Workshops

If you are in your first few years of youth ministry, or have been working with youth for years but want to refresh your ministry by getting back to the basics, this is definitely the class for you. This class, which meets together across each of the daily session, can provide you with invaluable tips and tools for your ministry, exploring the theory and practice of an effective youth ministry.

Note: Persons enrolling in Foundations should not enroll in any other workshops. The course meets each session each day.

Teachers: Rod Hocott, Georgia Harrison, Walt Marcum, Joy Allen

Foundations Teacher Bios

Register for Foundations

WEEKDAY PROGRAM

Persons (other than those in Foundations) should enroll for four workshops. Workshops are offered in six topic areas: “Bible and Theology” (BT); “Developing Ministry” (DM); “How To” (HT); “Personal and Spiritual Development” (SD); “Understanding Culture” (UC); “Veterans” (VT), courses for persons with significant experience in youth ministry; and “Technology” (TC).

Weekday Program Teacher Bios

Register for Weekday

SESSION 1
Choose one workshop from session 1 choices below.

Bible Exploration (BT)
Teacher: Bishop Richard Wilke

This course will take you on a Biblical journey through an in-depth look at scripture with one of the church’s preeminent thinkers and writers about the Bible and its study, while engaging in biblical discussion with your peers.

God in Nature – Camping and Outdoor Ministry (HT)
Teacher: Trueman Hoffmeister

How can you ensure that summer camp can make a lasting spiritual impression? Explore ways in which camping ministries can cultivate a deeper faith experience in the lives of young people.

Youth Ministry for the Long Haul (DM)
Teacher: Rev. Michael Ratliff

Long hours, high stress, politics, personal challenges, economic pressures, and professional struggles can all conspire to force an early departure from what may be a life-long calling to ministry with youth! This course will focus on helping you keep the passion for young people's ministry alive and thriving in the love of an amazing God, allowing you and your ministry to stay fresh, new, inspired and inspiring!

Intersections: Spirituality, Art, Worship and Youth (UC)
Teacher: Rev. Joe Stobaugh

Print is dead! We no longer live in a world run primarily with words. Rather, we inhabit a highly visual and experiential universe. Come and explore the possibilities of this new world as they relate to worship.

Media 101 (TC)
Teacher: Eric McFarland

Do you want to start using media in your ministry, but are not sure where to start? This is the place! Participants will discover great ways to start plugging into the world of our youth. We will explore the basics of websites, online services, social networking, and presentation software.

Zooming in on Families (SD)
Teacher: Dr. Lillian Chenoweth

This short course on families and family life in your church and community will cover the current state of the American family, families in poverty and youth development within family life. The course will provide hands-on activities to promote family involvement and shape programs that will enrich and strengthen not only your ministry, but the youth you serve.

SESSION 2
Choose one workshop from session 2 choices below.

Remember the Joy of Doing Youth Ministry? How's That Going For You? (DM)
Teacher: Mike Selleck

There are many challenges in the day-to-day working with youth. Some of these issues reach out and grab us through no fault of our own, while other are of our own making. Come and explore the management and leadership principles that equip us to handle troubles, regardless of how they are manifested. We will review tools and strategies that allow us to get back to the basics of doing right things well, and reclaiming the joy we always knew was near.

Fresh Wind and New Fire: Tuning Up and Toning Down Your Programs (HT)
Teacher: Jarrod Conyers

Let's think beyond programs, routines, numbers, and the bottom line. Together, let us seek out new ways to provoke your passion, enliven your ministry, and explore new ideas of connecting Christ to the hearts of your kids. This class will engage you in discussions focused on rethinking how we live out and convey the message of the Kingdom of God to reach our churched and non-churched youth.

Engaging Youth Culture in Ministry (UC)
Teacher: Hank Hilliard

Youth culture plays a huge role in shaping the attitudes and beliefs of the young people to which we are called to minister. Participants will learn about youth culture and effective practices to engage culture appropriately to speak and model truth into the lives of the youth we serve.

Urban Youth Ministry (UC)
Teacher: Rev. Bob Davis II

This course will look at the unique opportunities and challenges that come with Youth Ministry in an Urban setting. We will look at creative programs and unique methods of teaching.

"I Need Help!" How to Counsel in Times of Crisis (SD)
Teacher: Dr. Terry Parsons

This informative and engaging class will equip you with methods and tools to help youth and their families in their times of crisis, providing the know-how and resources that every youth minister needs for these crucial situations.

Girl World (BT)
Teacher: Rev. JJ Whitney

How does our theology have an impact on what the culture says we believe about girls and women? We will discuss how to crack the code of the image that our world gives the young women with whom we work. This workshop will look at Biblical images that influence what we think about women and how they are treated in our culture.

Positive Youth Ministry (DM)
Teacher: Steve Heyduck

Because the Bible begins with Genesis 1 ("it was very good") and not with Genesis 3 (the Fall), we ought to begin ministry with the presumption of the goodness of being created in the image of God. The Methodist Children's Home in Waco is pioneering care for at-risk teens in a "strength-based" model because we know teens are resilient. Learn how this philosophy of care can work in your youth ministry as well.

Conference and District Youth Workers Track
Teacher: Susan Hay

This track is designed specifically for Conference and District Leaders. It provides a special time for Conference and District Leaders to meet with staff from the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship’s work area on Young People’s Ministries. Conference Coordinators will continue to meet during Session 3 as well. Please note that this workshop requires prior invitation or instructor approval.

SESSION 3
Choose one workshop from session 3 choices below.

iPOD Touch: Inspirational Preaching, Open Dialog (HT)
Teacher: Rev. Bob Davis II

Does your iPOD inspire youth in your ministry? This course aims to facilitate the development of sermons and preaching styles that touch the lives of young people in real, relatable, and relevant ways.

Youth Missions - Creating a Culture That Moves Beyond the One Week Experience (DM)
Teacher: Phillip Dieke

Many times students come back from church missions with a "Jesus high" but complain about losing that high a day, week, or even month later. This course will look at creating a culture that makes missions a lifestyle rather than something that we do a week or two each year.

Contemplative Practices for Crazy People (SD)
Teacher: Rev. Tonya Burton

Does your life seem crazy at times? Are you so busy in ministry that you forget to nurture your own spiritual well-being? This course will offer a variety of spiritual practices for those who have forgotten that God wants to minister to your life as well.

Praying and Singing as One Body (UC)
Teacher: Dr. C. Michael Hawn

In a culture that segments people into different groups including age, race, socio-economic status, political affiliation as well as others, what does it mean to be one body in Christ? What strategies, through worship and song, might we use with young people to encourage a vision of “one new humanity” in Christ (Ephesians 2:15)? This class will focus on ways to broaden our understanding of worship and song with the goal of helping young people to become a part of the body of Christ and to be agents of bringing the body together.

Teaching Our Methodist Heritage to Youth (BT)
Teacher: Rev. Walt Marcum

This workshop will explore the various ways that we can discuss and explore our unique Methodist history with our youth. We will talk about Methodism in England during Wesley's time, Methodism in America, United Methodist beliefs and what sets us apart from others.

Theology is Not a Bad Word (BT)
Teacher: Dean William Lawrence

To many “theology” can be a forbidden or frightening concept that is antithetical to faith. Yet an understanding of theology, literally “God-Talk,” is necessary for our faith and practice. Come and explore how theology is to be integrated into our ministries and our everyday lives with the dean of Perkins School of Theology.

Doing Stuff On Purpose: The Intentional Use of Experience In Youth Ministry (HT)
Teacher: John Losey & Lars Rood

Through experience God moves from abstraction to reality. We will explore how to create experiences for students rich with opportunities for learning and growth. We will also examine to help students discover how God meets us in real life experiences

Conference Leaders Track
Teacher: Susan Hay

This track is designed specifically for Conference Leaders. It provides a time to meet with staff from the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship’s work area on Young People’s Ministries. Please note that this workshop requires prior invitation or instructor approval.

SESSION 4
Choose one workshop from session 4 choices below.

Youthworker Movement Roundtable (VT)
Teacher: Rev. Terry Carty

Come join the discussion! Share and explore your ideas on how youth ministers might be in a more full connection and community with one another through the Youthworker Movement.

Community Building and the Next Step/ Playing With the Spirit! (HT)
Teacher: Marcus George

This class will offer hands-on ideas for building, supporting, and nurturing youth of all ages through play and fellowship exercises. The activities are aimed to spiritually support youth in building trusting relationships with their peers in emotionally safe and challenging ways. We will be active in this class, so dress appropriately for play!

Emerging Worship (UC)
Teacher: Rev. Chris Dowd

Reaching postmoderns in worship often requires breaking away from our tradition through the creative use of images, multimedia, conversation, and participation. Come and explore some of the possibilities!

God and Politics (BT)
Teacher: Rev. Gary MacDonald

While many claim that church and politics do not and should not mix, the history of the church is replete with political entanglement. Through lecture and discussion this course will explore how the church has and might engage with politics, and examine the particular place of Methodist history in the ongoing discussion, pausing to dig into some of the controversial issues with which the contemporary church struggles

Getting Ready for College (DM)
Teacher: Rev. JJ Whitney

How can we help our seniors get ready to go to college? Spend some time studying the spiritual development of college students as they break from home and engage their faith in the academic world. This class is for those who want to gain practical information on mentoring young people in vocational discernment, faith development, and meaningful service to others.

Media 202 (VT)
Teacher: Mike Meeks

For the more advanced student, this class will feature a “tech guru” that will show new and exciting ways to incorporate technology into youth ministry. In addition, there will be an Adobe Software specialist who will provide two days of advanced instruction on Adobe software Suite, including Photoshop, Elements, and other new programs.

Psalms Into Liturgy and Devotion for All (SD)
Teacher: Kelly Williams

Find our place in the Psalms, their place in us and where Psalms meet today's youth. Experience the Psalms in a new way for yourself and learn how to create the same experience for others, including youth. If you are a worship leader, this is the workshop for you.