Preconference DescriptionsWednesday, April 29, 2009
Preconference 1 - 9:45 am - 11:00 am   The Volunteer Dilemma Candi Pearson-Shelton, Jonathan Shelton Leading worship is not just standing up in front of an audience singing songs. It is a way of life. No one expects you to be perfect, but they do want the person leading them to be someone who is following after God's heart. In this workshop, we'll talk about the difference in being a "worship leader" and "leading worship" not only through music but also through our life. We'll also discuss what to do on the Sundays when you're headed to church to lead others in worship when you don't even feel like it yourself. Join other worship leaders for an informative and transparent time of what is means to lead worship in such a way that people truly see God more than they see you. Chap Clark It shouldn’t take a long list of statistics to convince you that our world is broken. Mission trips, service projects, and supporting children through relief organizations are just a few of the ways that many youth workers engage their students in serving the least, the last, and the lost. As good and helpful as these things may be on the surface, that’s where they remain—at the surface. The problems run far deeper than an occasional paint job or fundraising project can solve. But it’s not hopeless. It is possible to make deep social justice a part of your youth ministry. In the last part of this two-part workshop, we’ll continue the discussion about a fresh paradigm of what it means to think about and do youth ministry. It is recommended that participants in Part 1 also register for Part 2 during Preconference 2. Autumn Ward, Chad Ward You began your journey seeking the WHY behind small groups for children. Now you're ready to learn HOW to do small groups for children. This breakout offers you an intimate discussion with two church leaders who serve alongside small group leaders and preschoolers every weekend. Their experience has included church planting, leading multiple campuses, developing leaders from a small number of volunteers, and managing the masses. If you're looking for practical solutions to accompany your great vision, this is the place for you. Dan Reiland Are you a learned leader or a natural leader? Are you sure you are a leader? And what about this idea of a "born" leader? How you lead and the type of leader you are can really make a difference. The more you know about yourself as a leader, the better you can lead. This conference looks not at whether you should lead, but how you can lead best and with maximum results.
Can’t We Just Get Along? Jeanne Stevens If you’ve been around ministry for even a short period of time, you know that conflict will come. How you deal with that conflict will greatly affect you and your ministry. Come and spend some time learning about the lost art of speaking the truth in love and managing conflict in your ministry in such a way that your ministry will become even healthier. Yancy Richmond Preschoolers are full of energy. Their worship is full of energy too. Yancy will share tips on how to communicate and lead these little ones in worship. Everything from who should lead, what to do about motions, types of songs that work and how to grow a team of worship leaders. Jim Wideman Not everyone is a front man. Behind the scenes, there are dozens and sometimes hundreds of gifted people who serve so that the leader can lead. Often, God's plan for success involves us serving others. If you work for someone else, this workshop by "lifetime associate" Jim Wideman will help you learn to unlock the dreams God has placed within your heart. Jeffrey Reed, Ami Shroyer Do you want to make your platform POP? Want to WOW your kids and leaders? At this workshop you’ll get practical tips and techniques for building great sets—and for working with a limited budget. Churches of all sizes will benefit from the advice of experts in this area. From FOAM to FAUX to FUN! Preconference 2 - 1:00 pm - 2:15 pmYancy Richmond, Hannah Joiner, Rebekah Joiner Cream and sugar, peanut butter and jelly, Lennon and McCartney, Batman and Robin—what's in common? The perfect combination. Engaging your kids in worship and getting their participation takes the right mix. You need great songs and some snazzy dance moves to get every one involved. We'll teach you some of the latest moves, songs and show you what works for both boys and girls. For Heaven’s Sake As leaders we enlist volunteers, plan weekly lessons, publicize fun events as well as a million other things. But none of those matter more than making sure kids hear the most important trusth of their lives, and nothing is more exciting than watching a child's heart be forever changed. Find out how to create a unique environment where parents and kids hear the Good News of God's big story based on John 3:16, and where parents are shown the privilege of leading their own kids into a relationship with Christ.
Deep Justice in a Broken World – Part 2 It is recommended that participants in Part 2 also register for Part 1 during Preconference 1.
Autumn Ward, Chad Ward When you envision a small group of children and their leader, what do you see? Your answer to that question will have a huge impact on the success of your small groups. In this breakout, you'll hear from two church leaders who work to go beyond just filling holes on Sunday morning to helping volunteers serve with passion and vision - moving beyond curriculum and into relationships. Lots of heart and the ability to dream big are required! Geoff Surratt Why are there so many churches that 1) seem to be basically sound doctrinally, 2) are located in a place that is accessible without the use of a compass and a guide dog, and 3) have a pastor who can present a relatively coherent explanation of the Gospel—and yet never seem to grow? Sometimes there is a simple explanation: the church may be doing something stupid. Relying on personal experience as well as interviews with pastors across the country, Geoff Surratt shares some of those stupid things and how we can recover from them. Sunny Williams If you have the opportunity to be in front of preschoolers or elementar--aged children and are looking for tools to bring the Bible to life, then this conference is for you. In this breakout, we will cover some basic principles for communicating to both of these age groups in order to grab and keep their attention. This is an interactive breakout, so be prepared to play! Jim Wideman Does your office resemble a garbage heap or a manicured garden? Is your to-do list color coded, or do you find yourself constantly forgetting what it was you planned to tackle today? If you find yourself distracted and disjointed more often than organized and efficient, this conference is for you. And you’re not alone. Organization and time management are learned behaviors. None of us where born organized. Organizational guru Jim Wideman offers practical and proven keys to help you get it all together and be a better leader and manager. Kevin Ragsdale, Kristen Ivy We have all had it happen to us as youth leaders: we finally conquer the beast of reducing our content to a single train of thought, only to have that train derail once our students break into small groups. Teaching less is more is one thing: But how do you lead small groups with the end in mind and aligned with this philosophy? What does less is more mean in the small group dynamic? How do you train small group leaders to think less is more? How do you set up small group leaders for a less is more win? Join Kristen Ivy and Kevin Ragsdale, two seasoned youth ministry veterans, as they explore the nuances and mandates of less is more in the small group context. John Saddington We all have a fair and general idea of the "what," the "how," and the "why" we need to be using social media and engaging deeply into social networking services and properties. But what the world (and your ministry) needs is a healthy dose of creativity, innovative thinking, and a courageous attitude to try things that are neither conventional, typical, or proven. We'll take a look at some "alternative" ways to "rethink" how we use social media and social networking, and in particular the blogging medium for your ministry initiatives. Preconference 3 - 2:45 pm - 4:00 pmDiane Runge Fine-tuning "systems" is one of five critical responsibilities strong leaders give constant attention. Systems are tasks within your ministry that are done repeatedly so finding ways to accomplish them with efficiency and excellence are important. In this breakout, we will talk practically about strategies for making budgeting decisions, downloading, preparing and distributing curriculum resources, and getting volunteers started. Jeffrey Reed You have plenty of resources, right? If you do, then this workshop is not for you. However, if you're part of the 99.9% of us who face resource challenges, this workshop is for you. This session will address two "crunches": 1) The Financial Crunch: What every church in America needs to hear; and 2) The Cultural Crunch: How to reach students and kids in the midst of a high-tech (and expensive) culture. This session is full of visuals, examples, and a storehouse of proven ideas on how to create a relevant and affordable ministry for your kids and students. Dan Webster Type in "leadership" at Amazon.com and you will get over 2000 hits. There is so much being written on the topic that it's difficult to determine what is core to leadership and what is simply another person's idea. Many youth workers are tempted to listen to the latest loud voices in student ministry and then shape their ministries around those. Instead, we should be listening to and following the quiet voice of God. Leadership isn't just something we do from the front; it is an intimate expression of who we are-it is our being in action. Pursuing authentic leadership is the greatest gift you can give yourself and your students. Autumn Ward, Chad Ward Does the back door to your family ministry seem much larger than the front door? Do you spend more time recruiting than you do investing in your volunteers? Join two church leaders who, in very practical ways, are learning how to make that back door less appealing. This breakout will focus on vision casting, skill training, and strategic celebrations as tools you can use to enable your volunteers to stick it out for the long run. Scott Hodge Three simple questions helped to guide a mundane ministry into a mission-focused community. Change. It's inevitable but never easy. Whether your church is considered small or large, traditional or modern, you won't want to miss this practical, yet challenging session as Scott shares insight from his personal journey of leading The Orchard Community Church through a painful, yet rewarding journey of change and transition. Faith in Our Kids from a Family Ministry Model Yancy Richmond Worship is communication. In this session you will learn how to introduce new songs, teach kids about worship, plan worship sets, make the most of using soundtracks and more. These simple steps will help you to connect with your audience and get higher participation in your services. Jim Wideman Problems. We all face them. Some of us just face them more successfully than others. There are two types of people on the earth: those who face a problem and wait for someone else to solve it, and those who face a problem and come up with the right solution. Problem solvers always have a job and are always in demand. This session gives you the dos and don'ts of becoming a master problem solver. Larry Thompson, Adam Duckworth Ready for change but concerned about alienating leaders you don't want to alienate? Hoping to go Orange but dreading the full spectrum of opinions and traditions? Need to find a way to create a seismic shift without causing earthquake-like collapses and casualties? Larry Thompson has transitioned a 100-year-old downtown church into a vibrant center for worship and diversity. And he did it step by step and circle by circle. Experience a proven, practical way of giving ownership to leaders and followers alike, no matter how big or small a change you need to make. Preconference Concentrates - 10:00 am - 3:45 pmIn the past couple of years, we have touched on many breakout topics that had much more information than we could effectively share in a single hour-long session. To serve you better in 2009, we have selected a handful of these topics and devoted 6 "Concentrate" sessions to be able to dive in really deep and share much more useful and impactful information with you and your team. If I Could Turn Back Time...Starting and Continuing Well in Student Ministry And by the way, is putting "classic" and "Cher" together an oxymoron Please note that if you elect to attend a "Concentrate" session, you will be registered for this workshop for the duration of the preconference. You will not be able to select other workshops to attend on this day. This workshop will break for lunch if you would like to join other people from your team over the break. I Wish Someone Had Told Me…Keys to Children’s Ministry Please note that if you elect to attend a "Concentrate" session, you will be registered for this workshop for the duration of the preconference. You will not be able to select other workshops to attend on this day. This workshop will break for lunch if you would like to join other people from your team over the break. College Ministry 101: What Do We Do About College Ministry? Please note that if you elect to attend a "Concentrate" session, you will be registered for this workshop for the duration of the preconference. You will not be able to select other workshops to attend on this day. This workshop will break for lunch if you would like to join other people from your team over the break. Gifted to Lead.....The Art of Leading as a Woman in the Church Please note that if you elect to attend a "Concentrate" session, you will be registered for this workshop for the duration of the preconference. You will not be able to select other workshops to attend on this day. This workshop will break for lunch if you would like to join other people from your team over the break. Burnout to Balance Please note that if you elect to attend a "Concentrate" session, you will be registered for this workshop for the duration of the preconference. You will not be able to select other workshops to attend on this day. This workshop will break for lunch if you would like to join other people from your team over the break. Random Learnings from Thinking Orange Please note that if you elect to attend a "Concentrate" session, you will be registered for this workshop for the duration of the preconference. You will not be able to select other workshops to attend on this day. This workshop will break for lunch if you would like to join other people from your team over the break. |