EMPOWER is paid for by local church giving to the Cooperative Program. Special thanks to Redemption City Church for providing space for the Youth and Young Adult Conference.

Attendees will pay for their own meals and lodging.

Friday 1:00 pm - 2:40 pm Plenary 1

Friday 3:00 pm - 5:15 Breakout Sessions

Friday 5:15 pm - 7:00 pm Dinner on your own

Friday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Plenary 2

Saturday 8:45 am - 9:45 am Breakout Sessions

Saturday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Plenary 3

Saturday 12:00 pm Dismiss

Mark Clifton is the Senior Director of Replanting at the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Mark has served as a pastor, church planter, church revitalizer, mission strategist, coach, and mentor. He has planted and replanted numerous churches. Mark has also served as a national and regional leader for church planting and missions. His experience includes serving as the lead mission strategist for the Kansas/Nebraska Southern Baptist Convention. Mark has led church planting efforts in North Metro Atlanta, GA, eastern Canada, and west of the Mississippi. Mark has been planting, replanting, and providing strategic mission leadership since 1978. Mark and his wife Jill live in Basehor, Kansas and have two sons, two daughters in law and three grandsons.

Gary Jennings is a longtime friend of the MWBC having served as a ministry partner in LifeWay Church Partnerships and as Lakeland Baptist Association’s Associational Missions Strategist. Gary will lead worship in the plenary sessions and share information about CityLife - a ministry he leads that serves residents and employees of 18 apartments.

Gary is the Executive Director of CityLife, in Hendersonville, TN. CityLife is a faith-based, non-profit organization that partners with individuals, churches, nonprofits and businesses who are committed to making life better in marginalized apartment communities across North America. Our mission compels us to intentionally serve apartment owners and apartment management companies to create flourishing, healthy apartment communities. CityLife intentionally builds communities among the residents for the purpose of making and multiplying disciplemakers in and through apartments.

Gary is also a long time worship leader for over forty years. Gary is currently the lead keyboardist for the worship team at Green Hills Community Church in Nashville, TN.

Gary and his wife, Jean, have been married 44 years and have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. Gary and Jean live in Hendersonville on the north side of Nashville, TN.

Jack Lucas has served as Director of Leadership Development, specializing in the area of Next Generation Ministries for the Illinois Baptist State Association since 2017. Prior to this he served IBSA as a Zone Consultant and served as Lead Pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, IL. He has been serving IBSA churches since 1995. Jack graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2001 with a Masters of Arts in Christian Education and is currently pursuing a DMin from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to Misty since 1993 and they have four children: Jase, Brooks, Austyn Kate and Angie.

Childcare will be provided by the MN-WI WMU in the Windsor Hall, adjacent to the Hertiage Hall, which hosts the plenary and breakout sessions.

The Youth and Young Adult Program will be provided by the MN-WI WMU at Redemption City Church, 1835 19th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901.