2023 Breakouts
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: Leading Ministry Through the Mess and Stress
DESCRIPTION: Ministry is messy and non-stop. How can a student leader stay healthy in the midst of it? What are the best practices of those who lead well through the chaos? The goal of this session is to leave you feeling inspired and with fresh ideas.
LEADER: Dr. Ben Mandrell, President and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, Nashville, TN
ROOM: 2
TITLE: Mobilize to Keep Them. Develop Your Own Sending Stream.
DESCRIPTION: Teenagers are the most challenging group to want to go and keep 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 off to college? Come learn about what holds them back and how going will make them stay. We will talk about barriers and development of sending streams.
LEADER: Sarah Farley-Beall, Next Gen Mobilization Strategist Southeast & Gulf Coast, International Mission Board, Richmond, VA
ROOM: 7
TITLE: The Ministry of Foster Care and Adoption
DESCRIPTION: The need is great! In 2020, 407,493 children and youth were living in foster care. Kids need safe, loving homes. Broken families need to encounter Jesus. Foster and adoptive families need support. How might God be calling you and your church to be involved?
LEADER: Scooter Kellum, Team Leader of Leader Empowerment and Mobilization, State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, Martinsville, IN and Chelsea Kellum, City View Church, Avon, IN
ROOM: 8
TITLE: Busy Isn’t Working, How to Help Student (Pastors) in a Hustle Obsessed Culture
DESCRIPTION: What is the spiritual rhythm required to rest, serve, teach, and lead a tired, anxious, and apathetic generation? This is a must have conversation for the exhausted youth minister, over-scheduled small group leader, and overextended volunteer. How you lead in this area will define and determine the trajectory and growth of your ministry. How we relate to work, rest, and busyness impacts our home, heart, and witness. Join in with a room full of fellow weary workers and be renewed and restored.
LEADER: Zac Workun, Student Ministry Training Specialist, Lifeway Christian Resources, Nashville, TN
ROOM: 9
TITLE: Special Needs Inclusion in Youth Ministry
DESCRIPTION: This breakout will help you learn ways to navigate special needs and disability inclusion in youth ministry in an already awkward stage of life. Learn strategies for reaching them with the gospel and finding people skilled in the field of special needs to help you facilitate your gospel message to the special needs community without changing anything you are already doing. You will also learn how to provide an inclusive worship experience and create opportunities for teens with disabilities to have a leadership role in youth ministry.
LEADER: Jillian Palmiotto, Executive Director, Together We Care, Acworth, GA
ROOM: 10
TITLE: Stay in the Word: Teaching Teens to Read, Love, and Embrace Scripture in their Lives
DESCRIPTION: If we read scripture to a teen, it may impact them then. Teach a teen scripture, and you will impact a life. Teaching them to mine scriptural nuggets of truth and apply to their lives reaps eternal rewards. Steve Coleman’s a Veteran Youth Pastor with over 40 years of experience with students. His practical teaching, illustrations, and stories will challenge you to raise the bar of scripture in your Youth Ministry and understand better why students need to Stay the Word!
LEADER: Steve Coleman, Minister to Youth & Families, FBC Richmond, KY
ROOM: 11
TITLE: Press Start: Loving and Reaching a Gaming Generation
DESCRIPTION: Every youth group has gamers, but many who love and work with today’s students don’t know how gaming has shaped student culture, how important it is to these students, or how to use it for God’s glory. Join us for a practical session on how to “level up” in reaching a generation connected.
LEADER: Marty Estes, Director of Kids & Student Ministries, Sand Ridge Baptist Church, Lexington, TN
ROOM: 16
TITLE: Creating Tech-Savvy Parents
DESCRIPTION: No issue affects the family like technology. The typical child will spend seven years of their life just looking at social media! Parents feel anxiety from what they can’t control, grieve the content their kids are exposed to and fear what they do not know. Parents are grasping at straws to understand how to navigate this digital playground, create reasonable accountability, and set realistic boundaries with screens. You will leave with practical steps to give to parents of every age so they can win at leading their families.
LEADER: Brian Housman, Creator of 360family.org, Cordova, TN
ROOM: 17
TITLE: Help! I’m a Female in Ministry!
DESCRIPTION: Realizing that God calls all to ministry, some are called to more. However, living in a day where most churches hire men, what are we females to do when God calls us to? I’ve been in ministry full-time for 39 years. Let’s talk about how to serve students as a female in a male-dominated vocation.
LEADER: Merrie Johnson, Senior Youth Ministry Consultant, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Cary, NC
ROOM: 18
TITLE: Secrets to Planning Successful Large Events
DESCRIPTION: Like it or not, events are a big part of youth ministry. In this breakout, we’ll cover the must-haves for effective large events. Whether your large event is for 50-100, several hundred, or a few thousand, this breakout will help set you up for success, so you’re not wasting time and budget.
LEADER: Jody Livingston, Student Pastor, High Desert Church, California
ROOM: 19
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TITLE: Simple Strategies to Reach More Students
DESCRIPTION: Every ministry wants to reach more students, right? But few have put in place the simple strategies & systems needed to do so. In this breakout, we will learn new ways to engage the next generation in a local church setting.
LEADER: Landon Reynolds, Next Gen Pastor, Foothills Church, Maryville, TN
ROOM: 5
TITLE: What is Biblical Sexuality?
DESCRIPTION: This breakout discusses what the Bible says about sex, gender, marriage, and sexuality. How can we trust God’s good design in these areas while engaging a lost and broken world?
LEADER: Dr. Ryan Smith, Lead Pastor, Arrow Heights Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, OK
ROOM: 12
TITLE: The Forgotten Keys to Apologetics
DESCRIPTION: We must help the next generation see that the power and presence of God, along with His authoritative word, are central to defending our faith. This breakout will teach us how to train students in these areas.
LEADER: Larry Davis, Next Generation Pastor, The Journey Church, Lebanon, TN
ROOM: 13
TITLE: Out of Their Minds
DESCRIPTION: Many times, in reference to teenagers, we use the phrase, “They have lost their Minds.” But have they? It is often hard to distinguish between typical mental health growing pains and clinical psychopathology. Teenagers are maturing physically, but they are also changing mentally. So how do we define mentally healthy teenagers? How do we know when to be concerned? How do we know when to refer out to a professional or when to have a conversation with parents? In this breakout, we will define mentally healthy teens. We will look at many mental disorders plaguing our youth today and discuss how to recognize these issues and offer help.
LEADER: Deandra Comer, Director of Women’s and Children’s Ministries, First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC
ROOM: 14
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: 15
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TITLE: New Youth Pastor Lunch and Learn
DESCRIPTION: This exclusive luncheon is only for those who have been in ministry for 3 years or less who have signed up in advance.
LEADER: Steven Coleman
ROOM: 5
TITLE: Marriage Lunch and Learn
DESCRIPTION: This exclusive luncheon is only for couples who have signed up in advance.
LEADER: Levi and Christa Skipper
ROOM: 4
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TITLE: Wives’ Breakout 1
DESCRIPTION: When asked, “How are you?” many respond, “Busy!” or “Tired.” So many needs and good things vie for our time and affection. Let’s spend time together focusing on biblical rest, so our bodies and souls are better positioned for abundance in life and ministry.
LEADER: Chelsea Kellum, City View Church, Avon, IN
ROOM: 2
TITLE: Simple Strategies to Reach More Students
DESCRIPTION: Every ministry wants to reach more students, right? But few have put in place the simple strategies & systems needed to do so. In this breakout, we will learn new ways to engage the next generation in a local church setting.
LEADER: Landon Reynolds, Next Gen Pastor, Foothills Church, Maryville, TN
ROOM: 5
TITLE: Creating a Culture of Disciplemaking in Student Ministry
DESCRIPTION: What does a healthy student ministry look like? As youth pastors, we need to be asking that question about the students we are called to shepherd. The reason is because student ministry has changed drastically. What “worked” 10 years ago doesn’t “work” anymore, and while ministry may look different, the mission is the same. We are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations. In this breakout – we’ll look into the changing landscape of student ministry and how to create a culture of equipping and raising students to become disciple-makers.
LEADER: Logan Grantham, Student Pastor, Johnson Ferry Baptist, Marietta, GA
ROOM: 7
TITLE: Getting Better at Youth Ministry Organization and Administration
DESCRIPTION: Hear from two self-proclaimed administrative nerds on how you can better stay organized, be productive, and avoid last-minute stress. We’ll discuss email, to-do lists, event planning, calendar planning, and more.
LEADER: Chris Trent, Next Gen Catalyst, Georgia Baptist Mission Board, Duluth, GA, and Matt Flanigan, Children & Student Ministry Consultant, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisville, KY
ROOM: 8
TITLE: Helping Middle Schoolers Thrive in a Small/Mid-Sized Church Setting
DESCRIPTION: Middle Schoolers! They’re those really small, short kids in your youth group that make you scratch your head. But, no matter how big or small your youth group is, middle school students play a huge role in your ministry. So, lean into their limitless energy and fun, and let’s talk about some practical steps to help middle schoolers thrive in your ministry.
LEADER: Chris Hargrove, Middle School Pastor, Lakewood Baptist, Gainesville, GA
ROOM: 9
TITLE: Avoiding Ministry Failure and Shame
DESCRIPTION: God cares about our lives and leadership. Our words and actions matter. Hear a testimony of God’s grace and how to avoid failure and shame in ministry.
LEADER: Blake Appleby, Student Minister, FBC Fisherville, TN
ROOM: 10
TITLE: Gender Theory: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?
DESCRIPTION: An overview of current Gender Theory as expressed by progressive gender ideologies in culture and education, a Biblical critique of those ideologies, and how the church is uniquely positioned to address the coming fallout of Gender Theory and its advocates with truth and hope.
LEADER: Dr. Ryan Smith, Lead Pastor, Arrow Heights Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, OK
ROOM: 12
TITLE: The Exclusive Christ in an Inclusive World
DESCRIPTION: Christianity is exclusive because there is only one true God and if He has not made a place for other gods to be superior, neither should we. In this breakout, we will learn how to train students to defend this claim in a Christ-honoring way.
LEADER: Larry Davis, Next Generation Pastor, The Journey Church, Lebanon, TN
ROOM: 13
TITLE: Retrain Your Brain
DESCRIPTION: Teenagers today are facing so many pressures and stressors that are causing deep mental health struggles. Perfectionism, social anxieties, social media, and peer relationships are just a few factors that are contributing to plaguing our teens with mental disorders. Anxiety and depression are also rampant among teens today. These two mental health plagues begin in our thoughts. Often, our thoughts are rooted in lies, and these lies begin a spiral that quickly leads us into a bottomless pit. Once we fall into the pit of anxiety and depression, it can be hard to get out. What are the risk factors to look for? What signs show are our teens struggling, and how can we help? This breakout will look deeply into anxiety and depression in teenagers, build awareness, and give student pastors tools for helping their teens retrain their brains.
LEADER: Deandra Comer, Director of Women’s and Children’s Ministries, First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC
ROOM: 14
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: 15
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TITLE: Wives’ Breakout 2
DESCRIPTION: Mother Goose tells nursery rhymes. Sister Schubert bakes rolls. What does a youth ministry wife do? (Hint: there is no one right mold for you.) Let’s enjoy fellowship and discuss all the many ways God may work in and through you.
LEADER: Chelsea Kellum, City View Church, Avon, IN
ROOM: 2
TITLE: The Student Pastor and the Senior Pastor
DESCRIPTION: How can the student pastor and senior pastor not only get along but thrive working together in ministry? Come learn how to function and work together as a team.
LEADER: Terrance Andrews and Justin McAlpin, Student Pastor and Senior Pastor, Westmeade Baptist Church, Decatur, AL
ROOM: 5
TITLE: Next Generation Leadership
DESCRIPTION: The days are fleeting of the hero solo youth pastor. Many student pastors see their roles expand to encompass all Next Generation ministries in the church. With ministry to families growing as a priority, we should aim to build better partnerships with parents and equip leaders to be better disciple-makers. This breakout will help leaders make that transition and show you why it’s essential not to ignore the importance of kid’s ministry in the church and how to effectively build a team to focus on equipping families.
LEADER: Patrick Gillen, Executive Pastor of Family Ministries, First Baptist Church Simpsonville, SC
ROOM: 7
TITLE: Getting Better at Youth Ministry Organization and Administration
DESCRIPTION: Hear from two self-proclaimed administrative nerds on how you can better stay organized, be productive, and avoid last-minute stress. We’ll discuss email, to-do lists, event planning, calendar planning, and more.
LEADER: Chris Trent, Next Gen Catalyst, Georgia Baptist Mission Board, Duluth, GA, and Matt Flanigan, Children & Student Ministry Consultant, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisville, KY
ROOM: 8
TITLE: Helping Middle Schoolers Thrive in a Small/Mid-Sized Church Setting
DESCRIPTION: Middle Schoolers! They’re those really small, short kids in your youth group that make you scratch your head. But, no matter how big or small your youth group is, middle school students play a huge role in your ministry. So, lean into their limitless energy and fun, and let’s talk about some practical steps to help middle schoolers thrive in your ministry.
LEADER: Chris Hargrove, Middle School Pastor, Lakewood Baptist, Gainesville, GA
ROOM: 9
TITLE: Bi-vocational/Volunteer-Led Student Ministry
DESCRIPTION: Bi-vocational and volunteer student ministers in smaller churches often face the same issues that others face in larger, full-time settings. These issues are often magnified because of a lack of resources and volunteers. Added to this is balancing a full-time job and family while battling the stigma that you may not be as educated or committed as a full-time ministry professional. We will offer encouragement and discuss practical ways you and your church’s ministry can thrive and grow.
LEADER: Nathan Case, Pastor, New Prospect Baptist, Brookhaven, MS
ROOM: 10
TITLE: Students Reaching Students
DESCRIPTION: Don’t teach students to go out of their way to witness; instead, teach them to make witnessing their way by assessing rhythms, hobbies, and relationships.
LEADER: Dr. Greg Wilton, Assistant Professor of Missions and Evangelism, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA
ROOM: 12
TITLE: Creating Tech-Savvy Parents
DESCRIPTION: No issue affects the family like technology. The typical child will spend seven years of their life just looking at social media! Parents feel anxiety from what they can’t control, grieve the content their kids are exposed to, and fear what they do not know. Parents are grasping at straws to understand how to navigate this digital playground, create reasonable accountability, and set realistic boundaries with screens. You will leave with practical steps to give to parents of every age so they can win at leading their families.
LEADER: Brian Housman, Creator of 360family.org, Cordova, TN
ROOM: 13
TITLE: Building and Training a Strong Volunteer Team
DESCRIPTION: How do we identify, recruit, and train volunteers to get on the same page to lead a gospel-centered youth ministry…together?
LEADER: Dr. Mike McGarry, Founder, Youth Pastor Theologian
ROOM: 14
TITLE: Essentials for Large Church Ministry
DESCRIPTION: Maybe you’re in a large church context now or hope to be one day. Either way, this breakout will cover the skills and “must haves” that you can begin to put into practice today for successful youth ministry in a large church.
LEADER: Jody Livingston, Student Pastor, High Desert Church, California
ROOM: 15
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TITLE: Thriving Not Surviving: Can Your Marriage and Ministry Thrive or Do You Have to Choose?
DESCRIPTION: Often in ministry, we have to choose between our marriage and our ministry. What if I told you that both can thrive? Come find out some practical ways to make this happen in your life!
LEADER: Scooter Kellum, Team Leader for Leader Empowerment and Mobilization, State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, Martinsville, IN, Chelsea Kellum, City View Church, Avon, IN
ROOM: 2
TITLE: Persuading with Integrity: How to Expound the Bible and Exhort Students to Respond
DESCRIPTION: This breakout will explore the responsibility ministry leaders have to not only preach God’s Word to students, but also to call on them to respond to it. The content will include practical helps for preparing and delivering persuasive messages that expound God’s truth, exhort students to render a verdict on hit, and give them ways to express their responses.
LEADER: Dr. Jim Shaddix, Professor of Expository Preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
ROOM: 5
TITLE: Catalyzing Your Youth Ministry for Change
DESCRIPTION: The current landscape remains full of youth ministries struggling for direction and growth after COVID. Many youth leaders started working or volunteering to make a difference in lives but find themselves managing programs and responding to complaints. Come learn real tools in this breakout to help you create or renew a model that God will use to rekindle your heart to reach and disciple the lost and those currently in your ministry. So let’s get on mission together!
LEADER: Terry Long, Revitalization Strategist, North Carolina Baptist Convention
ROOM: 7
TITLE: Missions Discipleship: Beyond the One-Week Trip
DESCRIPTION: Make missions come alive for your students as you empower them to fulfill the Great Commission daily in their community. Be equipped with project ideas and scriptural insights to help your youth group share Jesus.
LEADER: Heather Keller & Jon Jeffries, Consultants, Women’s Missionary Union, Birmingham, AL
ROOM: 8
TITLE: Emotionally Healthy Leadership
DESCRIPTION: Ministry is filled with challenges, but none as significant as the ones that arise from within us. In this session, we will identify what it means to be emotionally healthy and tackle the challenges of being emotionally healthy as we lead others.
LEADER: Dr. Tate Cockrell, Associate Professor of Counseling, Director of DMin and EdD Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
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: Josh Meadows, Family Life Pastor, Spring Valley Baptist Church, Springville, AL
ROOM: 10
TITLE: Every Head Bowed, Every Eye Closed…
DESCRIPTION: These, or similar words, are familiar words in church life. When those words are spoken, most know what is approaching: A response time, an invitation, or an altar call. What does your Gospel invitation look like? Do you offer one? Does every service demand a response time? In this breakout, we will discuss developing and facilitating an effective response time as an essential component in ministry.
LEADER: Jason McGuffie, Calhoun Campus and Multiplication Pastor, First West Baptist Church, West Monroe, LA
ROOM: 16
TITLE: Abuse and Our Response
DESCRIPTION: Student ministry has made headlines through local and national media outlets for adult church leader misconduct with minors over the years. We must lead well in protecting students from harm from adults and peers. We will explore preventive steps for preventing abuse and discuss how to respond when abuse does occur.
LEADER: Dr. Jody Dean, Associate Professor of Christian Education, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA
ROOM: 17
TITLE: Next Gen Discipleship: Birth to Young Adults
DESCRIPTION: In this breakout, we will discuss the value of a Next Gen Discipleship strategy which encompasses birth to young adult discipleship. We will brainstorm benchmarks for a maturing disciple, look at the importance of collaboration and communication between leaders, and discuss the critical elements of strategy.
LEADER: Dr. Dwayne Parker, Director of Discipleship, Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, Jackson, MS
ROOM: 18
TITLE: Youth Ministry as a Bridge Between Church and Home
DESCRIPTION: Most youth workers know they should prioritize a partnership with parents. This session will discuss what that realistically looks like and where we can begin.
LEADER: Dr. Mike McGarry, Founder, Youth Pastor Theologian
ROOM: 19