May 8-9, 2026
LOCATION
Highland Lakes Camp & Conference Center
1591 W Highland Lakes Baptist Camp N., Martinsville, IN 46151
TOPIC
Discipleship Strategies
DESCRIPTION
NSCP is a non-degree academic program equipping SCBI pastors, ministry leaders, and lay leaders to live out their calling to serve Jesus Christ and His church. In partnership with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) and The Caskey Center, each course offered is biblically based and administered with the highest quality and integrity by a professor from NOBTS. Courses will be taught at a designated location for face-to-face interaction. Each year we will offer eight courses, with only six required to receive a Next Step Certificate. NSCP can be achieved over a period of multiple years.
NSCP is designed to give an overview of the critical components of successful ministry leadership. Each course is led by NOBTS professors who will offer academic insights and practical wisdom that will assist students to be effective gospel ministers. The courses are designed to equip students with greater confidence in the most challenging areas of ministry leadership.
Cost
$950 for the entire Next Step Certificate Program.
- Includes enrollment in all six required courses, lodging, food, and certificate.
- Or, students have the option to pay $175.00 per class with a one-time registration fee of $50.00 due at the time of their first class.
Event Schedule
- Friday
- Saturday
5:30 pm
Check-In & Light Dinner/Snack
6:30 pm
Session 1
7:20 pm
Break
8:30 pm
Session 2
9:30 pm
Dismiss
Speaker Spotlight
Dr. Jeffrey Farmer
Jeffrey Farmer’s research has focused on assisting churches to glorify God and make disciples. His dissertation examined the effect of church planting sponsorship on the mother church, essentially using church planting to revitalize the sponsor church. Currently, he serves as the associate director of the Caskey Center for Church Excellence, a resource for pastors who serve in smaller membership churches. Dr. Farmer oversees the research efforts of the Caskey Center and consults with smaller membership churches so that those churches can serve God with excellence. He is the editor of Small Church, Excellent Ministry: A Guidebook for Pastors.
Dr. Farmer is active with the Southern Baptist Research Fellowship and the American Statistical Society’s Conference for Statistical Practitioners. He has served nearly thirty years in ministry roles such as youth minister, education minister, pastor, and church planter.
He and his wife, Karen, have two daughters.
Sponsored by NorthWoods Church – Evansville
We are grateful to partner with NorthWoods Church of Evansville, IN as a sponsor of the Next Steps Certificate Program. NorthWoods Church is committed to making disciples who make disciples and strengthening kingdom leadership across Indiana and beyond.
Visit northwoodschurch.org to learn more about their ministry, community impact, and opportunities to grow in faith.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this event, please contact us here:
Sarah Wickersham