I’m Joshua Narofsky, and I’m currently serving in my third year on the IBCM Board of Directors. My family and I had the opportunity to attend this year’s IBC Ministry Leaders Conference in sunny Dubrovnik, Croatia. And we came home grateful, inspired and challenged in all the right ways.
Dubrovnik was stunning. Blue skies every day. Water views from the hotel. The kind of setting that makes you slow down for a second and actually take things in. But as beautiful as the location was, one of the best parts of the trip was getting to meet and talk with people from so many different churches and ministries. In a fitting way, that tied directly into the theme of the conference: Stronger Together.
That idea stayed with me all week.
I’ll start with the worship. We arrived late enough to make an entrance but right on time to be in the middle of the first song. From that first song to the rest of the conference, the band led in a way that felt heartfelt, grounded and sincere, shaping the tone of the week. It never felt like a performance, but an invitation to lift our eyes—and hands—together.
Each evening, keynote speaker Nathaniel Fawcett anchored much of the conference in Ephesians 4 and brought a clear challenge around Christian unity. He reminded us that unity is not the end goal in itself, but the means toward maturity in Christ. One line especially stayed with me: the greatest threat to Christian unity is often, well, me. Brian Kirby built on that theme by focusing on the body of Christ as one body, built for interdependence, not independence. His reminder that unity is not uniformity, and that partnership requires humility, felt especially meaningful in a gathering like this. David Martin added another angle by speaking about church multiplication and mission. His focus on power, pattern and partnership showed that ministry is stronger and more sustainable when churches work together, share burdens and think like family.
The breakout seminars were another highlight. There were so many to choose from, but we landed on three that each brought something different to the table. KJ Pugh’s seminar, Out-Narrating: Engaging Skeptics and Making Disciples through Telling a Better Story, offered a deep dive into what skeptics were saying, as well as how to approach people with truth and in a way that connects. Darryl and Debra Evetts’ Love by Design: Marriage On Purpose brought biblical wisdom, Scripture and personal experience to the topic of marriage. One of the biggest takeaways was the reminder to begin with God’s intentions for marriage, not just our own expectations. Lydia Whitley’s Moving Conversations Toward Jesus gave practical ways to think about conversations and how move them from casual to personal and eventually toward the gospel.
Looking back, it would be easy to say the conference was successful because the teaching was strong, the worship was powerful, the seminars were insightful and the setting was beautiful. And all of that is true. But I think what I am taking home most is the reminder that unity is both a gift and a responsibility. And it doesn’t happen by accident.
Overall, I came away thankful. Thankful to IBCM for making the trip possible. Thankful for the people we met, the conversations we had and the encouragement we received. And thankful that this was not only meaningful for ministry, but a special experience for our whole family as we got to see Croatia together and share the week with so many wonderful people.
Because we really are stronger together.
Joshua Narofsky, President
International Baptist Church Ministries