10:45 Options
Great Commandment Soul Care
Take time to slow down and care for your soul through the paradigm of loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Maximizing the Impact of Volunteers
How do you view your volunteers? The answer to this question helps determine whether or not you’ll be able to maximize the impact your volunteers have not only in your ministry, but in the lives of teens in your church and community.
Considering the Why Before the What: The Practical Impact of a Philosophy of Ministry
We all do ministry from somewhere. While sometimes we are aware of this, oftentimes we aren’t and this “somewhere” can function like an unacknowledged operating system misguiding our ministry efforts. This important and often overlooked principle impacts not only our ministry but also us as leaders. This seminar will provide an introduction to the importance of understanding your philosophy of ministry (or your ministry approach) and offer some principles to develop and apply it.
11:50 Options
With God
Ministry can often be marked by loneliness and isolation. We can find ourselves in seasons where we wonder, “Where is God?” But we still have to teach, disciple, evangelize and lead. This can feel overwhelming when we are struggling in our own walks with the Lord. What does it look like to walk with God in ministry when you are not okay? Does God even care? Should you even be in ministry?
More Than a Boss: Leading Student Ministry Staff with Care and Clarity
You got into student ministry to invest in teenagers, and now you’re also responsible for the people who invest in them. Leading a staff team takes more than a job description and a weekly meeting. It means caring for your people’s souls, managing their work clearly and fairly, leading them toward a shared vision, and developing them into the ministers God is shaping them to be. This seminar gives you practical tools and a biblical framework for all four, so you can build a healthy team where people grow, stay, and thrive, and where ministry to students keeps getting better because of it.
Caring for ALL of your Students: the Core, the Fringe, and those Off the Radar
Youth workers have the greatest calling in the world. And we rejoice with Jesus when He said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” If we are honest, sometimes our ministries miss those who are outside the normal and actually serve to hinder their coming to Jesus. We will be discussing and workshopping what it might look like to create an environment where hindrances to kids coming to Jesus can be removed, so they can more fully participate, hear the good news, and respond to it as our ministries point them to Jesus Christ?
1:40 Options
Discipling Students
We know Jesus calls us to make disciples, and we want to see our students become lifelong followers of Christ. But what does intentional discipleship actually look like in student ministry? Who do we invest in? What are we aiming for? And how do we help students move from being discipled to discipling others? This practical workshop will give you a clear vision and useful tools for developing student leaders who are growing in Christ, serving others, and learning to make disciples themselves.
Help! My Student is Dating Her Chatbot: Cultivating Virtues of Resilience in the Age of AI
Since ChatGPT brought AI into the mainstream in 2022, our world has forever changed. In this breakout, we’ll explore how this technology actually works, how this technology shapes students (and ourselves), and how youth ministries can help students cultivate virtues of resilience against the most spiritually corrosive effects of our AI age.
Ministering to our Kids While in Ministry
Ministry leaders often speak about the tension between church life and home life. But does it have to be a constant tug-of-war? Is it possible for these two sacred callings to strengthen rather than compete with each other? Join us for an honest and hope-filled conversation about both the blessings and the challenges of raising children while serving in ministry. Through personal stories from a former pastor’s kid who is now serving in church leadership, you’ll gain insight into what helps, and what hurts, when ministry and family collide. You’ll leave with seven practical, actionable strategies to help your ministry and home life thrive together instead of pulling apart.
Growing Together: Youth Ministry in an Intergenerational Church
How can youth ministry help students find their place in the life of the whole church? In this seminar, we’ll explore the importance of intergenerational worship and relationships in the spiritual formation of young people. We’ll look at practical ways to create meaningful connections between students and other generations through worship, relationships, service, and the shared rhythms of life in the church. Together, we’ll consider how to help students not simply attend church and youth group, but know that they are a vital part of the body of Christ.