the University of North Georgia, leads a breakout session at the opening SPARK conference at Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring, Ga., Saturday, Aug, 23, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand)