Better Together Leadership Conference

Praying Together | October 8–9, 2026 | Griffin, Georgia

Some conferences give you inspiration. This one gives you a prayer life.

The Better Together Leadership Conference is back — and this year we are going deeper than ever. The theme is Praying Together, and everything about this event is built around one conviction: the local church goes further when it learns to pray together, lead together, and grow together.

If you are a pastor, a minister, a church leader, or a ministry spouse who is hungry for more — this conference was built for you.

📅 Event Details

Dates: Thursday, October 8 – Friday, October 9, 2026 Location: Central GA District Tabernacle — Griffin, Georgia Registration Opens: Thursday at 5:30 PM First Service: Thursday at 7:00 PM

🎤 Keynote Speaker: Scott Sheppard Assistant Director, Church of God Ministry of Evangelism | Lead Pastor, Cornerstone Church, Athens, GA

Pastor Scott Sheppard will bring sessions across both days of the conference. He was elected Assistant Director of the newly established Church of God Ministry of Evangelism at the Church of God International General Assembly in July 2024, a ministry built to advance the gospel through church planting and through nurturing and revitalizing healthy, life-giving pastors and churches, with a strong emphasis on personal soul-winning.

For over twenty-five years, Pastor Scott has also served as Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Church in Athens, Georgia, growing it into one of the fastest-growing churches in North America. He has served the Church of God in leadership roles including the International Executive Council of Eighteen, chairman of North Georgia's State Council, and chair of both People for Care and Learning and the Church of God Care Board. He is a visionary leader and skilled communicator who speaks often on relationships and leadership development, and is committed to helping people thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of background or economic status.

He will bring the Thursday opening session, the Friday morning main session, and the Friday evening service.

🎶 Worship: Josh & Maegan Lane

Josh and Maegan Lane and their full team are returning from last year's conference to lead worship for both services. If you were there in 2025, you already know. If this is your first time — get ready.

📚 Breakout Sessions — Choose Two

Attendees choose two of four breakout sessions. Each session runs 60 minutes, is taught twice, and is led by a practitioner who has lived what they are teaching. You will leave with handouts, real resources, and action steps — not just inspiration.

🌱 Born to Multiply: Church Planting is the Hope of the World Led by Austin Scott

Most pastors assume church planting is for someone else — a younger leader, a bigger church, a better-funded organization. Austin Scott is here to challenge that assumption. Whether you lead a congregation of 50 or 500, this session will show you that the church you already have is exactly what God can use to start something new. Come ready to think bigger than you ever have.

🍕 Pizza Doesn't Work: Reaching Today's Students With the Gospel Led by Jody Padgett

Today's students are not showing up for free food and a fun night out. They are distracted, disconnected, and more spiritually hungry than any generation before them — and the old playbook is not working. Jody Padgett brings real-world strategies for reaching young people where they actually are and leading them to a genuine encounter with Jesus. No theory. Just tools you can use this week.

🔄 Turn It Around: Moving Your Church from Survival Mode to Missional Growth Led by Derek Wilson

Every pastor has looked out at their congregation and wondered if the best days are behind them. If that is you, this session was built for you. Derek Wilson brings honest, practical strategies for churches ready to stop surviving and start growing again. Revitalization is not a program — it is a plan. You will leave with one.

💛 Called Too: Thriving as a Spouse in Ministry Led by Redenna Poole

Nobody tells you what it actually feels like to be a spouse in ministry. The late nights, the unspoken expectations, the quiet moments of wondering where you fit in the calling your family carries. Redenna Poole speaks directly to the heart of every ministry spouse who has ever felt overlooked, overwhelmed, or unsure of their purpose. This is not a survival guide. It is an invitation to step fully into the calling God placed on your life too.

🗓 Conference Schedule

Thursday, October 8 5:30 PM — Registration Opens 7:00 PM — Opening Service: Worship with Josh & Maegan Lane + Keynote with Scott Sheppard

Friday, October 9 8:00 AM — Corporate Prayer 9:00–9:45 AM — Main Session with Scott Sheppard 10:00–11:00 AM — Breakout Round 1 (choose 1 of 4) 11:00–11:15 AM — Break 11:15 AM–12:15 PM — Breakout Round 2 (choose 1 of 4) 7:00 PM — Evening Service: Worship + Final Keynote with Scott Sheppard

🎟 Registration Pricing

General Registration: $75 Senior Pastor Rate: $65 Session Recording Bundle Add-On: $40

Can't make every session? Add the full recording bundle at checkout for just $40 and get access to all four breakout sessions and all three keynote messages after the event.

🏨 Hotel Information

We have reserved room blocks at two Griffin hotels at a special group rate. Use code BTC at both properties. Rooms are limited — the group rate expires September 7, 2026.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites — Griffin, GA Group Code: BTC | Rate: $145 + taxes | Rooms Available: 45 | Phone: 678.408.6693 [Click here to book your room at Holiday Inn Express Griffin]

Home2 Suites by Hilton — Griffin, GA Group Code: BTC | Rate: $145 + taxes | Rooms Available: 30 | Phone: 678.661.3707 [Click here to book your room at Home2 Suites by Hilton Griffin]

To use the group rate online: enter your dates (October 7–9), select Special Rate, and enter BTC in the Group Code field. You can also call the hotel directly and ask for the Better Together Group Block.

✅ What to Expect

Three powerful keynote sessions with Scott Sheppard, Assistant Director of the Church of God Ministry of Evangelism Four practical breakout sessions led by ministry practitioners Anointed worship with Josh and Maegan Lane and team Handouts and real resources at every session — not just inspiration A room full of leaders who love the Church and want to see it thrive Free time Friday afternoon for rest, connection, and exploring Griffin

The local church is the hope of the world. And it is better together.

We will see you in October.

Questions? Contact Mission USA