Tuesday Philosophy of Ministry Sessions - Morning
9:00am-12:00pm
Year 1: Intro to the POM
Brent Corbin, Executive Director, RYM
In Year 1 of RYM's Philosophy of Ministry (POM), you will be introduced to the ideas behind a comprehensive approach to youth ministry that doesn't just ask "what should I be doing in my role, and how do I do it?", but rather asks questions like "What I am aiming for in my role with youth, and why?" and "How does my theology flow out into my day to day ministry efforts?" In this class, we will introduce several charts that help to ground RYM's POM in visual format for easier understanding and remembrance.
Year 2: Ministry Dynamics
Michael Hall, Director of Training, RYM
In Year 2 of RYM's Philosophy of Ministry (POM), we will go further up the Tree and talk about Ministry Dynamics - the tree rings - and how they play into and affect your role in your church, and how you can best be reaching and equipping youth with the gospel of Jesus. In this class you will begin to contextualize many aspects of year 1's POM to your specific ministry context.
Year 3: What Are We Aiming For?
Les Newsom, Lead Pastor, Christ Presbyterian, Oxford, MS
In this class, we will focus on the goals and methodology of youth ministry—what we are actually aiming for and how those aims are shaped through faithful, ordinary ministry over time. We’ll consider how clear goals emerge not from quick fixes, but from consistency and trust in how God works through the local church. Along the way, this class will help you better understand your role within the church as both an organism and a system, clarifying how your ministry fits into the larger life of your congregation.
Year 4+: Faithfully Navigating the Intersection of Media, Culture and Spiritual Formation
Dr. Read Mercer Schuchardt, Associate Professor of Communication, Wheaton College
In this session Dr. Schuchardt will explore the importance of faithfully considering the realities, challenges, and opportunities for spiritual formation (our own as well as those we serve) in the midst of how our cultural moment is affected by various forms of media, etc. Learn about Dr. Schuchardt here.
Tuesday Philosophy of Ministry Sessions - Afternoon
2:00-4:00pm
Year 1: Understanding Theological Assumptions in the POM
Brent Corbin, Executive Director, RYM
In Year 1 of RYM's Philosophy of Ministry (POM), you will be introduced to the ideas behind a comprehensive approach to youth ministry that doesn't just ask "what should I be doing in my role, and how do I do it?", but rather asks questions like "What I am aiming for in my role with youth, and why?" and "How does my theology flow out into my day to day ministry efforts?" In this class, we will introduce several charts that help to ground RYM's POM in visual format for easier understanding and remembrance.
Year 2: Ministry Dynamics
Michael Hall, Director of Training, RYM
In Year 2 of RYM's Philosophy of Ministry (POM), we will go further up the Tree and talk about Ministry Dynamics - the tree rings - and how they play into and affect your role in your church, and how you can best be reaching and equipping youth with the gospel of Jesus. In this class you will begin to contextualize many aspects of year 1's POM to your specific ministry context.
Year 3: What Are We Aiming For?
Les Newsom, Lead Pastor, Christ Presbyterian, Oxford, MS
In this class, we will focus on the goals and methodology of youth ministry—what we are actually aiming for and how those aims are shaped through faithful, ordinary ministry over time. We’ll consider how clear goals emerge not from quick fixes, but from consistency and trust in how God works through the local church. Along the way, this class will help you better understand your role within the church as both an organism and a system, clarifying how your ministry fits into the larger life of your congregation.
Year 4+: Faithful Leaders and Fruitful Ministry
Jen Pollock Michel, Writer, Speaker, Podcast host and Coach
At YLT we seek to equip, connect, and encourage youth ministry leaders in and for the Church. We want to form men and women who not only labor for Jesus, but also understand what it means to take His yoke upon them and learn from Him, finding rest for their souls. This session with Jen Pollack Michel will explore the importance of seeking a faithful, fruitful life and ministry as opposed to seeking "productivity" and "success" in ministry. Learn more about Jen here.
Wednesday Elective Sessions - Afternoon (A)
2:00-3:00pm
Considering the Youth Leader's Role in Counseling
Ellie Stackhouse, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, Austin, TX
This elective will provide a high-level introduction to counseling adolescents. Youth leaders are often on the front lines with students who are struggling with any number of issues. What are appropriate “counseling” roles that the youth leaders can play? What practices are helpful? When to refer? What to do when you don’t have access to a counselor for referral? Bring your questions as well! Learn more about Ellie here.
Engaging with Parents in Youth Ministry
Josh Holestine, Youth Pastor, RiverOaks Presbyterian Church, Tulsa, OK
In this elective class Josh will present important principles to consider when thinking about the parents in your ministry, as well as provide practical examples on how to effectively engage with them. Josh is not only an experienced youth leader but a parent himself. He will be able to teach from both sides of this important topic.
The Anatomy of a Question & Cultivating a Question-Safe Environment
Val O'Brien, Founder and Director of Aspen Ministry
What’s in a question? Using real questions collected from students, this elective will guide you in sharpening your skills in observing what is really being asked, identifying intrinsic values, and how to build bridges towards students as they bring the truth to bear in hard conversations. What is more, before we can answer a student’s hard question, they need to feel safe to ask it. What does it take to create an environment where asking questions feels safe and normal? This elective will also provide some guidance to help you evaluate heart postures and small program shifts that allow this type of culture to thrive. Learn more about Val here.
Wednesday Elective Sessions - Afternoon (B)
3:15-4:15pm
Ministry (f)or Life
Lynne Howard, RYM Cohorts Mentor & Former Youth Ministry Director
In this class Lynne will affirm the real challenge of work/life balance for youth ministry leaders - it's not easy. She will also make a principled case and offer practical suggestions for how it is necessary for you to grow in this area. It's necessary not only in order to continue leading healthy and sustainable ministries, but also for you to continue growing in your walk with the Savior.
Navigating Conflict
Les Newsom, Lead Pastor, Christ Presbyterian, Oxford, MS
Conflict is all too common in life. It can be particularly challenging in ministry contexts. Youth ministry leaders know all too well that there is potential for conflict in every direction: students, parents, church leadership, volunteers, youth staff, etc. To help you grow in this area, this elective will offer some principles and helpful practical best practices for navigating the conflict you are currently in, the conflict to come, and how to avoid it ahead of time where possible.
Youth Ministry Teaching: Considering Focus and Formats
Michael Hall, Director of Training, RYM
This elective will present principles and practical suggestions for the many ways your teaching sessions can avoid getting stuck in the all too common “lecture rut”. Shifting our approach from “information delivery of” to “engagement with” the scriptures will bolster your teaching ministry. This class is less about the details of how to teach/craft a particular lesson and more about how to determine your focus and effectively utilize a variety of formats with which to engage your students with the truth of God’s word.
Thursday Elective Sessions - Morning
9:00-11:45am
Youth Ministry Admin: Principles and Practices
Bobby Epps, Youth Director, Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church, Ridgeland, MS
In this elective class Bobby will share a wide range of important principles to consider about the organisational and administrative aspects of youth ministry. He will consider areas such as scheduling and planning, systems and organization, communication, leadership training and sustainability. He will also provide practical tools and suggestions you can employ to develop and improve in this important area of ministry leadership.
Healthy Ministers, Healthy Ministries
Neal Salzman, Executive Director, The Rest Initiative
Youth ministry is deeply rewarding yet often exhausting. This workshop is designed to meet youth leaders where they are—offering practical tools for their own well-being while equipping them to care more effectively for the young people they serve. The session will be Christ-centered, interactive, incorporating reflection, discussion, and hands-on exercises to ensure leaders leave with actionable strategies for ministry and personal renewal.
Learn more about Neal here.
Learn more about Neal here.
Small Groups from A-Z
John Spencer, Next Gen Director, Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MO
Small groups can be a rich blessing to your youth ministry regardless of the size of your group. In this seminar John will explore a wide range of ideas for effectively utilizing small groups in your ministry. He'll consider the why of small groups, selecting and equipping leaders, consider various ways to get the most out of small groups, and much more.
Drawing Students Out
Ellie Stackhouse, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, Austin, TX
As youth leaders we know that students have a lot going on in their hearts and minds. Not only is it often hard for them to articulate (for a variety of reasons), it’s also hard to care for them in those “places” when we don’t know what’s really going on. In this interactive session Ellie will teach practical ways to effectively and appropriately “draw students out” in 1/1’s and relational/conversational ministry settings. She will also consider how to get from surface-level issues to more meaningful heart-level issues over time.
Friday Plenary Session
9:00-11:45am
The Fuel of Our Encouragement
Paige Brown, Speaker & Teacher, West End Community Church, Nashville, TN
As we come to the end of YLT, our heads will be full of ideas and aspirations from rich teaching and engaging discussions. Our prayer is that hearts will also be full from time connecting with fellow leaders and encouragement from the gospel of Jesus faithfully preached. Friday morning often also welcomes thoughts and maybe some (or a lot of) anxiety about the return to our homes and churches. Don’t miss the closing session of another incredible week away together at YLT as gifted Bible teacher Paige Brown blesses us with her seminar, “The Fuel of our Encouragement”.