Tuesday Sessions
Philosophy of Ministry
9:00-12:00pm
Brent Corbin, Les Newsom, Britton Wood
Year 1: Introduction to the POM - Brent Corbin | Nelson Andrews Leadership Lodge (NALL) - The Great Room
Year 2: Going Deeper in the POM - Les Newsom | NALL - The Classroom
Year 3+: Resiliency in Ministry - Britton Wood | NALL - The Commons
Year 2: Going Deeper in the POM - Les Newsom | NALL - The Classroom
Year 3+: Resiliency in Ministry - Britton Wood | NALL - The Commons
Philosophy of Ministry
2:00-4:00pm
Brent Corbin, Michael Hall, Dr. Tom Gibbs
Year 1: Understanding Theological Assumptions in the POM - Brent Corbin and Michael Hall | The Great Room
Year 2+: Non-anxious Leadership for Youth Ministry: A Systems Approach - Dr. Tom Gibbs | The Commons
Year 2+: Non-anxious Leadership for Youth Ministry: A Systems Approach - Dr. Tom Gibbs | The Commons
Wednesday Plenary Session
Partnering with Parents in Ministry to Youth - The Great Room
2:00-4:00pm
Kristen Hatton, Author & Counselor
On the frontline in the lives of teenagers, you play a pivotal role in their faith foundation, and yet it is the parents who are the #1 spiritual influence in their lives. But with many parents feeling ill-equipped, they often abdicate their call to discipleship relying on you instead. Parents need you, and not just to speak into their kids. Realized or not, they need you to come alongside them for training and encouragement. For together with the parents and the church we share in the calling not just to produce Christian teens, but to grow up adults upheld by the love of Jesus. And together in this workshop we will explore what this gospel partnership might look like.
Resources: Slides and Case Studies
Thursday Elective Sessions - Morning
9:00-11:45am
Developing Volunteers into a Team | The Great Room
Doug Franklin, President of LeaderTreks
Never underestimate the power of a dedicated team of volunteer leaders. But finding, forming, and training that team can prove to be one of the toughest challenges in ministry. Join Doug Franklin as he explores how to equip volunteer leaders with a skill set unique to their role. You'll learn practical tips and tricks for building meaningful relationships, teaching for transformation, leading discussions, and challenging students to make life applications.
Fear, Failure, and the Freedom to Learn | The Commons
Jessie Swigart, Asst. Professor of Educational Ministries & Dean of Academic Administration, Covenant Theological Seminary
To what extent do your students see school, participating in youth group, and other challenges as opportunities to grow? To what extent do they experience those responsibilities as pressure to prove themselves? What about you? Is your next sermon, lesson, or meeting a chance for you to learn something new about others and yourself, or are you concerned that the next task will reveal whether you are really good enough at what you do? Most of us, teachers and students alike, possess a spectrum of attitudes about performance and failure, which can impact what we learn and how we disciple. In this workshop we will discuss how failure can be a barrier to and an opportunity for learning, as well as the freedom Christians have to not be perfect and therefore learn with another.
Get the handout >>
Building and Nourishing a Gospel Culture in Ministry Marriages | The Classroom
Scotty & Darlene Smith, Pastor, Author & Marriage Speakers
Scotty and Darlene Smith have been married for 51 years and counting. Their story highlights that Jesus meets us where we are and takes us where the Gospel alone can take us. In the first part of this seminar they will share their stories of individual and couple growth in grace, through their heart wounds, weaknesses, and need for a greater experience of God’s grace. The second part of the seminar will include practical suggestions for building a Gospel culture in marriage—an environment of kindness, healing, repentance, encouragement and hope. While these are applicable to all marriages, as Scotty and Darlene will attest, they are uniquely significant for ministry marriages.
Get the handout >>
Frontline Trauma-Informed Care | The Loft
Joey Kime, RYM Ministry Operations
What do you do after tragedy strikes? How should you respond when you're the first to hear the worst? Is there anything you can even do to effectively walk with students through crisis? Youth leaders are often first on the frontlines in scenarios like these and know how confusing it feels when the "why" questions don't make sense. Join Joey Kime as he covers the do's and don'ts of providing psychological first aid and explores how the gospel frees us to lean on Him to shine light into the darkest places.
Get the handout >>
Thursday Elective Sessions - Afternoon (A)
2:00-3:00pm
Sabbath Wisdom for Life and Ministry: Fostering Peace and Avoiding Burnout | The Great Room
John Perritt, RYM Director of Resources
The biblical truth of Sabbath is one that often stirs up notions of debate, disagreement and misunderstanding. At the core of this truth, we see a loving God providing wisdom for his children to avoid overwork, stress and burnout. This class highlights our gracious Father and offers practical ideas to foster healthy boundaries for balancing life and ministry.
Leading Discussions for Learning | The Commons
Jessie Swigart, Asst. Professor of Educational Ministries & Dean of Academic Administration, Covenant Theological Seminary
Facilitating discussions must be one of the most slippery tasks a ministry leader engages in. Some weeks feel great: everyone has something to say and rich insights and personal reflections abound. Other weeks make you question whether you should be in ministry at all. This workshop won’t eliminate awkward silences and those inevitable “off” weeks, but we will talk about research-based principles of good discussion and some techniques to add to your toolbox for effective discussions in the future.
Get the handout >>
Fostering a Bible Reading Culture with Students in Ministry | The Classroom
Linda Oliver, Youth Leader, Writer & Podcast Co-Host
We want our students to read, study, and apply the Word of God in their lives, but many of them are busy with activities, buried in technology, and even struggle to make time for youth group. In this elective we will diagnose the root of this problem as well as think through practical solutions to help build a culture of Bible reading in our youth ministries. The goal is to teach and train students to know God more through reading their Bibles both now and for decades in the future!
Resources: Slides and Handout
Thursday Elective Sessions - Afternoon (B)
3:15-4:15pm
Moving from Teaching to Discipleship | The Great Room
Doug Franklin, President of LeaderTreks
Join Doug as he takes an intentional look at the "why" and the "how" behind discipleship. Learn practical tips and tricks for building meaningful relationships, sharing personal stories, asking intentional questions, helping students make life applications, and holding students accountable. Even if you've never been discipled yourself, you'll learn guiding principles that can be applied to your own discipleship relationships or taught to other volunteers on your team.
How to Engage Students with Theology | The Classroom
Linda Oliver, Youth Leader, Writer & Podcast Co-Host
All of our students, whether they realize it or not, are theologians, and they have minds that can learn and process theological themes and topics. In this elective, we will consider why engaging students with theology matters, a variety of simple approaches to do so, and how you can think through meeting your students where they are at theologically.
See the slides >>
A Unique Call: Working with Females in Ministry | The Commons
Rose Turner Ohnstad, Young Adults Female Coordinator, First Presbyterian Church Jackson
What do Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and the Bible all have in common? They all paint an accurate picture of the hardships of living on this side of Heaven. Work is no exception. The aim of this class is to look at the unique challenges of working with females in ministry but also the unique opportunities set before you. Come relax and seek to be encouraged and renewed as you lean into your calling to work with females in the local church.
Resources: Slides and Handout
Friday Plenary Session
Anxiety and Insecurity in Ministry - The Commons
9:00-10:30am
Richie Sessions, RUF Area Coordinator
We all experience anxiety and insecurity in ministry. Sometimes that experience is felt as you consider returning home from a week of training and fellowship. What if anxiety and insecurity in ministry aren’t just roadblocks to flourishing but the doors to greater need and dependence on God? We will explore these struggles and see how Jesus meets us in the middle of them.