The Youth Ministry Academy provides high quality instruction from youth ministers and other experts in their profession. This event is intended to create an intimate learning atmosphere where participants will know the workshop leaders. Choose from a wide array of workshops to meet your particular needs and experience in youth ministry.
Right Relationships: Boundaries for Youth, Parents and Leaders
Relationships with young people lay the foundation for an effective youth ministry program. If those relationships are not appropriate and healthy, though, lives of young people can be hurt, careers of youth ministers can be destroyed, and whole churches can be devastated. This workshop explores the subtleties and dynamics of common unhealthy roles and relationships youth ministers often develop with young people and then presents a model to keep the roles and relationships ‘right’ so young people are empowered to be disciples, ministries are flourishing and churches are growing.
Friday 1:00 & 3:00, Saturday 1:15 & 12:30
Dr. Dana A. Max, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist, practicing psychotherapy since 1987. He has worked on staff at the University of Denver, Iliff School of Theology and Denver Seminary. Dr. Max has worked extensively with young people in the church and was a youth minister for over 20 years. He still speaks to young people at retreats and special gatherings and helps train youth leaders around the country and internationally.
The Ask That Lasts: Maintaining Volunteers
Volunteers can be the key to a ministry’s success. Having the right people in the right seats on the bus can make all the difference. Learn how to identify, recruit, train and maintain volunteers that will catapult your ministry.
Thursday 1:00, Friday 1:00, Saturday 1:45 & 3:00
Jeff Dunn-Rankin has been a Director of Youth Ministry since 1998. He is a national consultant with Ministry Architects and is a frequent speaker at events from the Group/Simply Convention to KidMin. Jeff is a regular columnist for Group Magazine and has co-authored two books, Before You Hire a Youth Pastor and The Indispensable Youth Pastor.
Get It Together: Organizing for Success
Have you been told you’re not very organized? Do calendars and check lists seem confusing and unhelpful? Learn strategies that work unique to your own personality temperament. Organization may not be such a bad word after this course.
Thursday 3:00, Saturday 10:15 & 12:30
Jane Cole is a Certified Professional Organizer® and is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the Institute for Challenging Organization. She has worked as a Professional Organizer in the Orlando area since 1998, teaching her clients how to clean out, pare down, get organized, and to be good stewards of their things. Jane volunteers in the youth group where her two children were active. She teaches Organizing for Success for the Youth Ministry Institute and is the former chair of the YMI board of directors.
Where Do I Start: Beginning Strategies
Are you starting with no youth, no budget and expected to disciple and grow the youth ministry? Seems impossible. But when God calls you, anything is possible. Come learn some easy strategies pertaining to publicity, follow up, programs and fund raising that will attract youth. These practical strategies will encourage youth to want to come and learn about Jesus by building trust in your church and community.
Thursday 10:00 & 3:00, Saturday 8:45, 10:15 & 12:30
Danielle Upton has been serving in ministry for seven years. She began her journey as a youth pastor at First United Methodist Church of Frostproof. During this time she began seminary and the Youth Ministry Institute. As a student of both Danielle learned practical skills for caring for a church family and serving in youth ministry. It was these skill that enabled Danielle to build the youth group in Frostproof from the ground up. Starting with practically zero kids, the church’s programs grew to minister to nearly 25 youth and children on a weekly basis. After graduating from YMI in 2009 and serving in this capacity for two years Danielle’s was appointed as the lead pastor at First United Methodist Church in Wauchula. She has been working in ministry there for five years and experiences God’s calling coming to life every day. Danielle Graduated with her Masters of Divinity in 2012 and continues to pursue her Masters of Arts in Counseling at Asbury Theological Seminary. She has been married to her supportive and loving husband, Stuart for four years. The two welcomed their first child, Ian David into the world on October 31st, 2013. Uhhh Ohhhh, a preacher’s kid and a Halloween baby! Please pray for them as Ian approaches his teen years!
Born to… Understanding Personality Temperaments
Youth ministers are either losing their minds or all youth student seem to be suffering from bipolar disorder; I’d like to bet on the latter. This workshop will help youth ministers understand the different personalities of their youth and help them better handle their students in this age of discovery.
Thursday 10:00, Friday 3:00, Saturday 8:45 & 1:45
Suzette Dohany earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Acting and a Masters in Science in Interpersonal Communications from Florida State University. She has been teaching at Valencia Community College since 1993. Her areas of specialty include Speech, Student Success, Cross Cultural Communications and Student Leadership. She is a certified True Colors Consultant.
Epic Fail of Biblical Proportions: Major Themes of the Bible
The Bible is full of it of information, all of it relevant, but how you get through it all. This workshop will help you understand the Major Themes the scriptures emphasize making the complex Bible all the more navigable.
Thursday 1:00
Brian Russell is professor of Biblical Studies and Dean at Asbury Seminary (Orlando Campus). He has taught at the seminary since 2000 and is the recipient of the 2004-2005 Award for Teaching and Learning. Brian is a consultant and speaker on the missional interpretation of Scripture and creating a missional ethos in communities of faith.
Kids Gone Crazy: Understanding Adolescent Development
An adolescent’s sense of themselves and their future expectations and aspirations can be complicated by a whole list of influences – from relationships to the media to social class to gender norms. Learning the different stages and, more importantly, what to expect during each stage of a teen’s physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development, is pivotal to partnering with parents to effectively reach, teach and motivate students.
Thursday 1:00, Saturday 8:45 & 10:15
Jeff Baxter is a Staff Consultant for Ministry Architects. He holds advanced ministry degrees in pastoral leadership as well as youth and family ministry. With over 18 years of youth and family ministry experience, Jeff has served on staff at churches of various denominations and attendance levels. Having written two books, The Ultimate Guide to Being a Christian in College: Don’t Forget to Pack Your Faith, and Together: Adults and Teenagers Transforming the Church, Jeff frequently speaks at churches, camps, and national conferences.
Let’s Go! Planning Retreats and Trips
Great spiritual growth takes place when youth can get away from their every day routine. Where do you go? What do you do? Come and find out the best strategies for making a trip or retreat a life changing experience.
Friday 9:00
Dave Sippel brings 20 years of experience with local church youth ministry as well as involvement with other areas such as summer camps and college ministry. Dave has served as a denominational youth ministry resource. He has been on the youth ministry staff at three of the largest United Methodist churches in Florida. Dave is a popular speaker at summer camps as well as youth retreats and missions trips. He is a Vice President with Ministry Architects in Nashville providing ministry assessment, strategic vision and program curriculum for churches. He has consulted with churches from 27 different states representing 10 different denominations. His work has included supporting churches in the United States, Canada, Northern Ireland and the Philippines. Dave is a great lover of the outdoors, especially bass fishing, backpacking, canoeing and snorkeling. A graduate of Asbury University, Dave, his wife Teresa, and their two sons, live in Lakeland, Florida.
Money Matters? Fundraising and Budgeting
This workshop explores fundraising in a different way and what happens when the focus becomes less about the money and more about the people and the benefits. This workshop concentrates on the practical aspects of marketing, budgeting and fundraising with young people, their parents and congregations. During the workshop we will share marketing and budgeting tips as well as ideas for great fundraising activities. Participants are encouraged to bringing some of their best and worst experiences to share.
Thursday 10:00
Frances Schults found in her years of youth ministry experience that when she stopped focusing on the money part of fundraising and started paying attention to the other benefits of the activity that the end result produced not only the funds needed, but even greater rewards. She was the full time Director of Youth & Families Ministries at Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Jacksonville FL from 2002 to 2011 and has also served as Lay Director of Happening in the Episcopal Diocese of FL. She currently serves on the Vestry of her church and is a private business owner.
Where Are We Going? Visioning and Planning for Success
Imagine this — your pastor, volunteers, parents, youth and the sweet lady who always sits in the third pew are all standing around the perimeter of a football field with their arms fixed as goalposts. Each one has a couple of ideas to “make the youth ministry better”. As you stand in the middle of the field about to kick for the field goal — where do you aim? This workshop is designed to help you choose the goals that will land your ministry in a place everyone is eager to celebrate. It’s all in the system.
Saturday 1:45 & 3:00
Missy Carfield is a national consultant with Ministry Architects and is dedicated to equipping youth workers with tools that will help them stay the course in ministry. She has been pouring into the lives of young people and their families through the local church since 1994. While an experienced speaker at camps and conferences, including NYWC (National Youth Workers Convention), her deepest passion is satisfied seeing youth, volunteers and families connected to Christ, the church and the world.
Just Do It: How To Be an Effective Volunteer
Moving from a good chaperone to an amazing youth volunteer. How can you be effective at working with youth when you are “just a volunteer”? God calls each of us to poor our lives into our children. This workshop will be full of great advice, great conversation, and best practices on how to make an life changing impact in your youth ministry.
Saturday 8:45 & 12:30 (2 hours each)
Bob Blagg is responsible for encouraging, directing, counseling and guiding the youth in their Spiritual growth at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church in Tampa, FL. Bob is a graduate of the Youth Ministry Institute. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Jennifer for over 20 years. They have three wonderful children: Zach, Emily and Annie. Jenn and Bob have been members of Lake Magdalene UMC since 1993.
Deeper Discipleship: How to Lead a Small Group
Know, understand and be able to articulate how small groups can be an agent of transformation in your ministry. Everyone can advertise a group meeting time and sit there waiting for students to show up. Once they do though, what do you do before, during and after your time together to encourage deeper discipleship? Gain practical tools to help you create a plan for small groups and be able to articulate to your students, parents and church at large.
Saturday 8:45, 10:15 & 12:30
John Barolo has served on staff at Hyde Park United Methodist for nine years as the Dir. of Adult Education. He works with a volunteer team to equip leaders of over fifty groups and classes, has helped coordinate three church-wide study campaigns and is a champion of good communication. For five years prior to working with adults, John worked in Youth Ministry at two United Methodist churches in Tampa and Nashville. John has attended multiple Youth Specialties’ national conferences, Group Publishing’s Equipping Institute, the Leadership Institute at Church of the Resurrection and the Center for Church Communication’s Certification Lab.
The Theology of Fun: Back Pocket Games
How does a good game create authentic Christian community? There are many that do. Come and learn the dos and don’ts of playing games with youth. Discover a deeper meaning behind the games you might choose to play.
Saturday 8:45 & 10:15
Britt Holdren has been working in youth ministry for more than ten years. He got his start as a volunteer in his own youth group in North Carolina and continued at college in Georgia where he studied youth ministry and camping ministry, earning a youth ministry degree in 2006. Since then he has worked at two other churches in Florida and spent some time working with the Warren Willis camp doing some off-season recreation and ropes course leading.
How Are the Children? Helping Parents Translate Faith at Home
Talking about faith with our children is tough – and as a result, most of us just don’t. Part of it is that God exceeds human language. Part of it is that Christian God-talk has often hurt people as much as helped them. And part of it–maybe most of it–is that we simply don’t have the vaguest idea how to communicate God’s grace with our children in a way that feels honest to where we adults are spiritually. This workshop keys off of findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion and explores 6 concrete steps that youth leaders can use to help parents start to give young people a vocabulary for faith
Friday 1:00
Kenda Creasy Dean is our keynote speaker. She is an ordained United Methodist pastor in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference and Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she works closely with the Institute for Youth Ministry. She also currently serves as the coordinating pastor of Kingston United Methodist Church in Kingston, NJ, supervising the student interns there. She has authored numerous books on youth and the church, including The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry with Ron Foster, Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church, and The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry with Andrew Root.
Know the Native Language: Exploring Youth Culture
It is not unlike exploring the habitat of animals living in the Amazon rain forest. Youth culture can seem foreign to us. It can be confusing. Sometimes we overlay our own experience as a youth onto the culture of youth today and it doesn’t work. Become familiar with the particular people you are working with and the influences that drive them.
Saturday 1:45 & 3:00
Joel Lusz graduated from Taylor University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and theatre arts in 1981 where he also played basketball for the Trojans. He received his Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1990. He has worked in youth and family ministry in the local church since 1981 serving currently at Suntree United Methodist Church in Melbourne, Florida. He is a certified trainer of trainers with HomeWord. Joel has authored and contributed to over eight books and multiple articles appearing in respected youth ministry publications. He has been a mainstay presenter at the Youth Specialties National Youth Worker Convention since 1996. His expertise has been shared with youth ministers at nearly a dozen other national conferences. Joel is the founder and President of GoYouthMinistry.com LLC, a ministry that provides churches and youth ministers with video, multimedia, DVD, CD, speaking, bible study, message and book resources. He coaches and teaches Technology for the Youth Ministry Institute.
Kids Gone Crazy: Understanding Adolescent Development
An adolescent’s sense of themselves and their future expectations and aspirations can be complicated by a whole list of influences – from relationships to the media to social class to gender norms. Learning the different stages and, more importantly, what to expect during each stage of a teen’s physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development, is pivotal to partnering with parents to effectively reach, teach and motivate students.
Thursday 1:00, Saturday 8:45 & 10:15
Jeff Baxter is a Staff Consultant for Ministry Architects. He holds advanced ministry degrees in pastoral leadership as well as youth and family ministry. With over 18 years of youth and family ministry experience, Jeff has served on staff at churches of various denominations and attendance levels. Having written two books, The Ultimate Guide to Being a Christian in College: Don’t Forget to Pack Your Faith, and Together: Adults and Teenagers Transforming the Church, Jeff frequently speaks at churches, camps, and national conferences.
@Home @School @Church: Understanding Social Media
Social media has expanded well beyond the walls of Facebook and in order to effectively engage youth you need to be looking at Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and more. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to consume all of your time and energy. This workshop will help you understand the social landscape.
Thursday 10:00, Friday 3:00, Saturday 8:45 & 10:15
Justin Cox has worked in youth ministry at First United Methodist Church of Orlando since 2005. He has been designing and coding websites since the late 90’s and can be found on just about every social media platform @JustinCox. His youth ministry communications plans are constantly evolving. He lives in Orlando with his wife, Carla, and their dog, Mac.
Let’s Go! Planning Retreats and Trips
Great spiritual growth takes place when youth can get away from their every day routine. Where do you go? What do you do? Come and find out the best strategies for making a trip or retreat a life changing experience.
Friday 9:00
Dave Sippel brings 20 years of experience with local church youth ministry as well as involvement with other areas such as summer camps and college ministry. Dave has served as a denominational youth ministry resource. He has been on the youth ministry staff at three of the largest United Methodist churches in Florida. Dave is a popular speaker at summer camps as well as youth retreats and missions trips. He is a Vice President with Ministry Architects in Nashville providing ministry assessment, strategic vision and program curriculum for churches. He has consulted with churches from 27 different states representing 10 different denominations. His work has included supporting churches in the United States, Canada, Northern Ireland and the Philippines. Dave is a great lover of the outdoors, especially bass fishing, backpacking, canoeing and snorkeling. A graduate of Asbury University, Dave, his wife Teresa, and their two sons, live in Lakeland, Florida.
Girl Talk God Talk: Teen Girls and Spirituality
This workshop will take an in depth look at teenage girls and their spirituality. Participants will come away with practical methods and insight as to what is most important to girls as they grow in understanding their faith.
Friday 9:00
Joyce Mercer is currently the Arthur Lee Kinsolving Professor in Pastoral Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary, an Episcopal seminary in Alexandria, VA. She completed her Ph.D. at Emory University in 1997, focusing on issues of faith, gender, and violence in the lives of adolescent girls. She previously earned a D.Min. at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago; the Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut; the M.Div. from Yale Divinity School; and a B.A. in religious studies from the University of Virginia.
Before joining the faculty at VTS, she served on faculties at San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union, and at Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines. She is the author of Welcoming Children: A Practical Theology of Childhood (Chalice Press, 2005), Lives to Offer: Accompanying Youth on Their Vocational Quests (co-authored with Dori Grinenko Baker, Pilgrim Press, 2007), and most recently, Girl Talk, God Talk: Why Faith Matters to Teenage Girls—and Their Parents (Jossey Bass, 2008).
Professor Mercer serves on the editorial boards of the journals Religious Education andTheological Education. She serves on the executive committee of the Association of Practical Theology, and the steering committee of the Practical Theology Group in the American Academy of Religion. She is also a member of the International Academy of Practical Theology.
Raising Good Parents: Ministering to Parents of Youth
Workshop attendees will be encouraged and inspired to place proper priority in their personal and ministry life in the area of family and marriage; keeping family at the forefront of ministry. Proper alignment in their personal life, complete integrity in their marriage covenant and responsibility at home is the model to having a family based student ministry. This is the most effective core value in reaching and developing student disciples.
Thursday 1:00, Saturday 12:30, 1:45 & 3:00
Brody Howell is the president and founder of Core Solutions for Family Life. He is a consultant and speaker for non-profit ministries with marriage and families as the core value of its mission. Brody has been a family and youth pastor for over 15 years in South Florida. He understands the urgency and challenges in reaching the 21st century family. A father of two teenage boys and two elementary school daughters, he is passionate about youth and children.
The Theology of Fun: Back Pocket Games
How does a good game create authentic Christian community? There are many that do. Come and learn the dos and don’ts of playing games with youth. Discover a deeper meaning behind the games you might choose to play.
Saturday 8:45 & 10:15
Britt Holdren has been working in youth ministry for more than ten years. He got his start as a volunteer in his own youth group in North Carolina and continued at college in Georgia where he studied youth ministry and camping ministry, earning a youth ministry degree in 2006. Since then he has worked at two other churches in Florida and spent some time working with the Warren Willis camp doing some off-season recreation and ropes course leading.
Epic Church: Adolescent Faith and What Churches Can Do about It
Game scientist Jane McGonigal argues that young people steeped in video culture become virtuosos of hope—in ways the world desperately needs. Why are young people more likely to find hope in a video game than in the church? Ten years after the first wave of results from the ongoing National Study of Youth and Religion, we have some clues—and some possibilities for moving forward.
Saturday 12:30 & 1:45
Kenda Creasy Dean is our keynote speaker. She is is an ordained United Methodist pastor in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference and Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she works closely with the Institute for Youth Ministry. She also currently serves as the coordinating pastor of Kingston United Methodist Church in Kingston, NJ, supervising the student interns there. She has authored numerous books on youth and the church, including The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry with Ron Foster, Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church, and The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry with Andrew Root.
Dealing with Darkness: Teens in Crisis
Youth work in general – and crisis work in particular – takes us places we’d never thought we’d go to help people we never expected to meet with problems we’d rather not know about. Learn practical steps that you can take to respond effectively to teens in crisis.
Thursday 1:00
Bryce Hegadorn, Ph.D, LMHC, NCC, QCSFL-MH holds degrees in Counseling and Counselor Education. Throughout his career, he has specialized in a broad range of therapeutic issues and worked in a variety of settings from private practice to inpatient hospitals. Currently Dr. Hegadorn provides counseling services at a faith-based center in Orlando, Florida and is the Director of the Counselor Education Program at the University of Central Florida.
Love Matters: Teens and Sexual Identity
Teens are at an extremely formative time in their lives. On a daily basis they face pressures of many kinds. They are also maneuvering through a discovery process of who they are and what defines them. This workshop will dive into their understanding of sexual identity as it pertains to their lives and to the lives, their culture, and their peer groups.
Friday 9:00
Vance Rains is the pastor of the Wesley Foundation at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College: United Methodist Campus Ministry. His passion is ministry with young people, and his vision is to see today’s college students become the leaders of widespread renewal in the United Methodist Church and beyond. Vance majored in Public Speaking and Communication at the University of Central Florida, a Masters of Divinity at Duke Divinity School, and Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and Church Leadership at Asbury Theological Seminary. His doctoral dissertation focused on creating culturally indigenous worship for Generation X. Vance will begin a new journey in July as the Senior Pastor at Ortega United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, FL.
More Than Mean: Bully Prevention
Youth can be down right mean! Come and strategize with others on how we can turn mean girls and male bullies into mentors in your ministry.
Thursday 3:00
Kirsten Jones is a Youth Ministry graduate from Asbury University and began working in youth ministry in 2000. She’s a PK (preacher’s kid) and grew up very involved in the life of the church. She currently serves at Pasadena Community United Methodist Church. Kirsten also graduated from YMI class of 2007. She has spent the last several years as a verbatim coach for YMI.
Special Means Special: Ministering to Kids with Disabilities
Our world is filled with the blessing diversity. Among this diversity is a group of individuals who have special needs. These beautiful people often require a unique skill set to help them navigate our world and our youth ministries. This workshop will address these skills and outline best practices for working with individuals with special needs.
Saturday 12:30
Molly McEntire serves as the Associate Director of Children’s Ministries at First UMC in Lakeland, FL. The daughter of a pastor, Molly has grown up in the church and has been a part of ministry her entire life. Molly has a passion for the people of Africa and has spent a considerable amount of time there. Molly has worked with special needs children, youth, and adults for a large part of her career.
Epic Fail of Biblical Proportions: Major Themes of the Bible
The Bible is full of it of information, all of it relevant, but how you get through it all. This workshop will help you understand the Major Themes the scriptures emphasize making the complex Bible all the more navigable.
Thursday 1:00
Brian Russell is professor of Biblical Studies and Dean at Asbury Seminary (Orlando Campus). He has taught at the seminary since 2000 and is the recipient of the 2004-2005 Award for Teaching and Learning. Brian is a consultant and speaker on the missional interpretation of Scripture and creating a missional ethos in communities of faith.
Breaking the Stained Glass: Teaching the Bible to Youth
It’s hard enough to teach the Pythagorean Theorem or the theory of relativity to youth. Imagine having to teach students the essence of life or the character of God; now that’s just insane. This workshop will teach youth the fundamentals of teaching the fundamentals of the Bible to the youth in your ministry.
Friday 9:00
Kim Koi has spent over a decade working as the Director of Central Florida’s division of Inter-varsity Christian fellowship/USA. Through her organization she has worked with thousands of students and faculty on more than 560 college and university campuses nation wide to establish and advance witnessing communities of students and faculty for the purpose of spreading Gods word and Love. Kim is passionate about about bringing people together, and spreading the word of God to students.
The New Disciples: Leading Students to Live the Gospel
Do you long for the day that your students rise up and influence others for Christ? Join us as we learn how to equip middle and high school students with tools they can use to build a student-initiated, student-led Christian club on their campus.
Friday 1:00
Chris Lane is founder and president of First Priority, a middle and high school campus outreach ministry that enables local churches to support their students and help them create an environment to share the gospel with their friends. Chris served as a youth pastor for 15 years.
It says what? Obscure but Relevant Bible Stories
The bible is chock full of stories. Do you think you’ve heard every one? Your teens might think they have! Come to this workshop to learn what the bible REALLY says through these wild stories, and how to use them to spark teen’s interest in the bible.
Friday 3:00, Saturday 8:45 & 12:30
Andrew Miller is the director of high school ministries at St. Lukes United Methodist Church. Andrew is in charge of the weekly programming for high school ministries. Andrew works with the high school praise band and he likes to create hands-on Bible studies like Surfing the Nation. Andrew received his Masters of Divinity Degree from Candler School of Theology.
Assertive or Bossy? How Gender Shapes Our Leadership
Our gender not only shapes who we are but it also shapes who others view us as. This workshop hopes to lead us in a realistic discussion of how our gender affects our ministry, identifying not only pitfalls and obstacles, but also highlighting the powerful influence we have in shaping the minds of our youth.
Friday 3:00
Rachel DeLaune serves as the Associate Pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Ft. Clarke, FL. She pursued a Music Education Bachelors degree from Florida Southern College and worked in the Children’s Outreach program at FUMC of Lakeland. She spent her college summers working at the Warren Willis United Methodist Camp and serving as a youth pastor. Rachel received her Masters of Divinity at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta Georgia. It is here that she met the love of her life Ryan. Rachel is passionate about the Kingdom of God and how that looks for those not only here in America, but all over the world and throughout God’s creation.
Ryan DeLaune is the Associate Director at Gator Wesley (United Methodist College Ministry) at the University of Florida. Ryan grew up in the United Methodist Church and attributes his foundation as a Christian to the youth group that his parents dragged him to. Ryan graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion. He then served as a full-time youth director for two years in Atlanta, Georgia while preparing for seminary. Ryan met Rachel the year before he started seminary where he tricked her into a first date and has been in love ever since. Ryan has a passion for music, mission work, and reaching out to those in need.
Loving When Its Tough: Lead Like Jesus
We’ve all had complicated relationships with youth, parents, volunteers and staff. Come learn how Jesus the loved the most difficult people and how you might do the same.
Friday 3:00
Sherrie Leatherwood has transitioned into a new role, Care Ministries Director, at Van Dyke Church. Walking people through their most sacred spaces has become a daily endeavor. Creating mosaics have become her hobby as she surrenders the broken pieces of her own life to God, watching Him take the broken pieces to create a beautiful display of His grace. The Student Ministry of FUMC Missouri City, Texas, transformed Sherrie’s life at the age of 17. She lives intentionally to do the same for others ever since. With a degree in Christian Education, many years of experience, plus a desire to stay cutting edge, she has passion to provide compassionate leadership in the local church. Sherrie eagerly served as the Director of Middle School Ministry, Van Dyke Church, Lutz, FL. for over 15 years.
Surviving Monday Morning: Staff Relationships and Church Politics
Staff relationships and church politics can drive you crazy. Working with people in general brings about a list of issues that can either wear you down or build you up. This workshop jumps right in with fun ideas to bring to your staff, and practical ways to navigate the politics of your church environment. How can you be a blessing to those you work with?
Friday 1:00, Saturday 1:45 & 3:00
Bill Fisackerly is the Senior Pastor at Gulf Cove United Methodist Church in Port Charlotte, FL. He has dedicated his life to helping others come to know Christ. Bill loves finding new ways to make the old stories in the Bible relevant again, and enjoys re-writing old hymns so that a new generation will come to appreciate them. Bill have studied theology at three different schools: Florida Southern College, Emory University, and Asbury Theological Seminary. Bill likes to find ways to shake his congregation up now and then so that they hear the scripture with fresh ears!
Did I Just Say That? Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution
Don’t you ever wish your mouth had a BACKSPACE key? The old proverbs says….”Out of the Abundance of our Hearts our Mouths speak!” In this session we look at tools to find effective ways to communicate and live with those we are in community with. We will address our conflict style and the attitude and motivations of our hearts. Before you open your mouth to speak, you must first open your heart! We need to be present and really listen, but also be able to honestly and gracefully communicate what’s on our heart as well.
Friday 9:00
Merrill Frailey is the mother of five children ranging from 10-26 years of age. (Her oldest was just married so now she has a new daughter in law too!) She is the founder of ChooseJOY Life Coaching. She received her life coaching accreditation from CTA, Coach Training Alliance, an ICF Accredited Institution. Serving in ministry for over 20 years, Merrill’s experiences are vast including: youth ministry, teaching women’s bible studies, and leading book studies and workshops for men and women. With faith and humor Merrill will challenge you to GET UP from the place where you fell and MOVE. Move forward into the abundant life God has in store for you and choose JOY daily! merrillfrailey.com
Ministry in the Shadow: Transitioning Well
Have you come into your youth ministry position and feel like you are in the shadow of the person who came before you? Do you hear things like, “Well, that’s now how ___________ would have done things,” and “Why are you messing with ________’s structure and traditions, they’ve always worked well,”? Perhaps you find yourself now working with or under the person who was once the youth minister, and there is a sense that you are always being compared, always being watched. Whatever the case, at times you may feel like you are stumbling around in the dark, lost in the shadow of some idealized person (or stuck because of that person’s irresponsibility or ineptness). Whether your predecessor was great or terrible, it can be a struggle to find your voice and your vision in youth ministry in these circumstances. We will discuss common mistakes that many youth ministers make (you’re not alone!) and some healthy approaches that can allow you to become the minister that God has called you to be while still working your way out of the shadow of your predecessor.
Thursday 3:00
Bryan Amerling is the Director of Youth Ministries at Lakewood UMC in Jacksonville, FL, where he has served for 16 years. Once an engineering graduate from the University of Florida (go Gators), God’s infinite sense of humor pulled Bryan away from engineering and into youth ministry where Bryan eventually realized his true calling was all along. He recently graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity degree. Bryan has been married to his amazing wife Sheridan for 16 years and has two children, Rebekah, 11, and Ethan, 8.
Born to… Understanding Personality Temperaments
Youth ministers are either losing their minds or all youth student seem to be suffering from bipolar disorder; I’d like to bet on the latter. This workshop will help youth ministers understand the different personalities of their youth and help them better handle their students in this age of discovery.
Thursday 10:00, Friday 3:00, Saturday 8:45 & 1:45
Suzette Dohany earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Acting and a Masters in Science in Interpersonal Communications from Florida State University. She has been teaching at Valencia Community College since 1993. Her areas of specialty include Speech, Student Success, Cross Cultural Communications and Student Leadership. She is a certified True Colors Consultant.