NEW For This Year--Add more training options on Friday!
Maximize your training time with an extra day of Life & Soul Retreats or Ministry & Team Experiences! These awesome pre-conference tracks are a great way to “biggie size” your existing registration or use as a high-quality, a la carte, single day learning experience even if you are not attending the rest of SYMC 2010. Full Day Pre-Conference options are offered on Friday, Feb. 26 from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm at the Hyatt (with the exception of the option at Willow Creek). Seats are limited, be sure to register for these on your agenda when you register for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference online or by calling 615-349-7111.
Friday's (full-day) Pre-Conference options are accessible two affordable ways:
- $59 Add-on Friday (full-day) Pre-Conference Option – for attendees who also register for SYMC (price includes lunch with the speaker)
- $129 One-Day-Only Pass for Friday (full-day) Pre-Conference Option – Not able to attend the whole weekend of SYMC? Purchase a 1-Day pass for Friday and enjoy an amazing day of Pre-Conference seminars with deeper learning and relationship building. (price includes lunch with the speaker) Note: 1-Day attendees will not have admission to the Friday night general session. Standing room for gen session speakers and worship is possible, but not gauranteed.
- $29 Denominational Summits (times vary): For United Methodist Church/Youth Worker Movement; and The Christian & Missionary Alliance. See details below, register now with your SYMC registration.
Full Day Pre-Conference Retreats
Hitched For Life: A Marriage Retreat--Led by Ted & Nancie Lowe
Ted Lowe, the Director of MarriedLife at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta Georgia, and his wife Nancie will be hosting a one day Marriage Retreat. This time is NOT therapy. The day is designed to be a fun way of discovering how to avoid the "things" that push you part, and enjoy the things that pull you together. Don't miss it, your marriage deserves it.
PAUSE - A one day experience to gain clarity for your life and ministry
Led by Dan Webster
What happens when we do life and ministry month after month in the fast lane without pausing? The pace of modern culture seduces us...and that's trouble. It's trouble because relationships get fragmented, perspective is lost, life is skimmed and the quiet voice of God becomes distant and silent. I hate it when life gets like that. I'm guessing you do too. PAUSE is a brief break taken before doing something important. The 'something important' is your life...lived today, tomorrow and this next year. Do you care how this next year goes? I know you do. How about taking a brief intermission to sort out the key lessons of last year and set direction for the coming ministry season. Isn't it time to PAUSE?
Your First Two Years In Youth Ministry
Led by Doug Fields with Katie Edwards
Pitfalls are inevitable in youth ministry. If you've been in ministry more than two weeks, you've likely encountered some of them. In this seminar you will get some of the nuggets learned thru Doug's many years of youth ministry and made famous in his popular book by the same title. You'll save yourself some heartache and be prepared to handle some of the difficult times that are part of youth ministry by learning some of the principles shared in this seminar.
Helping Hurting Kids
Led by Marv Penner with Rich Van Pelt
The “everyday issues” kids face are getting more complex. With addictions, abuse, eating disorders, family brokenness, self-injury, and violence on the increase, we find ourselves more often left facing the wounds of students whose trust has been deeply betrayed. Deep hurt makes it more difficult for kids to accept our love and more difficult to experience intimacy with God. Whether you do youth ministry vocationally or as a volunteer, this track will help you explore the complex, everyday hurts of kids and will outline a path back to healing and wholeness.
Jesus-Centered Youth Ministry
Led by Rick Lawrence
Have we so “understood” Jesus that the pursuit of Him is far less interesting to us than the pursuit of relational ministry or relevant approaches to Bible study? How would a ministry that is passionately centered around Jesus instead of brilliant tips or techniques change the way we see our calling? More importantly, how would it change what we do in ministry? Together we’ll explore what ministry looks like when it follows C.H. Spurgeon’s guiding vision: “In everything you do, make a beeline to Jesus.” This track is both personally transforming and packed with ministry ideas.
More than a Warm Body, More than a Chaperone—Volunteers are Gifted to Give! How to Equip, Position, and Release Volunteers to Move from Task-Based Ministry to Face-to-Face, Relational Ministry with Teenagers (A Team Based Workshop for Youth Pastors and Their Volunteers)
Led by Kent Julian
Our problems with volunteer leaders don't start with recruitment and development; they start with flawed thinking about youth ministry. It's a fact...80% of your results in ministry will come from 20% of your efforts. This track will help you understand the essentials of successful volunteer leadership, and create an action plan for finding and engaging volunteers who support your ministry vision and are committed to making a difference in the lives of teenagers.
Middle School Ministry—More Than a Transition-What it Takes to Make it Great!
Led by Kurt Johnston, Scott Rubin and Johnny Scott
This session will "cover a little bit of everything" concerning ministry to middle schoolers! Rookies: join us for a great overview of middle school ministry. Veterans: join us to get tons of stuff to share with the rest of your volunteer team. We will cover these topics: Early adolescent development, tips for teaching, why a strategy is important, how to be more creative, what we can learn from Bobby Hill, and more!
Inside the Complex World of Today’s Teenagers
Led by Chap Clark (accredited by Fuller Seminary)
This course gives an overview of contemporary culture, especially as it affects youth ministry, and provides historical and theological youth ministry concepts and grounding. In addition, a broad spectrum of ministry programs and issues will be addressed, such as “youth ministry as practical theology,” the changing family, organizing a ministry program, missions and service, and ministering in a multi-cultural, multi-contextual world.
Leading with a Purpose: Spiritual Formation of the Next Generation
Led by Bo Boshers and other strategic leaders from WCA and Lead222
Your most important job can’t be completed in four years, and you can’t do it alone. Spiritually forming the next generation is a partnership with the wider church, with parents and family, and with others who serve children and students ages 0-18. This pre-conference workshop, sponsored by Willow Creek Association and hosted by WCA’s Director of Student Ministries, Bo Boshers, will help you become the kind of leader who sees the bigger picture—and equip you to lead, influence, and spiritually form the next generation for a life-time of devotion to Christ. Held at the Willow Creek Community Church campus—just west of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport—you’ll connect with both Willow staff and other innovative youth leaders from across the country to:
- Understand the importance and process of helping your church create an overarching Spiritual Formation plan for ages 0 to 18.
- Be equipped to better connect church and home to encourage the spiritual formation journey of students.
- Explore intentional activities and experiences to help your leaders connect with God and model spiritual transformation for your students.
- Take a look inside the new, cutting-edge Reveal research to discover what really impacts lasting spiritual growth in students.
- Learn how to build volunteer teams that develop and grow students spiritually.
- Gain fresh ideas on the role and development of student leaders in your ministry.
Denominational Pre & Post-Conference Events
United Methodist Church: Pre-Conference Denominational Summit: The Next Five Years in Youth Ministry Friday, Feb 26, 1:30-4:30 pm. Registration $29
The United Methodist Church's Young People's Ministries staff are hosting a half-day denominational summit featuring guest speaker, Doug Fields, who will present "The Next 5 Years: Future of Youth MInistry" followed up with debrifeing and scope for UMC churches by the staff at UMC's Young People's Ministries.
The Christian & Missionary Alliance: Post-Conference Denominational Event: Continuing the Conversation Mon., March 1, 2:00 pm til noon, Tues., March 2. Registration $29, (includes Monday night dinner as well as a night out on the town with other Alliance Youthworkers)
The Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination will be hosting Continuing the Conversation immediately following the close of SYMC., The focus will be on how we can take the things we learned at SYMC and put them into practice within our local Alliance youth ministries. Jason Ostrander, The C&MA National Youth Director, along with other denominational leaders will help facilitate the conversation. (Please note: You will be required to purchase an additional night’s stay at your hotel. Please book your flight to depart from Chicago anytime after 2:00pm on Tuesday, March 2nd)