The Pennsylvania Eastern Keystone Baptist Association (PEKBA) said they will teach churches how to become “healthy” at their 23rd Annual Session, “Healthy Churches for an Unhealthy Time,” Nov. 13-16.

The session welcomes all Christian denominations and will include an opening service Thursday, “Women’s Night” and a “Laymen’s Night” Friday, both at Bible Way Baptist Church.

The center of the session — workshops for each member of the church — pastors and their associates, laypersons, and youth, will be held Saturday, at the Prince of Peace Baptist Church.

“The Association’s purpose is to help unhealthy churches develop into healthy churches,” said PEKBA moderator the Rev. Damone Jones Sr. “The annual sessions are designed to provide classroom opportunities for different entities in churches — there are workshops for pastors, associate ministers, worship and arts, laymen, young adults and youth.”

Jones added that the theme, “Healthy Churches for an Unhealthy Time,” of the association, and this year’s session, was inspired by what he describes as a dire need.

“Looking around the city and across the nation, [there are] many churches not in good health,” he said. “You can see that in terms of pastors resigning and committing suicide, churches putting pastors out and the lack of growth. People are not coming to church like they could. Those are all symptomatic of some kind of infection or some kind of ill health.”

Deputy Director of communications Rev. Rashad Grove said he encourages people to attend because of the session’s diversity, and because they can learn Biblical lessons that are applicable to real life.

“In Philadelphia, it’s the most diverse and substantial conference you can get. We have young and [elder] speakers, speakers from the United Church of Christ, Church of God in Christ and some non-denominational,” he said.

Grove added that some of the specifics that will be discussed in the adult workshops include how to develop men’s and women’s ministries, for associate ministers — what’s your role, and how do we impact and inspire kids with the education crisis in Philadelphia.”

One particular workshop that delves deeply, he said, is “Enneagrams,” presented by Rev. Darrell Griffin. “[It] deals with the kind of personality traits and temperaments — introvert, extrovert, artsy, emotional dealing [in] connection to how we work in church and life and how we are uniquely made.”

The youth and young adult workshops will focus on identity and will include separate classes for ages 5 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 to 17 and 18 to 30.

“The focus is for them to understand who they are in Christ,” said PEKBA youth President Lisa West. “We are trying to handle the identity crisis that they may face with being a Christian in today’s world — just knowing how to fit in in their walk and getting them to understand that God created them and because of that, they are special.”

The younger youth will have crafts activities, while the older youth and young adults will have discussion interactions. And each group, said West, will have a specific sub-theme within the scope of “identity.”

West said for the teens, there is “Identity Theft,” which is “in reference to who they are in Christ” and “There’s an App for That,” which will focus on “applying God’s principals to your life [because] there is something in his word to apply to your life to handle whatever situation you are facing.”

And for the young adults, continued West, “the biggest concern is how they are relating to one another, they jump in and jump out of relationships quickly and God didn’t call us for that. He created us to be with one person and to be married to that individual so we could live on purpose for him.”

Jones said that, upon the end of the session, he wants people to leave with a detailed understanding of their part in the church.

“I want people to have the tools, equipment, apparatus and desire to learn more, grow more and better understand their particular role in their church; [and] with their God given spiritual gifts, how they can serve in ministry; how to be a support system for pastors; and have a better understanding of the Bible and as to what they should be doing and could be doing to advance their church.”

Session Dates are Nov. 13-16 and will be held at Bible Way Baptist Church and the Prince of Peace Baptist Church.

Bible Way is located at 1323 N. 52nd St.

Prince of Peace is located at 1844 N. 32nd St.

Thursday, Nov.13 at 6:30 is the Official Opening (Women’s Night) at Bible Way Baptist Church

Friday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 is Laymen’s Night at Bible Way Baptist Church.

Saturday, Nov. 15, beginning at 8:30 a.m. are the workshops.

Sunday, Nov. 16 at 6:30 is Moderator’s Night at Bible Way Baptist Church