
National Missions Conference 2023
Briarwood Missions
October 21–23
Join us Sunday, October 22 and Monday, October 23 to hear our guest speaker Dr. Eric Watkins from San Marcos, California and from various ministry partners during the Sunday School and breakout sessions on Sunday and Monday night. Nursery reservations are required for evening events.
Speaker: Dr. Eric Watkins
Dr. Eric Watkins is the pastor of Harvest Orthodox Presbyterian Church in San Marcos, CA, and was recently appointed the part-time Director for the Center for Missions and Evangelism at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. He has been a minister in the OPC since 2001 and has planted two churches. His degrees include an A.A., B.S., M.Div. and ThM. In 2016, he completed his PhD from the Theological University in Kampen, the Netherlands. His dissertation was on preaching Christ from the Old Testament in a postmodern context and was published as The Drama of Preaching: Participating With God in the History of Redemption by Wipf and Stock.
Dr. Watkins has taught at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, FL, Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL, Gordon Conwell Seminary in Jacksonville, FL and Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, IN, Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA and Westminster Seminary California.
He is happily married to Heather; the two of them have four beautiful, adopted children. His pastimes include surfing, beach volleyball and playing guitar.
Dr. Watkins has taught at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, FL, Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL, Gordon Conwell Seminary in Jacksonville, FL and Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, IN, Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA and Westminster Seminary California.
He is happily married to Heather; the two of them have four beautiful, adopted children. His pastimes include surfing, beach volleyball and playing guitar.
Schedule: October 21–23
Saturday, October 21
8:00 A.M. Nursery Opens*
9:00 A.M. IMPACT Birmingham*
11:45 A.M. Lunch and Debrief at Briarwood
Sunday, October 22
8:00 A.M. Early Morning Worship*
9:30 A.M. Congregational Communities – Ministry Partners share in Sunday School classes
10:55 A.M. Late Morning Worship*
6:00 P.M. Evening Worship*
6:00 P.M. SHINE Children’s Conference*
6:45 P.M. Ministry Partner Glimpses*
7:20 P.M. Dessert and Displays
MINISTRY PARTNER GLIMPSES (6:45–7:15 P.M.)
Chapel: Nathan Newman – Ministry to State MNA
FH-A: Ben Kappers – Church Planter, UT
FH-B: Chris Taunton – Unbound2:16
FH-E: Byron West – Church Planter, TX
FH-F: Tracy Hipps – Christian Service Mission
G-101: John Freeman – Harvest USA
G-103: Alonzo Brown – Strong Tower Church
W-202: Larry Sherbondy – Navigators Military Mission
W-203: Rob Genin – Young Business Leaders
Monday, October 23
5:15 P.M. Dinner
6:30 P.M. Nursery Opens*
6:30 P.M. Evening Worship*
6:30 P.M. SHINE Children’s Conference*
7:10 P.M. Ministry Partner Glimpses*
7:50 P.M. Dessert and Displays
MINISTRY PARTNER GLIMPSES (7:10–7:45 P.M.)
Chapel: Noah Despinasse– Urban Hope
FH-A: Debi DeBoer – First Priority
W-203: Shane O’Hara – Team 5:18
FH-E: Max Aeschlimann – Campus Outreach, AL
FH-F: John Blevins – Church Planter, TN
G-101: Leah Sanderson – The WellHouse
G-103: Alonza Jones – Biblical Marriage Institute
W-202: Mary Jo Kynerd – Foundations Early Learning
* Nursery available. Reservations are required at briarwood.org/nursery
8:00 A.M. Nursery Opens*
9:00 A.M. IMPACT Birmingham*
11:45 A.M. Lunch and Debrief at Briarwood
Sunday, October 22
8:00 A.M. Early Morning Worship*
9:30 A.M. Congregational Communities – Ministry Partners share in Sunday School classes
10:55 A.M. Late Morning Worship*
6:00 P.M. Evening Worship*
6:00 P.M. SHINE Children’s Conference*
6:45 P.M. Ministry Partner Glimpses*
7:20 P.M. Dessert and Displays
MINISTRY PARTNER GLIMPSES (6:45–7:15 P.M.)
Chapel: Nathan Newman – Ministry to State MNA
FH-A: Ben Kappers – Church Planter, UT
FH-B: Chris Taunton – Unbound2:16
FH-E: Byron West – Church Planter, TX
FH-F: Tracy Hipps – Christian Service Mission
G-101: John Freeman – Harvest USA
G-103: Alonzo Brown – Strong Tower Church
W-202: Larry Sherbondy – Navigators Military Mission
W-203: Rob Genin – Young Business Leaders
Monday, October 23
5:15 P.M. Dinner
6:30 P.M. Nursery Opens*
6:30 P.M. Evening Worship*
6:30 P.M. SHINE Children’s Conference*
7:10 P.M. Ministry Partner Glimpses*
7:50 P.M. Dessert and Displays
MINISTRY PARTNER GLIMPSES (7:10–7:45 P.M.)
Chapel: Noah Despinasse– Urban Hope
FH-A: Debi DeBoer – First Priority
W-203: Shane O’Hara – Team 5:18
FH-E: Max Aeschlimann – Campus Outreach, AL
FH-F: John Blevins – Church Planter, TN
G-101: Leah Sanderson – The WellHouse
G-103: Alonza Jones – Biblical Marriage Institute
W-202: Mary Jo Kynerd – Foundations Early Learning
* Nursery available. Reservations are required at briarwood.org/nursery

IMPACT Birmingham
October 21 • NMC Kick-Off Event
This year we are kicking off the National Ministries Conference with Briarwood’s first-ever IMPACT Birmingham on the morning of Oct 21. We are trusting the Lord to mobilize our members all around the Birmingham area to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We will have the privilege to serve, on location, with nine of our local ministry partners. Projects will range from painting, yard work, construction and packing food boxes for those in need. This will be an incredible opportunity to serve together as the body of Christ, get exposure to the many ministry opportunities available to us, and Impact Birmingham for Christ!

SHINE – Sharing Him In Neighborhoods Everywhere
Children’s Ministry | October 22 & 23
Children grades K4 – 6th, join us Sunday, October 22 and Monday, October 23 during our National Ministries Conference in the Children’s Auditorium. There will be missionaries speaking, fun and games! No registration is required. Parents, drop off your children at their normal locations Sunday morning.
Related Media
NMC 2023 Sermons
God's Method for Reaching the Lost – the Church
Oct 23, 2023 • Eric Watkins
Father to the Fatherless
Oct 22, 2023 • Eric Watkins
God’s Mission – Bringing the Lost to Jesus
Oct 22, 2023 • Eric Watkins
God's Glory - The Motivation for Saving the Lost (Dinner With the Missionaries)
Oct 21, 2023 • Eric Watkins
Ministry Partner Glimpses
Shane O'Hara - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
Noah Despinasse - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
Max Aeschlimann - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
John Belvins - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
Holli Bunn - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
Debi Deboer - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
Alonzo Jones - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 23, 2023
Rob Genin - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 22, 2023
John Freeman - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 22, 2023
Chris Traunton - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 22, 2023
Byron West - National Ministries Glimpse
Oct 22, 2023