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

Fred Whaples

Seminar Series #6

Pittsburgh - Nov 3 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!

Engaging One-on-One Relationships

Jonathan McKee

Seminar Series #6

Pittsburgh - Nov 3 9:00 AM-10:30 AM

In the last decade, we’ve seen a growing need for effective relational ministry in an increasingly isolated youth culture. But how can we initiate first contact? And how can we develop deep, growing relationships with diverse groups of kids? Connecting with kids has been deemed one of the most—if not THEE most—important priority in youth ministry today. This training provides unique insights into how to initiate contact with the different kids you’ll encounter in this rapidly changing culture and how to connect with them one-on-one.

The Youth Pastor as Leader-Subordinate: Surviving as Both Ministry Leader and Church Staff Subordinate

Danny Kwon

Seminar Series #6

Pittsburgh - Nov 3 9:00 AM-10:30 AM

As youth workers, we’re called to leadership within our youth ministries. However, we’re also under the headship of our church leadership. Navigating this balance as both a leader and a subordinate is difficult. This seminar will begin to examine ways that we can not only survive, but also thrive within this context.

Using 10-Minute Talks: Speaking to a Generation with a Short Attention Span

Jonathan McKee

Seminar Series #5

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

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of us could communicate the Scriptures like Rob Bell or speak with the clarity of Andy Stanley? But let’s face it: We aren’t them. So we should stop trying to be them, right? That coupled with the fact that students’ attention spans are growing shorter and the need to communicate to this lost generation is even greater brings up a critical question: How can we communicate truth in a way that teenagers will truly remember? In this seminar you’ll learn the power and effectiveness of the 10-Minute Talk, a method of storytelling that’s laser focused and impactful.

Positive Discipline: Working with Rude, Obnoxious, and Apathetic Kids

Les Christie

Seminar Series #5

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

Disruptive students can hinder the effectiveness of your ministry, there’s no doubt about it. But don’t let discipline problems drive you out of youth ministry! Take the positive approach instead. Les will show you why teens get rowdy, how to set rules and consequences, and how to praise kids. He also has dozens of specific ideas you can use to feel confident when you deal with those particular students who drive you up the wall. You’ll leave this seminar with a new appreciation for all the kids in your youth group!

God's Will, God's Voice: Helping Students Discover What the Heck to do With Their Lives

Margaret Feinberg

Seminar Series #4

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

How do you know God’s will? How do you recognize God’s voice? How do you figure out what God wants you to do next? These aren’t easy questions, but in this practical workshop, you’ll explore the deeper issues of personal and spiritual growth, vocation, and self-discovery. You’ll discover why helping students discover what the heck to do with their lives is more about posture than placement.

Me, Myself, and I: How to Keep Sharp and Not Die

Virginia Ward

Seminar Series #4

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

Youth workers are constantly struggling to live a balanced life. This workshop will help you to evaluate your current lifestyle and position you to make the necessary changes to your personal and ministry life.

The X Factor: A Transformational Youth Ministry Model

Greg Stier

Seminar Series #3 - Super Seminars

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

Youth Culture 101

Walt Mueller

Seminar Series #3 - Super Seminars

Pittsburgh - Nov 1 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

Pittsburgh - Nov 1 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

Pittsburgh - Nov 1 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

Pittsburgh - Nov 1 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.

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

Barry Shafer

Seminar Series #1

Pittsburgh - Oct 31 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