2007
In just a few moments you will be able to view a slide show of this year's FOCUS Conference...
The topic of this year's FOCUS conference was "Sola Scriptura." The cry of the reformation - "Scripture Alone!"
Held in Chianciano, Italy from October 9-12, our focus was on the realization that we are living in a time when the Scripture has been devaluated. The centrality of the Word of God, as it especially applies to those ministering in Italy, was emphasized; our speakers stressed the need for God's Word alone to be used in preaching, ministry, and counseling. Several hundred Italian preachers, teachers, church laymen, and their wives were in attendance.
We presented the Italian translation of the MacArthur Study Bible at this year's Focus conference. Each attendee received a copy and it is now be available to the Italian people in their own language! Many of the attendees purchased extra copies of the study Bible to take home to their churches, family, and friends.
As it says in II Timothy 3:13-17, "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them...All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
To view a video made this year, click on the " FOCUS 2007 Video" link!
Our Speakers Were:
Dr. Steven J. Lawson is the Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama; he has served as a pastor in Arkansas and Alabama for the past twenty-six years. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University (B.B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and Reformed Theological Seminary (D. Min.). The focus of Dr. Lawson's ministry is the verse-by-verse exposition of God's Word. From this, he has authored thirteen books. Dr. Lawson’s ministry takes him around the world and to many conferences in the United States, including The Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church and the Ligonier Ministries Pastor’s Conference. Steve and his wife Anne have three sons, Andrew, James, and John, and a daughter, Grace Anne. 
Dr. John MacArthur is Pastor/Teacher of Grace Community Church. Following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Jack MacArthur, John represents five successive generations of pastors in his family. Dr. MacArthur is also president of The Master’s College and Seminary and is heard daily on “Grace to You,” a nationally syndicated radio broadcast. The Grace to You ministry has distributed more than ten million audio-cassettes of his messages. He is the author of many books, some of which have ready been translated into Italian. 
Dr. Lance Quinn is the Pastor-Teacher of The Bible Church of Little Rock, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Arkansas State University, Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from The Master’s Seminary, and a Ph.D. degree from the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (Evangelical Theological Faculty) in Leuven, Belgium. Prior to coming to The Bible Church of Little Rock, he served as Manager of Ministries at Grace To You Radio, and for ten years served at Grace Community Church in Southern California as the Senior Associate Pastor and Personal Assistant to Dr. John MacArthur. He and his wife, Beth, have eight children and reside in Little Rock.
Bill and Maria Teresa Standridge have been ministering together in Italy for over 55 years. Bill graduated from Wheaton College and earned an MA from Grace Theological Seminary. He went to Italy as a missionary in 1949, while Maria Teresa grew up in Italy and received her doctorate from the University of Genoa. They married in 1956. The Standridges founded the “ Berea” Independent Gospel Church of Rome, which is now helping plant new churches. They have been active in editing a monthly gospel newspaper called “La Voce del Vangelo,” and they also direct a Bible correspondence school called the Berean Bible Institute. They joined Aurora Mission in 2004, and they are the authors of several books.