THRIVE 2010 Attracts More Than 3,000 Church Leaders and Volunteers in Need of Training, Replenishment and Encouragement

Contact: Mark Miller, Thriving Churches International, 916-380-2090

ROSEVILLE, Calif., April 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Thriving Churches International (TCI) is holding its sixth annual THRIVE conference this week that promises to prepare, invigorate, and inspire ministry leaders, staffers, and lay volunteers from across the globe with a renewed passion for ministry. The three-day conference begins April 29, and includes workshops for personal development as well as practical advice from leading speakers including John Maxwell, John Ortberg, Margaret Feinberg, Ray Johnston and more.

Founded by Bayside Church pastors Ray Johnston and Dr. John Jackson, TCI is a ministry that seeks to help churches of any size to thrive. It serves as a relational resource network that connects "mentor" churches with affiliate churches using a network of pastoral staff members, lay church leaders, and others serving in ministry with coaching, conferences, consulting and printed materials. The THRIVE conference is a key ministry of TCI.

"We estimate that about eighty-seven percent of the churches in America alone are stagnant or declining," said Dr. John Jackson, executive pastor at Bayside and executive director of TCI. "We believe that if we are able to help coach pastors, provide spiritual foundations and nourish volunteers, we can begin to see a major transformation in the effectiveness of churches worldwide. THRIVE 2010 is where it will begin for many of these churches, as it has for so many others who have attended and implemented what they learned here."

THRIVE: A unique conference
Attendance is expected to rise nearly 40 percent over the last two years, despite the economic downturn. People from 22 states and five countries will attend THRIVE this year, half of which are lay leaders -- or men and women who work in the marketplace yet also serve in their local churches as volunteers.

"THRIVE is different from many conferences in that about 50 percent of our attendees are unpaid volunteers," said Jackson. "So many of these men and women are taking time off work or using vacation time to be here, so we work hard to ensure the programs and resources available are useful to those leading Bible studies, supporting youth groups or serving in any number of ways. THRIVE is for anyone looking to connect, learn and serve God more effectively."

Each year, the THRIVE conference attracts speakers from around the world. This year's conference includes general sessions with John Maxwell, an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author. In addition, the conference has more than 80 breakout classes taught by experts on a variety of topics from ministry to personal development. In addition to the teaching and instruction, THRIVE 2010 includes inspirational worship music played by The Parachute Band and Bayside's Lincoln Brewster.

For further information, please visit www.thrivingchurches.com.