Every TGC National Conference churns out an astonishing amount of useful media for pastors, church leaders, and church members. I’ve worked through much of the media from this year’s conference and here are a five workshops I think will be of unusual benefit for ordinary pastors:

• Tim Keller on “Preaching to the Heart”: In this workshop we will discuss how you can ensure your sermons are neither a lecture nor a rant, but rather how preaching can change people on the spot during the sermon.
• 9Marks panel on “Church Polity? Really?”: There is no shortage of books and conferences and blogs and even movements on the church. But how often do we hear talk of church polity? If anything, many avoid the topic. After all, church government is said to divide Christians, not unite them. Why pay any heed to it at all? Is it that important for the average Christian and for Christian discipleship? If so, how? Does the Bible speak decisively in this area? And if we think it does, how firmly should we hold our convictions when other Christians disagree?
• Ray Ortland on “How to Grow a Gospel Culture in Your Church”: Every church will be more convincing as a witness for Jesus if its doctrine and its culture converge as one. But without a gospel culture, even with glorious gospel doctrine, people will not listen. So much is at stake in the culture and relationships and feel and vibe of our churches! This seminar will equip pastors and church leaders for building this vital dimension in their churches.
• Erik Raymond on “Everyday Evangelism”: As Christians we are commissioned by Jesus to reach our neighbors and the nations with the gospel. We also know that heaven will be populated with a great multitude of people from every nation. In view of the commission and the promise, how do we develop a culture of evangelism in our churches that zealously and faithfully pursue the lost? This session will highlight some practical ways to cultivate and sustain effective evangelism in the church.  
• Michael Kruger on “How Do We Know the Bible is God’s Word? Recovering the Doctrine of a Self-Authenticating Scripture”: There are few questions more fundamental to the intellectual integrity of Christianity than the question of how we know whether the Bible is really God’s Word. Many answers have been given to this question, ranging from historical evidences to the testimony of the church. However, often overlooked in such discussions is the answer given by the Reformers themselves: that the Scriptures testify to their own divine origins. This workshop will explore the forgotten doctrine of a self-authenticating Scripture.