Get Trained Up
Why you should go to a youth ministry training conference
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This week, I had several different conversations with youth ministry friends of mine, all regarding youth ministry training conferences. One had never been and does not plan on going, one has never been but is going for the first time this year, and one is a “Grizzled Veteran” who has gone for many years. It was interesting to see the differences in the three friends and the conversations regarding going to a conference.
Friend #1 was ambivalent about it, and changed the subject as quickly as possible. It was clear that such a conference was not high on her radar, nor did she see any reason to go. But after talking with her for a few minutes, I could sense the frustrations in her ministry and the wall she had seemingly hit. She was struggling, and attending a conference would have revitalized her and her ministry.
Friend #2 was clearly excited about the upcoming SYMC conference, and you could tell. He had never been, but was really looking forward to it. I could tell that it was like Christmas morning – he did not even know where to start. There were so many options and things to do, he was wide eyed with excitement. His ministry was not struggling, but knowing what he’s been through in the past this will still be a great time for him to learn, worship, and grow.
Friend #3 had been to so many conferences you would think that they would become blasé about the whole thing. Instead, they were excited about the upcoming SYMC, but it was less like a kid on Christmas morning and more like coming home. They’re looking forward to connecting with old friends, meeting some new ones, and being able to take a weekend to recharge.
In 17 days, I’ll be heading off to the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. Like Friend #3, I am a long time ministry conference veteran. It wasn’t so long ago, though, that I was like Friend #2, going to my first conference and not knowing what to expect (and getting knocked flat by the Spirit of God there!) And I can sympathize with Friend #1, because for many years I thought I had it all figured out and any conference would be a waste of time. So, this blog post is written for #1 (and for #2) – Why should you attend a youth ministry training conference?
1. Training
This might be a “Duh-huh” one, but its clearly one of the biggest priorities for these conferences. You have dozens of experienced professionals who present. You have some of the “biggest names” in youth ministry. Yeah, you can get most (if not all) of the information in books, but in most of the seminars you get to interact, ask questions, work with other youth ministers as well as get the ideas “straight from the horses mouth” (so to speak).
2. Community
I love the youth ministry community, and one of the unique features of most youth ministry conferences is the heavy emphasis on community. There are lots of community spaces, lots of opportunity to connect with other youth ministers. This, to me, is much more valuable than the head knowledge we learn. These are friendships that last. They provide support, encouragement, and love long after the conference ends.
3. Refreshing
One of the things that surprised me at the first conference I attended was the heavy emphasis on spiritual renewal. We spend 51 weeks a year ministering to others, and this was one week when we were ministered to. Everything was designed to bring us into the presence of God. I went in expecting to learn something. I left more in love with Jesus.
For these three reasons, I can’t wait until the SYMC conference. If you have never been to a conference, I encourage you to check them out. There are a number of good ones out there, and I doubt it matters much which one you attend. SYMC and NYWC are the two big boys of Youth Ministry, but you also have various denominational conferences. You can’t forget ones like the Orange Conference that aren’t geared specifically towards youth ministry, but still address it. You also have numerous other leadership conferences as well. I personally prefer SYMC, but you can’t go wrong if the conference addresses these three areas.
If you are going to SYMC, be sure to look me up! I’d love to connect with you, and get to know you. I’d also love to hear, in the comments, why you like to go the training conferences.
