2022 Breakouts

Small Budget, Big Youth Ministry
Using limited resources to make a Maximum impact on the lives of students.
LEADER: Josh Meadows, Spring Valley Baptist Church, Springville, AL

Are You a Professional or a Slacker?
Has anyone ever asked you, “So, what do you actually do all day?” Some view student ministry as all games and pizza. Learn how to strengthen your executive skills and professionalism and avoid being viewed as a slacker. Time management, communication effectiveness, and task efficiency can improve your quality of life and your role on the team.
LEADER: Ricky Smith, Calvary Baptist Church, Columbus, GA

The Hands Off:  Transitioning Well with Children’s and College Ministers
Transitions are an important but volatile time in the life of a student. How we help students adapt to new environments is essential. In this session, we will look at practical ways to help children and students move forward to the next area of ministry in your church.
LEADER: Jeff Borton, Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN

Leading Above the Work Week
The fast pace of ministry can lead us down a path of only chasing the daily grind of necessary tasks—never seeing far enough out to get your head above water. This almost always leads to burnout and job dissatisfaction. In this session, we’ll talk about what it takes to get above the daily grind and into a place of strategic, long-range thinking, as well as personal health, that contributes to longevity in your role.
LEADER:  Ben Trueblood, Lifeway Christian Resources, Nashville, TN

The Future of Missions:  Gen Z & Alpha Gen
The largest generation on the planet, Gen Z, and the up-and-coming Alpha Gen are no longer “the next generation,” they are the “now generations.” IMB and Barna partnered on a recent research project that looked at the future of missions and the implications of the perspective of Gen Z.  As the largest sender of students, IMB is here to train, equip, and mobilize you, as leaders, to build pipelines and help impact the future of missions. We want churches to develop a culture of sending that creates children who can’t wait to join the youth group, youth who want to engage with missions and volunteer in church, and high schoolers that stay involved in church as they transition to college. This seminar will give you a perspective and plan to develop a pipeline that will create disciples who make disciples.
LEADER:  Sarah Farley, International Mission Board, Atlanta, GA

Girl’s Ministry
Some people may overlook it or underestimate it, but the truth is there is a lot of value, need, and purpose for it. Join Rebecca as she shares what she has seen be useful and even some of the things she has seen not work as well when ministering to girls.
LEADER:  Rebecca Hastings, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN

Building a Volunteer Team
I NEED HELP! Student ministry is a daunting task, and you can’t (and shouldn’t) do it alone! In this breakout, we will look at practical ways to build a volunteer team to help you reach students in your church and community!
LEADER:  Ryan Keaton, First Baptist Church, Lexington, TN

Smartphone Parenting
How do we help our students navigate today’s digital world? What is an appropriate amount of screen time and what kind of filters are available? What do we need to know about the apps and devices students are using today? In this seminar, we’ll address these questions and talk about how to help teenagers leverage the benefits of technology while avoiding some of the pitfalls. Whether you lead teenagers at church or in your home, this seminar will give you the tools you need to help teenagers make wise choices as they navigate today’s digital world.
LEADER:  Jamie Willis & Chris Hargrove, Lakewood Baptist Church, Gainesville, GA

 The “Secret Sauce” to Reaching and Discipling the Next Generation
What’s the “secret sauce” of reaching the least-religious generation the States has ever seen? Less than 30% say religion is important to them, while over 80% say living a self-fulfilled life is very important. Yet they’re discovering the hard way that fulfillment can’t be found in self, while also trying to navigate a broken world. Think about what this generation has already faced during the formative years of life – the Great Recession of 2008, and COVID-19. They know brokenness all too well, so how can the church effectively communicate hope to a generation, and disciple a generation? In this interactive breakout, we discuss what is the same about this generation, what is unique about this generation, and the “secret sauce” of reaching them. The answer might surprise you!
LEADER:  Shane Pruitt, North American Mission Board, Alpharetta, GA

Wives’ Breakout Part 1:  Zooming Out
When the spotlight is bright and it feels like everyone is watching, it’s easy to get squinty-eyed, hyper-focus on here-and-now minutia, and forget the eternal goal you are working toward. Sister, nothing will sap your strength and enthusiasm faster! Don’t let the perceived need to please others reduce your precious life to performance or make your ministry into a chore. Join us backstage, take some deep breaths, and recapture the joy of your salvation by looking at your life from God’s perspective. Good news: Pleasing Him is surprisingly simple!   
LEADER:  Angela Sanders, AngelaSandersWrites.com, Oklahoma City, OK

Developing and Implementing Vision
 Are you having difficulty discovering or articulating the purpose of your ministry?  Do you struggle to make changes to your ministry because it is met with too much resistance? What so many ministries are missing is a clear and specific vision communicated well to their people.  In this session, we will discuss the development and implementation of that vision for your ministry.
LEADER:  Clint Bryant, Taylor Road Baptist Church, Montgomery, AL

Partnering with Parents
Sometimes our student ministries can have a love/hate relationship with parents.  We would love for them to stay out of the way and we hate it when they complain and criticize.  But what if we could actually partner with parents in such a way that it’s a win for everyone: for students, for parents and for the whole student ministry?  In this seminar, we’ll look at what it means to have a healthy parent ministry that equips parents to be the spiritual leaders in their homes and empowers them to be some of your best volunteers.  We’ll also talk about some practical steps you can implement to build a healthy ministry to the parents of teenagers in your church.
LEADER:  Jamie Willis, Lakewood Baptist Church, Gainesville, GA

A Practical Way to Cultivate a Culture of Evangelism
77% of Christians come to know Jesus before the age of 18. Our NextGen ministries are the front lines of the evangelical effort. Now is the time to reach a generation. We all know we’re supposed to be sharing our faith. As leaders, we know it. Our adults and students know it. However, what is a practical way to be intentional with our lives, and how do we teach the next generation to do the same thing? Basically, how do we cultivate a culture of evangelism in our ministries? In this interactive breakout, let’s explore a practical way.
LEADER:  Shane Pruitt, North American Mission Board, Alpharetta, GA

Small Budget, Big Youth Ministry
Using limited resources to make a Maximum impact on the lives of students. 
LEADER:  Josh Meadows, Spring Valley Baptist Church, Springville, AL

Lost Boys?  Becoming a Youth Ministry that Helps Guys Thrive
Look around you. Studies show that young men are falling behind in dozens of cultural metrics. Worse, they’re falling behind in their faith. But this doesn’t have to be the case. This interactive workshop will help equip and empower you to build a youth ministry where your teenage guys aren’t left behind. 
LEADER:  Andy Blanks, YM360, Birmingham, AL

Great Commission Apologetics
How do you teach apologetics? What method should you use? How do you teach apologetics that leads students to have a confident faith? How do you help them use apologetics in evangelism? In this breakout, you will find the answers to these questions to help you lead your students to use apologetics for the Great Commission.
LEADER:  Jason Burnett, Bardwell Baptist Church, Bardwell, KY

Wives’ Breakout Part 2:  Zooming In
Once in a while, we all need to take a step back, rest, refocus and readjust our grip on reality, but then it’s “go time.” Daughters of the Great I AM, we have an eternal Kingdom to advance, and we can’t do that in isolation. Our individual assignments may vary, but the calling is to the same. Simple, but messy, it takes us places we’d rather not be, introduces us to people we’d rather not spend time with, and demands action we’d rather not perform, but that’s where miracles happen.  At the end of ourselves, we’ve nothing but God to offer. Come learn how to recognize opportunity in both the merry and mundane and live a life that echoes into eternity!   
LEADER:  Angela Sanders, AngelaSandersWrites.com, Oklahoma City, OK

TITLE:  Creating a Missions Culture
Whether it is long term, short term, or missional living, the Church is called to be missional with the truth of the Gospel. How do we intentionally develop this mindset in the season of life that students find themselves in that will grow and become vibrant for a lifetime? During our time together, we will discuss practical steps every leader can take to build a culture of missions in your church.
LEADERS:  Terrance Andrews, Westmeade Baptist Church, Decatur, AL

 First Impressions for Students
 Research says that guests decide within the first 7 minutes if they are going to come back to your church or not and we know that students crave community.  As a high school educator and First Impressions Coach, Rebecca has a deep understanding and passion for both of these worlds and is excited to collaborate with you in developing First Impressions as a part of the culture of your student ministry.
LEADERS:  Rebecca Carlisle

Developing Student Leaders
 Every student ministry needs great student leaders. In this session, we will look at ways to reach, equip, walk, and celebrate with students called to lead their peers, who will ultimately lead the church, who will eventually lead the world. We will discuss research, practical tips, and biblical insight to help you think through how you can invest in the leaders you already have and how to develop new ones.
LEADER:  Mac Johnson, Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, TN

Partnering with Parents
Sometimes our student ministries can have a love/hate relationship with parents.  We would love for them to stay out of the way and we hate it when they complain and criticize.  But what if we could actually partner with parents in such a way that it’s a win for everyone: for students, for parents and for the whole student ministry?  In this seminar, we’ll look at what it means to have a healthy parent ministry that equips parents to be the spiritual leaders in their homes and empowers them to be some of your best volunteers.  We’ll also talk about some practical steps you can implement to build a healthy ministry to the parents of teenagers in your church.
LEADER:  Jamie Willis, Lakewood Baptist Church, Gainesville, GA

Counseling Students through Their Struggles
 What is our plan when students share their struggles with us. Learn some counseling techniques to help students through things such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, etc. Take home some tangible strategies that can benefit when helping your students through their struggle.
LEADER:  Michael Bozeman, Pathways Professional Counseling, Birmingham, AL

Female-Led Student Ministry
When God created men and women, He wired them in ways that are different from one another – on purpose and for a purpose. What does it look like to be a leader in ministry while also being a female?
LEADERS:  Rebecca Hastings, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN

Stop Talking at Them:  Strategies for Effectively Teaching Teenager
Discover how to effectively communicate to teenagers through the art of humble Biblical instruction within their cultural context.
LEADER:  Luke Hughes, Midway Church, Villa Rica, GA

Engaging the Culture
Students are bombarded with so many messages from culture that many are looking for answers to difficult questions. How can you lead your students to find answers to these questions? In this breakout, you will get equipped to provide answers to your students’ questions to help them follow Jesus and share their faith.
LEADER:  Jason Burnett, Bardwell Baptist Church, Bardwell, KY

Couples’ Breakout:  Yours + Mine = His
With so many marriages in trouble these days—even in ministerial circles—the temptation to grasp tightly what God has given us, protect it, analyze it, work on it, shine it up, and ration it out according to our own wisdom is strong. Although our intentions are good, we could, like the timid steward, find ourselves on the receiving end of rebuke one day if we aren’t careful. Marriage is a gift from God imagined and instituted for His glory. Come learn how to return to God what He has given you to experience the joy, freedom, confidence, inspiration, and energy that come with investing freely in the eternal!
LEADER:  Todd & Angela Sanders, Falls Creek, Davis, OK/AngelaSandersWrites.com, Oklahoma City, OK

Ministry as the Volunteer
We’ve all heard the saying: “There is no such thing as part-time ministry.” Whether you are a volunteer youth leader or a volunteer in a ministry, that statement rings true. How can a volunteer leader make the best of their circumstances and be most effective in their role? What sort of impact can a youth ministry volunteer have? In this session, we will answer those questions!
LEADER:  Justin Donnahoo, Journey Church, Charleston, SC

Developing and Discipling Internships
We will discuss implementing an internship program and maximizing your time of discipleship with your intern.
LEADER:  Spencer Jones, First Baptist Church, Trussville, AL

Celebrating Redeemed Stories:  Ministering to Single Parent Families
Student Ministry is Family Ministry. Part of our job as student ministers is equipping parents to be the primary disciple-makers in the home. What do you do when divorce and family strife occurs in the home of a student? Learn from a mother-son duo, both in student ministry, on what we learned when brokenness entered our family story. We will share how we responded, what we saw God do in our family, and how you can minister to those with similar stories.
LEADER:  Merrie Johnson and Mac Johnson, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Cary, NC/Brentwood Baptist Church Brentwood, TN

Networking Across State Lines
Have you ever wondered what others are doing in their ministries in other states, or even in other areas of your state? Join us as we seek to have conversations about ministry in different contexts. The goal of this breakout is simply to brainstorm and discuss what has worked, what didn’t work, and what might work in your ministry. Bring your ideas and share them with others on the front lines of student ministry.
LEADER:  Chris Cunningham, Morrison Heights Baptist Church Clinton, MS

Counseling Students through Their Struggles
What is our plan when students share their struggles with us? Learn some counseling techniques to help students through things such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, etc. Take home some tangible strategies that can benefit when helping your students through their struggle.
LEADER:  Michael Bozeman, Pathways Professional Counseling, Birmingham, AL

Female-Led Student Ministry
When God created men and women, He wired them in ways that are different from one another – on purpose and for a purpose. What does it look like to be a leader in ministry while also being a female?
LEADERS:  Rebecca Hastings, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN

Effective Student Ministry in the Rural Church
The rural church setting is truly amazing. Small, intimate, and strong. Churches dot this nation all over the rural countryside. Families are faithful and serve the community in all areas, especially in the church. Students are a huge part of this. We will look at ways we can minister to them effectively and efficiently, even without WiFi!  Ministry may look different out in the country, but nevertheless, it is all about building the Kingdom. 
LEADER:  Nathan Case, Macedonia Baptist Church; Brookhaven, MS

The Digital Church
Technology continues to change the landscape of society, including the Church. Gen Z will have a much different “church” experience than even the generation before them. No technology can replace the importance of gathering physically as the Church. Still, there are many tools that we can utilize to create high-quality, disciple-making digital content for our students.
LEADER:  Matt Keith, Journey Church, Raleigh, NC

Conviction and Compassion in a Confused Culture
Equipping students to balance biblical convictions and Christlike compassion for their LGBT+ neighbors. 
LEADER:  Kevin Hash, Versailles Baptist Church, Versailles, KY