60+ hours of practical youth ministry training in six breakout blocks.
Click on any of the dates and times below to see a list of some of the specific breakout sessions that we are offering at Conclave. Don’t worry – we offer MP3 audio recordings onsite for any of the sessions that you are unable to make!
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TITLE: DiscipleWORKS
DESCRIPTION: Every student ministry needs a pathway to help teenagers grow in discipleship. Join in this interactive workshop to discover the key elements of a disciple making pathway, and learn how to apply them to your specific ministry context.
LEADER: Ben Trueblood, Director of Student Ministry, Lifeway Christian Resources, Nashville, TN
Room 2
TITLE: Mobilize to Keep Them. Develop Your Own Sending Stream.
DESCRIPTION: Youth are the hardest group to want to go and keep them in church, but what if you cracked the code about the best way to keep them involved in the church and connected as they go to college? Come learn about what holds them back and how going will make them stay. We will talk about barriers and the development of sending streams.
LEADER: Sarah Farley Beall, IMB Student Mobilizer – Southeast, Richmond, VA
ROOM: 7
TITLE: Creating a Culture of Evangelism
DESCRIPTION: Purpose and Influence. These two words resonate in the minds of students as they desire to live with purpose and have influence. Creating a culture of evangelism in your ministry will not only equip them to live out their purpose of knowing Jesus and making Him known, but leverage their life for maximum influence as they do things today that will matter for eternity. Join Catherine Renfro, National Director of Women’s Evangelism at the North American Mission Board, to discuss creating a culture of evangelism in your ministry and mobilizing your students to know Jesus and live a life of purpose and influence as they share the hope of the gospel.
LEADER: Catherine Renfro, Director of Evangelism, North American Mission Board, Alpharetta, GA
Room 8
TITLE: Stronger Families = Safer Churches
DESCRIPTION: As leaders we need to encourage one another to stay the course of being aware abuse happens. Abuse happens in the church, in families, and among peer on peer. Our focus is to help people be aware, how to discern the issues, and legally report with the ultimate foal to move forward. In an ideal world raising awareness could also serve as prevention among students, leaders, parents, and the church.
LEADER: Dr. Jody Dean, Associate Professor for Christian Education, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA
Room 9
TITLE: Calling Out the Called
DESCRIPTION: How do you identify, prepare, and equip students called to ministry leadership? In this session, we’ll survey the current landscape, explore our responsibility to raise up the next generation of ministry leaders, and consider practical ways to invest in them.
LEADER: Dr. Scott Pace, Associate Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
Room 10
TITLE: What to do with Females Called to Ministry?
DESCRIPTION: Come hear a 38-year female full time youth minister share the joys of serving Jesus with teenagers.
LEADER: Dr. Merrie Johnson, Student Ministry Consultant, North Carolina Baptist State Convention, Cary, NC
Room 11
TITLE: That Kid! Why Your Church is Seeing A Rising Number of Troubled Kids & Teens and How Your Church Can Be The Change They Need
DESCRIPTION: In this breakout, Tera Melber, Trauma Care Specialist for Mission Georgia, deals with an issue plaguing the youth in our culture: Trauma. Join us as we discuss trauma and its effects, PLUS opportunities to equip the adults who are called to care for, teach, reach, and disciple them!
LEADER: Tera Melber, Trauma Care Specialist, Mission Georgia, Suwanee, GA
Room 16
TITLE: Connecting Purpose and Ministry
DESCRIPTION: Discover the purpose of student ministry events and programs. Evaluate ‘why’ for an effective, Gospel-centered youth ministry journey.
LEADER: Joe Yarbrough, Minister to Students, Lone Oak First Baptist Church, Paducah, KY
Room 17
TITLE: The BACKBONE for Effective Student Ministry: Strategies for Finding, Developing, & Retaining Adult Volunteer Leaders
DESCRIPTION: Recruiting, training, and keeping adult volunteer leaders can be challenging in NextGen ministry. However, the scale and depth of our adult volunteer leader team largely determine the depth and health of our ministry. In this breakout, Dr. Tripp Atkinson will share research and experience-based strategies for growing your ministry through growing your volunteer leadership.
LEADER: Dr. Tripp Atkinson, Next Gen Pastor, Church at The Mill, Moore, SC
ROOM: 18
TITLE: The Power of Prayer in the Lives of Students
DESCRIPTION: If God answered all your prayers from this past week, how many peoples lives would be changed?
Prayer is one of the easiest things to talk about, but so often neglected. We will be discussing the power of prayer and looking at some ideas to help your ministry formulate a strategy for praying over your students.LEADER: Spencer Jones, Minister to High School Students, First Baptist Trussville, AL
Room 19
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TITLE: Building Better Bridges: Social Media
DESCRIPTION: We will discuss the dangers of social media, a technology in this new digital world.
LEADER: Clint Davis, Professional Counselor, Clint Davis Counseling, Shreveport, LA
Room 11
TITLE: Our Strange, Confused, and Sexualized World
DESCRIPTION: For the past 25 years, I have worked with those struggling with sexual and relational brokenness issues generally expressed in LGBTQIA+ identities and behaviors. As Christians, we want to be redemptive and biblical. We will explore the clash of secular and Christian worldviews regarding sexuality, gender, and sexual identity. As we understand what people believe, we discover why we are where we are and how the gospel offers a better and more hopeful alternative.
LEADER: Ricky Chelette, Executive Director, Living Hope Ministries, Arlington, TX
Room 12
TITLE: Helping Students Navigate the Transgender Revolution with Grace & Truth
DESCRIPTION: Sexual confusion is everywhere. Students are being confronted daily with pressure to conform to the culture and reject a biblical worldview. Learn how to help them stand strong and courageously love their friends.
LEADER: Jonathan Morrow, Director of Cultural Engagement & Student Discipleship, IMPACT360, Pine Mountain, GA
Room 13
TITLE: Teaching Teenagers Today: Culture & Context
DESCRIPTION: To understand a teen’s unique culture and context, we’ll explore developmental realities, the impact of social media, and contemporary teaching methods for engagement.
LEADER: Dr. Kristin Kellen, Associate Director of EdD Studies, Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
Room 14
TITLE: The Power of Games
DESCRIPTION: Do you do games in your student ministry? What is the purpose of games? Can games be a valuable tool in your strategy to reach students or are games a giant waste of time, energy, and resources? Would you like some fresh ideas for games in your ministry? Come join this breakout for an interactive, fun time of learning and playing.
LEADER: Josh Meadows, Student Ministry Strategist, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Prattville, AL
Room 15
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Lunch and Learn – Parenting In Ministry
Jamie and Joy Willis (Lakewood, Gainesville, GA). This on-site and optional lunch and learn will take place during the lunch break on Friday. A boxed lunch will be included. Please notify us via email of any allergies.
Lunch and Learn – SBC 101
Thomas Hammond (GBMB Executive Director). Learn the ins and outs of SBC Life to better understand how we cooperate together for the Gospel. This on-site and optional lunch and learn will take place during the lunch break on Friday. A boxed lunch will be included. Please notify us via email of any allergies.
Lunch and Listen – Roundtable
Scooter Kellum (Indiana Baptist State Convention). This on-site and optional lunch and learn will take place during the lunch break on Friday. A boxed lunch will be included. Please notify us via email of any allergies.
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WIVES BREAKOUT TRACK: Wait…What?
DESCRIPTION: God uses the unexpected in life to make us more like Him. In this session, we will discuss how we can faithfully and joyfully serve and disciple others despite the challenges we face.
LEADER: Mel Gillen, Student Ministry Coach, FBC Simpsonville, Simpsonville, SC
ROOM: 2
TITLE: Cultivating Growth in Your Ministry
DESCRIPTION: What steps are you taking to grow your ministry? Every context is different, but two things remain the same: Jesus still saves and students are looking for truth. Join us as we look at some practical ways to reach more students and what to do when it starts working.
LEADER: John Templeton, Youth Pastor, FBC McMinnville, TN
Room 7
TITLE: Combining or Splitting Middle and High School Ministry
DESCRIPTION: To split or not to split, that is the question: Pros & Cons of keeping or separating middle and high school students in student ministry.
LEADER: Joe Yarbrough, Minister to Students, Lone Oak First Baptist Church, Paducah, KY
Room 8
TITLE: Lasting Through the Lifecycles of Student Ministry
DESCRIPTION: In ministry we will experience times of excitement and growth, but we can also experience times of transition, disengagement, and decline. Maybe you have looked at your student ministry and thought to yourself “How in the world am I going to overcome this difficult season? Or what am I going to do once that large group of students graduate?” In this session we will review practical tips on how to use each season to prepare for the next.
LEADER: Nathan Michel, Pastor to Students, FBC Kenner, LA
Room 9
TITLE: Local School Ministry: 5 Proven Strategies for Reaching Your Community Through Invaluable School Partnerships
DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the greatest opportunity for most churches to connect with their community is through healthy partnerships with local schools. In this breakout, Dr. Tripp Atkinson will share proven strategies to become indispensable to your local schools and practical help in developing a School Ministry Gameplan.
LEADER: Dr. Tripp Atkinson, Next Gen Pastor, Church at The Mill, Moore, SC
ROOM: 10
TITLE: Building Better Bridges: Sexual Trauma
DESCRIPTION: We will discuss prevention and recovery from sexual trauma in the church.
LEADER: Clint Davis, Professional Counselor, Clint Davis Counseling, Shreveport, LA
Room 11
TITLE: Understanding the Cycle of Sin
DESCRIPTION: We know sin is wrong. We know it displeases God and keeps us deep in guilt and shame. But why can’t we stop? We will discover that sin is rarely about the activity but something deeper. We will look at common triggers, what the cycle looks like, and how you can help yourself and others break free!
LEADER: Ricky Chelette, Executive Director, Living Hope Ministries, Arlington, TX
Room 12
TITLE: Following Jesus in the Digital Age: Helping Students Overcome Distraction & Deconstruction
DESCRIPTION: Social media is warping the hearts and minds of students. With unprecedented levels of relativism, distraction, anxiety, and loneliness, we must help the next generation—and all of us—pursue a better way.
LEADER: Jonathan Morrow, Director of Cultural Engagement & Student Discipleship, IMPACT360, Pine Mountain, GA
Room 13
TITLE: Teaching Teenagers Today: Culture & Context
DESCRIPTION: To understand a teen’s unique culture and context, we’ll explore developmental realities, the impact of social media, and contemporary teaching methods for engagement.
LEADER: Dr. Kristin Kellen, Associate Director of EdD Studies, Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
Room 14
TITLE: The Power of Games
DESCRIPTION: Do you do games in your student ministry? What is the purpose of games? Can games be a valuable tool in your strategy to reach students or are games a giant waste of time, energy, and resources? Would you like some fresh ideas for games in your ministry? Come join this breakout for an interactive, fun time of learning and playing.
LEADER: Josh Meadows, Student Ministry Strategist, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Prattville, AL
Room 15
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WIVES BREAKOUT TRACK: Finding Healthy Rhythms and Habits in Life and Ministry
DESCRIPTION: With schedules and demands that can become overwhelming, we can set up healthy rhythms and habits in our lives and ministries to help us live lives of peace, intention, and purpose.
LEADER: Mel Gillen, Student Ministry Coach, FBC Simpsonville, Simpsonville, SC
ROOM: 2
TITLE: Cultivating Growth in Your Ministry
DESCRIPTION: What steps are you taking to grow your ministry? Every context is different, but two things remain the same: Jesus still saves and students are looking for truth. Join us as we look at some practical ways to reach more students and what to do when it starts working.
LEADER: John Templeton, Youth Pastor, FBC McMinnville, TN
Room 7
TITLE: The Supremacy of the Preaching/Teaching of Scripture in Student Ministry.
DESCRIPTION: In spite of all the important aspects of Student Ministry, the centrality of the Word of God must never be neglected.
LEADER: Adam Sells, Pastor to Youth and Children, Blountville FBC, TN
Room 8
TITLE: Lasting Through the Lifecycles of Student Ministry
DESCRIPTION: In ministry we will experience times of excitement and growth, but we can also experience times of transition, disengagement, and decline. Maybe you have looked at your student ministry and thought to yourself “How in the world am I going to overcome this difficult season? Or what am I going to do once that large group of students graduate?” In this session we will review practical tips on how to use each season to prepare for the next.
LEADER: Nathan Michel, Pastor to Students, FBC Kenner, LA
Room 9
TITLE: Student Ministry in Rural and Small Church Settings
DESCRIPTION: How do you effectively do student ministry in a rural or small church context? What are the key ingredients to making disciples in this type of ministry? In this breakout, we will discuss practical tools for having and casting vision, fundraising, camps, Wed nights, Sunday mornings and so much more.
LEADER: Zane Miles, Associate Pastor/Student Minister, FBC Guin, AL
Room 10
TITLE: Personal Health of the Ministry Leader
DESCRIPTION: Your ministry is directly related to your own personal health. During this practical breakout, you will learn practical things that you wish you would have learned in seminary. We must strive to be healthy physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually to be the best leaders we can be.
LEADER: Daniel Rose, Student Ministry Strategist, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Cary, NC
Room 11
TITLE: Current Trends & Youth Culture
DESCRIPTION: Current Trends and Youth Culture seem to be changing at a record pace. In this breakout we will take a look at how current trends are impacting how we do youth ministry, along with some tips on how our youth ministries can respond. PLUS… you’ll leave with all the content from this breakout so you can go home and share with your youth ministry volunteers and parents.
LEADER: Chris Trent, Next Gen Catalyst, Georgia Baptist Mission Board, Suwanee, GA
Room 12
TITLE: Equipping and Leading an Ethnically Diverse Ministry
DESCRIPTION: How to reach, equip, and lead ministries within your context to reflect the diversity of your community.
LEADER: Jake Deshler, Lead Student Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Lexington, KY
Room 13
TITLE: Before They Graduate
DESCRIPTION: You’ve spent years serving your students, and now they’re about to graduate and move on. What are some things you can do now, and what are some things you can do for them as they leave? In this session, we’re going to discuss some great steps towards preparing your students for college and beyond.
LEADER: Ben Edfeldt, Director, Office of Collegiate and Student Ministry Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Montgomery, AL
ROOM: 14
TITLE: A Time of Intentional Networking, Connection, and Prayer in Small Groups
DESCRIPTION: This is not your typical lecture-based breakout! In this breakout, participants will circle up into small groups of peers in Student Ministry from different states and contexts and will be guided through a time of introduction, bouncing ideas off of one another, reflection on takeaways from Conclave, and prayer!
LEADER: Mike Jamison, Youth Ministry Connector, State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, Mishawaka, IN
ROOM: 15
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COUPLES BREAKOUT TRACK: Life in a Glass House
DESCRIPTION: Life in ministry can seem like you live in a glass house. In this session, we will discuss healthy boundaries and attempt to find a balance between authenticity and transparency.
LEADER: Pat and Mel Gillen, Student Ministry Coach, FBC Simpsonville, Simpsonville, SC
ROOM: 2
TITLE: Mobilizing the Church to Reach beyond the Four Walls of a Building
DESCRIPTION: Leading students/volunteers to be the church through reaching their community with the gospel.
LEADER: Jake Deshler, Lead Student Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Lexington, KY
Room 7
TITLE: The Power of Empowering
DESCRIPTION: Many youth pastors find themselves under resourced and over-extended. The myth is that you need to be at a large church to have help in pulling off weekly ministry and special events. When we equip volunteers and empower them to lead, ministry multiples and the youth minister is freed to lead vision with more capacity and energy.
LEADER: Ben Cowell, Pastor, Brownsville Baptist Church, TN
Room 8
TITLE: Managing Yourself to Minister Effectively
DESCRIPTION: Are you overwhelmed? Are you striving for balance between work and personal life? How are your strategies for time management? All of these questions, and more, lead us to discover how to manage ourselves well and be better positioned to minister more effectively. This session will equip you with key questions and practical solutions to discover healthier rhythms and take steps to achieve your limitless potential.
LEADER: Ricky Smith, Lead Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Columbus, GA
ROOM: 9
TITLE: What an Incoming Christian College Freshman Should Know
DESCRIPTION: Why do so many students fall away from the church when they go to college? Let’s discuss how to prevent this from happening by preparing your students to have a faith that thrives in college.
LEADER: Dr. Evan Lenow, Associate Professor/Chair and Director of Church and Minister Relations, Mississippi College, Clinton, MS
Room 10
TITLE: Cultivating a Culture of Evangelism in Your Youth Ministry
DESCRIPTION: Jesus invested deeply into a group of young people that He then used to multiply the gospel. The call today is no different. Join us as we explore what it looks like to multiply the gospel through teens today.
LEADER: Nathan Ball, College & Youth Pastor, FBC Clinton, MS
ROOM: 11
TITLE: Special Needs Ministry: Knowing the Basics Can Really Enhance Your Ministry
DESCRIPTION: More and more students are being diagnosed with some type of special need, but not a lot of churches know how to reach and minister to them. Learn how your church can stand out as a beacon in your community to these families. By finding resources and knowing basic terminology, you will feel more confident to reach these unique individuals and their families.
LEADER: Lynn Wilkerson, Special Needs Minister, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, GA
ROOM: 16
TITLE: The Future of Youth Ministry: 5 Cultural Impacts that will change the way we do Youth Ministry in the Future
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this breakout is to help youth pastors/workers see how these 5 developments could affect how we minister to GenZ and Gen Alpha students in our community. We will break down these developments and see how we can use them to help us effectively reach students in our community, build up those students who are already in our ministry, and strengthen the church as it proceeds into the future.
LEADER: Tim Kilgore, Youth Pastor, Central Baptist, Waycross, GA
ROOM: 17
TITLE: Relational Discipleship
DESCRIPTION: People—not programs—disciple students. We need more of the model that Jesus used to change the world, which he instructs us to use. It’s relational discipleship. In this session, we will discuss what’s not working and learn how to implement a practical plan to reach and disciple students the way Jesus did.
LEADER: Zach Wyatt, Director of Youth Leader Collective, Chattanooga, TN
ROOM: 18
TITLE: Ministry Kids Matter: How Parents in Ministry can Effectively Pass on Faith to their Children
DESCRIPTION: Parents are the most significant influence on the spiritual lives of teens. The degree to which a parent models faith directly impacts faith in adulthood. Yet leaders face unique challenges raising their own children and youth in a ministry context. This session will focus on five factors contributing to a ministry leader’s effectiveness in passing on faith.
LEADER: Dr. David Odom, Professor of Student Ministry, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA
ROOM: 19