Training Opportunities

Advanced Youth Ministry

For the youth ministry veteran, here you'll find seminars to stretch and challenge your thinking.

Schedule

What Monks Can Teach Us: Helping Students Discover the Ancient Art of Listening to the Voice of God

Dave Ambrose

Seminar Series #6

Nashville - Nov 24 9:00 AM-10:30 AM

Is it really possible to hear God speak to you? How do you learn to listen to his voice? Is there more to this than just reading your Bible and praying more? Come and discover some new “ancient” ways of communicating with God and discovering his plan for your life.

Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry

Andy Root

Seminar Series #5

Nashville - Nov 23 3:30 PM-5:00 PM

This workshop will examine a relational approach to youth ministry in order to uncover some of the blind spots in our contemporary understanding of relationships with young people. Relational ministry will be re-imagined NOT as a way to influence kids toward some end (to accept Jesus or to avoid immoral behavior), but rather we’ll see it theologically, as place-sharing.

What if Dietrich Bonhoeffer Was a Youth Worker Today

Andy Root

Seminar Series #4

Nashville - Nov 23 1:30 PM-3:00 PM

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the most admired Christians of the twentieth century. His books Life Together and The Cost of Discipleship are greatly loved for their focus on community and the cross of Christ. But what relevance do they (and the rest of Bonhoeffer’s thought) have for us today? For those of us working with young people? How could a martyr killed in Nazi Germany help me with my ministry? In this workshop we’ll explore a few key points of Bonhoeffer’s understanding of Jesus Christ and discover the difference they make in how we do ministry. We’ll see that Bonhoeffer gives us not only some ways to do ministry with kids, but more importantly, some ways to be with them.

Healing and Hope for Kids Who Cut

Marv Penner

Seminar Series #3 - Super Seminars

Nashville - Nov 22 2:00 PM-4:30 PM

Self-injury is no longer a rare psychological oddity touching a few fringe kids in somebody else’s youth group. It’s an all-too-common expression of the intense emotions some kids are feeling these days. And sadly, most of us don’t understand it, much less have a clue about what to do when we come across it. This seminar takes a frank, honest look at a problem that’s increasingly evident in the lives of some of the teenagers we work with. Unfortunately, this won’t be a “feel-good” session with a neat and tidy solution. The topic is graphic, the images are messy, and the details are unsettling; but we can no longer pretend it’s not an issue. We’ll hear the stories of real kids who use cutting, carving, burning, and other self-injurious behaviors to cope with what’s going on inside. We’ll learn to understand what drives their unusual behaviors, and we’ll explore some of the practical dos and don’ts for us to keep in mind when kids choose to share their struggles with us.

Theological Topics to Address With Students For Their Post High School Years

Dan Kimball

Seminar Series #2

Nashville - Nov 22 8:00 AM-9:30 AM

As students enter their college years, they’ll be faced with major theological questions as they take classes, get into discussions, and develop deeper thinking about key issues of our culture today. We’ll look at specific theological issues and questions that are bound to arise, such as the formation of the Bible, human sexuality, and religious pluralism. We’ll also discuss practical ways to prepare and teach our students in advance about the theological topics they’ll very likely be processing during their post high school years.

Going to the Next Level: Reframing Your Youth Ministry

Chap Clark

Seminar Series #1

Nashville - Nov 21 4:00 PM-5:30 PM

Ask any veteran youth worker: Youth ministry is a moving target. Just when we have one class or group figured out, something happens that can change everything. Or from one year to the next, we can’t seem to keep the same momentum going. How do we create a core understanding of youth ministry and frame our ministry to handle the changes that constantly bombard us? This session will help us to determine who and what we are called to be as God’s representatives to our students.