Training Opportunities

Foundations

Designed for anyone in their first few years of youth ministry, you'll find "how to" and "101" seminars � ideal for paid and volunteer youth workers.

Schedule

Everyday Outreach for Everyday Students

Jeff Berger

Seminar Series #6

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

Discover how to equip your students to share Jesus “naturally” with no formulas to memorize and no sales techniques to master. Instead, find a guide to experiencing an authentic joy in God that outflows from our lives, sharing it with others in ways that are real, passionate, enduring, and effective!

How to BE a Youth Worker

Joel Lusz

Seminar Series #6

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

This course is for anyone who endeavors to be in “longer-term” youth ministry, particularly in a paid or part-time capacity. In essence, you’ll learn how to be “successful”; how to avoid the pitfalls; how to thrive, not merely survive; and how to actually enjoy your job, ministry, and relationship with your supervisor. In addition, there will be a strong emphasis on the practical.

Welcome to the Hive: Understanding the Dynamics of Girls and Their Groups

Pam Gibbs

Seminar Series #6

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

The world of girls is a lot like a beehive—complete with the queen bee and her workers. This session will give you an inside look at the often-misunderstood world of girls and their groups. It will also give some tips on what to do (and what NOT to do) as you encounter this unique subculture.

How to Find, Equip, Retain and Occasionally Dismiss Adult Volunteers in Youth Ministry

Les Christie

Seminar Series #5

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

A Beginner's Guide to Pulling Off Great Events

Dave Ambrose

Seminar Series #5

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

If you’ve always wondered how to be more effective in thinking through, planning, and pulling off various events in your ministry to students, then join us for this seminar! We’ll be discussing some of the ins and outs of successful event planning for your student ministry.

Youth Culture 101

Walt Mueller

Seminar Series #3 - Super Seminars

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

Every person who’s been called by God to reach out to students—youth workers, parents, pastors, educators—is a cross-cultural missionary, whether they realize it or not. In today’s emerging and rapidly changing culture (both postmodern and whatever lies over the horizon), it’s increasingly necessary for people in youth ministry to not only know God’s Story, but to also know and understand the rapidly changing cultural context in which it’s to be told. You’ve been called to a cross-cultural missions endeavor. In this seminar Walt will walk you through the landscape of contemporary youth culture, while pointing out the significant trends that are shaping students’ lives. In addition, he’ll suggest ministry responses that will equip you to tell God’s Story so it can be heard, along with ways to equip students to hear how God’s Story speaks to their lives at the point of the particular cultural issues and pressures they face very day.

It's All in the Mix: Utilizing Different Learning Activities to Meet Your Students' Needs

Duffy Robbins

Seminar Series #2

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

Most of us are familiar with the three typical youth ministry communication paradigms: (1) stand up and preach, (2) hold up an object lesson and teach, (3) line up in front of the altar and beseech! And there’s probably some merit to each of these approaches. But this seminar will help us to think about the fact that our students learn in different ways and how utilizing different approaches to communication can help us be more effective in sharing the gospel. This seminar will provide a good, practical framework for thinking about learning styles, and we’ll even explore some different learning strategies.

What Every Volunteer Youth Worker Should Know

Chris Folmsbee

Seminar Series #2

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

There are some things you just can’t do without! This seminar will help you discover and build upon some of the most fundamental and essential elements of ministry with youth. Covering subjects such as working with teams, working in times of crisis, managing transitions, developing learners, developing community, and so on, this brief tutorial will help you shape healthy environments for you, for those who serve alongside of you, and of course for the students and families you serve.

Incredibly Hot Games and Community Builders

Les Christie

Seminar Series #2

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

And you’ll have fun, fun, fun until Les ends the seminar in prayer. If your mind is on overload by this point in the convention, this seminar promises no heavy philosophy or theology. See, hear, and play a ton of unbelievable games. Explore crowd breakers, indoor and outdoor games, quiet and wild games, and games for large groups and small groups. You’ll leave encouraged and ready to lead your kids next week.

The X Factor: A Transformational Youth Ministry Model

Greg Stier

Seminar Series #1

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

Transform your teenagers through Deep and Wide Youth Ministry! Partnered with the Holy Spirit, X Factor will guide you through the steps necessary to implement the Great Commission causing spiritual and numerical growth in your youth ministry.

Feeding Frenzy: Finding and Nurturing a Hunger for God's Word in Today's Teens

Barry Shafer

Seminar Series #1

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

Feeding Frenzy: Finding and Nurturing a Hunger for God’s Word in Today’s Teens We want our students to be self-feeding by the time they leave our student ministries. But how does that happen? Is the Bible relevant or useful to postmodern teens? Actually, it is now more than ever! New research shows students are graduating from youth ministries wishing they had more uptake of God’s Word, not less. This session gives proven principles for helping teens metabolize God’s Word. This session helps you, the leader: • disciple students (one-on-one or in small groups) from the overflow of your personal time in the Word • tailor your approach to your students’ spiritual hunger (They’re hungrier than you think!) • experience the rewards that come from helping students confidently explore, process and apply God’s Word

After They Visit Then What? Developing an Effective Assimilation and Follow-Up Plan

Chris Gilbert

Early-Bird Seminars

Nashville - Nov 21 10:00 AM-11:30 AM

In youth ministry it’s not hard to draw a crowd. We have lights, smoke, and all of the bells and whistles to get them. The bigger question is Now what? How do we get them coming back to our program? How do we keep them, assimilate them, disciple them, and train them for ministry? This session will deal with these questions of depth, structure, and assimilation in building healthy youth ministries for long-term success.