BREAKOUTS & VENDORS

Our Breakouts will fall under these categories:
Worship & Leadership, Groups & Instruments, and Production & Technology

WORSHIP & LEADERSHIP

The Hymn Myth

Churches across America have been arguing and even splitting about musical style and song choice for as long as I can remember. But what if the underlying problem was really just a misunderstanding of a few words? In this session, we’ll discuss what the Bible has to say about congregational worship and how singing more “real hymns” may just lead us toward the unity we have been praying for.

Ministry Legacy…Will I Have One?

The Shepherd Strategist: Clarify Your Why, Strengthen Your Systems, Shepherd Your Team

Healthy worship ministry doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built on purpose, prayer, and process. In this breakout, we’ll help you clarify your “why” by crafting a clear vision and mission that align with your church’s calling. You’ll discover how to build life-giving systems and structures that sustain ministry rather than drain it, and how to equip your teams both spiritually and technically for meaningful leadership. Learn to lead like a shepherd and think like a strategist—anchoring your ministry in biblical purpose, Spirit-led preparation, and practical excellence that creates a culture of health, holiness, authenticity, and longevity. You’ll leave with tools to build a ministry that’s purposeful, Spirit-empowered, and sustainable.

Women in Worship Leadership: How to Walk in Surrender and God-Confidence

God designed women with strength, purpose, and calling—created to lead and serve as reflections of His character. This breakout invites women in worship leadership to embrace both surrender and confidence, leading from identity rather than insecurity. Through biblical truth and practical encouragement, you’ll be encouraged to release the need for approval, confront wrong mindsets with grace and godliness, and rest in the truth that it’s not about your ability but your humble obedience.

Spirit & Truth: Worship Planning & Design that's Grounded in the Word, Guided by the Spirit

True worship design requires both structure and surrender. This breakout will equip worship pastors and leaders to plan services that are biblically grounded, Gospel-centered, and Spirit-led. Explore how to cultivate collaboration between worship leaders and pastors, create cohesive service flow, and plan worship sets that are both scripturally sound and deeply engaging. You’ll learn practical and creative ways to incorporate the old and new, while also allowing space for the Holy Spirit to move without compromising clarity or theological depth.

Authentic Expression: Leading from His Presence, Not Personality

Being a worship leader is not about any certain kind of personality. The Church is full of different personalities that bring different gifts to the table. Leading from the Presence of God is about drawing from the well of Living Water because He sustains us and He guides us. Continually drawing from this well is what guides us to lead from a place of confidence in who God is, not in what we think we need to be.

Building a Thriving Church Internship

Exalting Christ in All Things

Exploring Psalm 119

Christ-Centered Liturgy

GROUPS & INSTRUMENTS

Acoustic Guitar for Worship and How to Play Well With Others

The acoustic guitar often anchors the sound of the worship team, but its true power lies in collaboration. In this session, you’ll learn how to enhance your tone, strumming, and rhythm while fitting seamlessly with other musicians. Discover how to listen, blend, and lead musically in ways that lift the whole team—and the congregation—toward worship.

All Things for Worship Bands

Bass Guitar for Worship

Beyond the Band: What To Do With Everyone Else the Lord Gives You to Praise Him!

Do you have instrumentalists who don’t fit neatly into your rhythm section and wonder how to include them in worship? This breakout is for you! Drawing from 37 years of full-time ministry experience, you’ll walk away with key questions to ask and creative strategies for building a unified worship team. Our role as worship leaders is to lead and equip God’s people to worship our Lord. We can work together to do just that.

Creating a Culture of Worship in Kids Ministry

Worship isn’t just something we do; it’s who we are. In Kids Ministry, it’s easy to treat worship as a checkpoint in the service or the warm-up before the lesson, but what if it could be so much more? In this session, we’ll explore how to create a culture of worship that lasts beyond the songs and sticks in the hearts of the kids you lead. You’ll learn simple, practical ways to help kids understand what worship truly means, engage them through music and movement, and cultivate an environment where they can connect with God in a real and meaningful way, even at a young age.

Drums for Worship

Electric Guitar for Worship

Keys for Worship

Making Worship Choir Exciting, Meaningful, and Worshipful

Sing Strong, Lead Strong: Building Essential Vocal Skills for Worship Leaders

Find your voice, and use it well! In this session, you’ll pick up practical tools to help you sing with more strength, freedom, and confidence. We’ll cover things like breath management, how to sing in optimal body alignment and balance, and ways to find your range of vocal colors—all so you can lead worship with less strain and more joy. You’ll also learn smart habits like warming up, cooling down, practicing with purpose, and knowing what to do when your voice just isn’t feeling 100%. It’s all about taking care of the voice God gave you and using it to serve him well.

PRODUCTION & TECHNOLOGY

A Lot with a Little: Video and Photos on a Budget for Churches

Are you wanting to capture photos of people, events and ministries in your church, but you don’t know how? Are you wanting to shoot testimonies, budget presentations or announcement videos, but don’t know where to start? Do you feel like you need a huge budget to do all of those things? In this breakout, we are going to be discussing how to do photo and video for your church, all on a budget. We will be looking at best practices, gear, software and more, all for churches, regardless of your size or budget.

Building and Leading a Healthy Creative Team at Your Church

Discover how to build and lead a thriving creative team—whether you’re part of a small staff or a large ministry. This session will explore principles for developing a team that produces excellent work while growing spiritually and professionally. Learn how to think strategically, cast inspiring vision, place the right people in the right roles, and align your creative efforts with the overall philosophy and mission of your church.

Church Video Streaming

Getting Started with ProPresenter

Are you new to ProPresenter and eager to learn the basics? This Beginner Course is designed just for you! We will guide you through the fundamentals of ProPresenter to help you get started with confidence. You will receive an overview of its powerful capabilities, discover how it can enhance presentations in your church, and see a few live demonstrations showcasing key features.

We will also take time to answer your questions, ensuring you leave with a solid understanding of how to create and manage simple presentations. Whether you’re setting up slides for worship, integrating media, or navigating the user interface, this course will set the foundation you need.

Curious to learn more? Join us at this breakout to explore how ProPresenter can support your church’s media needs and help you deliver impactful presentations!

Leveraging AI for Creatives

Sound Demonstration

by XL Mediaworks

Experience the power and precision of a state-of-the-art sound system in this live demonstration led by XL Mediaworks. You’ll get an insider’s look at the technology driving Church at The Mill’s worship center and learn how each component works together to create clarity and impact. This session is perfect for anyone interested in how sound design shapes the worship experience.

Sound on a Budget

Storytelling with AI

The Digital Front Porch: Social Media for Ministry

The Power of Visual Media: How to Use Graphics and Video to Communicate the Gospel

In a world where attention spans are shrinking and screens are everywhere, visuals have become one of the most powerful ways to communicate truth. In this breakout, you’ll discover how to use graphics and video intentionally to capture hearts and reinforce the message of the Gospel. We’ll explore how visuals can strengthen your sermons, enhance your church’s communication, and create lasting impact in the lives of your people. You’ll also see how you as a ministry leader can spend less time designing and more time doing what matters most – discipling people and sharing the hope of Jesus.

More information to come...

VENDORS

Below are some of the vendors that will be at ONWARD 2025

Anderson University is an academic community affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. It provides a competitive education in the liberal arts, professional, and graduate disciplines, and a co-curricular focus on the development of character, servant leadership, and cultural engagement. This is a diverse community that is intentionally Christ-centered, people-focused, student-oriented, quality-driven, and future-directed.

Visit andersonuniversity.edu

Worship Leadership Studies:
https://andersonuniversity.edu/academics/the-south-carolina-school-of-the-arts/department-of-music/bm-in-worship-leadership/

Charleston Southern University is an independent, comprehensive Christian university grounded in the liberal arts tradition, affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

Visit www.charlestonsouthern.edu

Music and Worship Leadership Studies:
https://www.charlestonsouthern.edu/academics/horton-school-of-music/music-and-worship-leadership/

ONWARD 2022 North Greenville University graphic

North Greenville University is a private Baptist college in Tigerville, South Carolina. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Visit www.ngu.edu

Music Worship Studies:
https://www.ngu.edu/programs/music-worship-studies/

Church Visuals logoTHREAD-TM_STACKED-COLOR-RED

High-quality, visual church media to enhance your worship experience. Custom and ready-made graphics, videos & motion backgrounds for church.

Visit churchvisuals.com

Wilson Pro AVL is a leading brand in the audio, video, and lighting (AVL) industry, offering a wide range of professional equipment for live events, concerts, and installations for house of worship.

Visit www.wilsonproavl.com

XL Mediaworks, Inc. is a provider of first-class audio, video, lighting, and acoustic systems for Houses of Worship, schools, sports arenas, corporations, and live events. Our goal is for our customers to convey their unique message with precision and confidence. We are fully dedicated to each customer and our systems are proven to stand the test of time.

Visit www.xlmediaworks.com

For more information about ONWARD

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