Training Opportunities

Exploration

If you're into trying new things and thinking outside the box, you'll find that the seminars here will encourage you to go to the edge of youth ministry thinking and practices.

Schedule

The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier

Tony Jones

Seminar Series #5

Pittsburgh - Nov 2 3:30 PM-5:00 PM

The adventurous theological and ecclesiological ways of the emergents have caused great joy in some quarters and great consternation in others. These top 10 dispatches from the emergent frontier will help clear up some of the confusion and surely provoke robust dialogue around issues that youth workers care about.

Who Are These People? Creating Environments for Multicultural Youth Ministry

Christopher Brooks

Seminar Series #4

Pittsburgh - Nov 2 1:30 PM-3:00 PM

New faces. Changing neighborhoods. New challenges. Unlimited opportunities. Because of immigration and migration patterns in the United States, the changing face of America is transforming our nation and communities in every state. Come join the dialogue—together, we’ll discover how to create environments for multicultural youth ministry.

Shaped by the Story: Helping Students Encounter God in a New Way

Michael Novelli

Seminar Series #3 - Super Seminars

Pittsburgh - Nov 1 2:00 PM-4:30 PM

This interactive training is designed to inspire and equip you to teach the Bible through story and dialogue. We’ll explore the art of “Storying,” a dialogical approach founded in the Hebrew tradition and used extensively in missions all over the world. This new (and ancient) way of engaging God’s Story has proven effective to help people discover God’s unique identity and calling for their lives—to see themselves as part of a bigger story. During this breakout you’ll discover new things about God and the Bible through a “Storying” experience and learn new methods to communicate and interact with God’s Story. You’ll also receive a workbook packed with ideas and resources to help you lead in your context.

Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth

Andrew Marin

Seminar Series #2

Pittsburgh - Nov 1 8:00 AM-9:30 AM

This workshop will cover the broader mindset of teenagers who have same-sex attraction by entering into their unique filtration system and thought processes toward God and Christianity, all with a focus on sexuality. We’ll then work our way through The Marin Foundation’s practical applications on how to productively build a bridge from an evangelical perspective. The purpose is to be able to immediately turn around and implement these constructs and applications into your ministry, so as to make a significant impact in these gay and lesbian students’ lives.

Exploring a Missional Approach to Nurturing Adolescents

Chris Folmsbee

Seminar Series #1

Pittsburgh - Oct 31 4:00 PM-5:30 PM

None of us would say we aren’t interested in the spiritual formation of students. However, we often struggle to find the words to identify a strategic approach to accomplish our goal of helping students become more like Jesus. This seminar will provide you with an intentional process and plan, a common language in which to train and equip others, and a means for the evaluation of the spiritual growth and development of your students.