Tri-State CBC's Annual Conference - "A Taste of Eden"

Domestic abuse remains one of the most misunderstood and under-recognized crises within the local church. This session will provide a biblical and practical framework for identifying abusive dynamics. We will explore how Scripture speaks to oppression, injustice, and the misuse of power, and how these themes guide our response. Participants will learn how to discern patterns vs. “marital conflict,” understand common victim experiences, and avoid the common pastoral mistakes that unintentionally increase harm. Our goal is to equip God’s people with compassionate clarity so the vulnerable are protected and the church reflects the heart of Christ.

When considering marriage, it's important to ask: "Are you properly dressed for marriage?" This question goes beyond attire and appearance—it’s about spiritual preparation. In the context of Ephesians 6, being "dressed" means being spiritually prepared and equipped with the armor of God. As you journey together, let this armor be your protection, your strength, and your guide. By putting on the whole armor of God, you can build a marriage that withstands the tests of time and glorifies Him.

In this breakout session we will look at the foundational aspects of Biblical Counseling. We will consider how any time we give someone advice we are counseling them. The question is whether it is good counsel or bad counsel. In this way we will be striving to live according to Ephesians 1:15-21 and Romans 15:14.

How do we deal with unfulfilled longings? As believers, should we even have unfulfilled longings? This session looks at common unfulfilled longings primarily in women, including the longing to "fit in" and "belong": The “nerd” who thinks she isn’t cool enough, the “brainiac” who says others don’t like her, the “plain” girl who is sure she’s not pretty enough, the “athlete” who thinks he has to perform to be liked, the “cheerleader” who has an eating disorder to look a certain way. We will discuss why women seem to struggle with this more and how to live a joyful, victorious life by changing our expectations and learning how to find real satisfaction in the midst of a sin cursed and lonely world.

Men, you are invited to explore the characteristics of David that made him a man after God’s own heart: Devotion, Boldness, Friendship, Repentance and Legacy. These characteristics are issues of the heart for men which makes them the heart of the issue for biblical manhood.

This breakout on Transforming an Angry Spirit will help you lead others to biblically handle anger. We will emphasize being slow to anger, exercising self-control, and choosing forgiveness over wrath. Scripture advises a measured response, as uncontrolled anger leads to foolishness and strife, while a gentle answer can de-escalate conflict. By being quick to listen, slow to speak, and mindful of God’s instruction to put away rage and malice, believers can replace anger with patience, kindness, and compassion.

Learn the difference between conflicts and problem solving, how conflicts actually prevent problem solving, and God’s superior way.

This session will focus on how the church can respond with both courage and competence when abuse comes to light. We will discuss the roles of pastors, counselors, small-group leaders, and friends—including when to involve civil authorities, how to provide care pathways for victims, and how to address abusive individuals with accountability and hope for repentance. Participants will receive practical tools for safety planning, documentation, communication, and church-wide culture shaping. By the end, attendees will feel more confident shepherding those caught in the darkness of domestic abuse with truth, compassion, and wisdom.

Every strong marriage is built on the quiet, daily choice to care well for one another. Effective systematic communication gives couples a simple path to practice conversation with consistency and purpose. It invites husbands and wives to slow down, listen, include one another, and respond with grace instead of pressure. When couples embrace these habits, small moments become sacred opportunities for connection. Over time, these choices build trust, tenderness, and a love that endures.

American culture has long rejected God’s design for marriage and the complimentary roles of husband and wife. However, from the beginning, God ordained the family unit as the foundation of civil society and the local church. Scripture clearly defines marriage and proclaims the roles and responsibilities within the family. God sovereignly placed the husband as the leader, lover, provider, protector and ultimately as the “high priest” of the home. This session will seek to unpack a few aspects of the husband’s position of authority and leadership in the home through humble, self-sacrificing love and service.

WHEN TWO BECOME ONE . . . BUT NOT IN FAITH: HOPE FOR THOSE MARRIED TO AN UNBELIEVER Marriage is an incredible blessing from the Lord. Yet when one is married to an unbeliever, it can present some very unique challenges. How can someone navigate these challenges with Gospel Hope? In this breakout session, we will discuss how God’s Sufficient Word offers practical, hope filled counsel to those married to an unbeliever so that they can face these unique challenges with Christ Centered love, joy, and peace.

Sex is more than physical—it’s an act of worship that unites two people mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This session helps believers rediscover God’s purpose for sexuality and learn how to reflect His glory in a culture that has forgotten its sacred design.

Every system of counseling operates with a particular view of man and all counseling theory and practice inevitably flows from that view. How do you arrive at an understanding of a human being? How does the Bible describe a human being? This session will help you develop a biblical view of the person and how that affects your counseling.