Refresh

2019 Youth and Children’s Ministry Training

​September 6-8, 2019
The Wesley Center
 

Connect – Rest – Learn – Share – Restore 
 

Send your Youth or Children's ministry coordinator/director/volunteers to the Refresh Conference.  Consider this an investment in your local ministry community.

Some Youth & Children's ministry workers are overworked & underpaid but wouldn’t change a thing because of their passion for ministry and love for kids. 

It’s in our blood and we run until we have nothing left to give each day. Your paid or unpaid ministry workers need training, Sabbath and connection with others in ministry.   He/she also needs to know that the church leadership values those things and will make it a priority for their leaders. As you know, ministry runs 24/7.

Teenagers are calling, texting, social media messaging at all hours of the day/night to get affirmation, advise, to complain, to share theirexcitement with an adult who see him/her as more than just a teenager.  Parents have questions, need encouragement, and sometimes just someone to listen.  There are plays, sporting events, band concerts, and so many after office hour things that we do just to keep that connection and show those we serve how much we value them.  We absolutely love that part of ministry but at the end of the day/week/month it often saps energy, creativity and our zeal.  

Give your youth or children's ministry person an opportunity to “REFRESH,” to rest-connect-share-learn alongside other ministry people who just get one-another.  You know how it is when you are able to connect with someone who does what you do.

For more information, contact Julie Lafosse at (337) – 458-0163 or visit the registration page.
 

Cost/Scholarship

$60 per person – 10 Scholarships available
Scholarship requirements:
    •    1st Time Attending Youth/Children event 
    •    Actively involved in Youth/Children ministry
    •    Serving a Church of a membership of 150 or less
    •    Deadline 8/20 – 1st Come, 1st Served
    •    Only 1 scholarship will be awarded per church
 

Target Audience

• Experienced Youth/Children Directors, Veteran 5 years or more (Youth Ministry 301) 
• First 5 years of being a Youth/Children Directors (Youth Ministry 202)
• Beginning Youth/Children Directors / Unpaid Servant Ministry (Youth Ministry 101)
   

Goals

• Provide a low-cost training event that provides practical skills to children and youth workers at 3 distinct levels of expertise: Veteran, Novice, Unpaid Servant.

• Create a network of connection and support among children and youth workers in the conference.

• Provide strategies for children and youth programs in smaller churches.

• 20% of participants are new attendees to this type of event.

• Develop more effective communication strategies that reach people outside the network.        

Desired Outcome

• To inspire the novice and unpaid servants and invigorate the veterans to renewed commitment to best practices in children and youth ministry.

• To attract 35 attendees to the training.

• To attract 10 attendees who are new to conference training and the children’s youth ministry connection.

• To equip attendees to do effective ministry in small, medium and large contexts.

• To increase the sense of connection between the churches and the conference.
   

Schedule

Friday

1-4pm     CPR Training ($25 extra)
3pm        Labyrinth Walk
4-6pm     Registration
6-7pm     Supper
7-9pm     Welcome and Worship
9-11pm    Self-Guided Quiet Time

Saturday

8-9am              Breakfast
9 – 9:45am       Worship
10 – 11:30am    Breakout 1
11:30 – 1pm      Free time / Lunch
1 – 2:30pm        Breakout 2
2:30 – 3:30        Free time
3:30 – 4:30pm   Panel Discussion
4:30 – 5pm        Wrap Up w/Brittany Nelson
5 – 5:30pm        Free Time
5:30 – 6:30pm   Supper
6:30-7:30pm      Closing Worship
Optional Activities for those staying till Sunday
8-10pm              Games/Activities
10 – 11pm          Free Time

Sunday

8-9am              Breakfast
9 – 12:00pm    Individual Spiritual Direction and Guided self-care
 

Friday Options

CPR & First Aid Certification: Julie Lafosse
Participants will learn to: recognize a medical emergency; handle breathing and cardiac emergencies; act appropriately and effectively and sustain life until professional help arrives; prevent disease transmission and identify and care for bleeding, sudden illness and injuries. Upon completion, participants will receive a     2-year certification with certificate.  Additional Fee $25

Labyrinth Walk: Cindy Mann / Cherri Johnson
You are invited to Walk the Labyrinth to help relax and center yourself in preparation for all that God has waiting for you during the Refresh Conference.

Breakout 1

Administration 101:   Brittany Nelson
Administration provides the solid framework in which your ministry functions, and without it, things crumble. Whether administration is your spiritual gift or your worst nightmare, we'll talk about tools and ideas to help you rock the administrative aspect of your role as a ministry leader.
 

Holy Listening: Cindy Mann & Cherri Johnson

In this two-part session, we will listen with the heart of God to one another and encounter the Word of God revealed in Scripture. Come and experience some essential components that will assist and guide you in your journey as a leader.

Cultural Tool Kit:   Tori Mick
We’re packing our toolkit! Learning to pack a cultural toolkit with simple strategies to help you view different understandings and behaviors of what is happening around you enabling you to choose various courses of action. Creating this toolkit will give you a broader survey of your context, culture, and ways to bond with your congregation while also helping you better minister to your students.
 

Breakout 2

Family Ministry 101:   Brittany Nelson
Ministry to children and youth is about more than just children and youth; each child also brings a family unit into your sphere of ministry. This session will discuss understanding the process of building a family ministry, equipping the parents in your care, and inviting parents into the discipleship process. 
 

Controlling Your Time:  Terry Patterson
Time Management for people who do not actually have time to take a Time Management Class.  We will explore a non-classical form of time management to assist you in controlling your time.  This will allow you to think differently about all the things you have to do.  Bring paper and pen and your "to do list", whether it's personal or work related.  We will combine them!  

Introduction to Enneagram: Cindy Mann and Cherri Johnson
In this introductory workshop, you will be given a basic understanding of the Enneagram and guided in self-discovery of what your type means for personal well-being and spiritual growth.