Symptoms of depression and anxiety are at an all-time high. Is the focus on mental health merely a buzzword or a salient reality the church must acknowledge? Statistically today’s youth are experiencing anxiety related symptoms more than ever before. In this breakout, we will explore identifying symptoms of anxiety and how to reach and help this population with the love of Christ.

Instagram, snapchat, and YouTube may have shortened student’s attention span, but they’ve also enabled students to access any and all content in seconds. In this breakout, we’ll look at five key strategies to implement into your up-front teaching, print communication, and social media.

Since 2016, Frank Gil has been exploring and passing on innovative youth ministry ideas through his must listen podcast 15 Minutes with Frank. Join Frank as he shares some of the favorites he’s picked up along the way. There will also be an opportunity to share any creative and outside the box ideas that have worked in your student ministry.

Join Frank Gil for a candid discussion on race and ministry and how to serve others in a diverse setting. Whether you are a person of color in a predominately white church or a youth worker hoping to see more diversity in your student ministry, join us as we discuss the realities of student ministry when diverse cultures come together.

As a teenager in a small town, Grant was growing in his relationship with Jesus while also growing to recognize his sexual orientation. He’ll share from his own experiences involved in a youth ministry in high school, discussing some helpful and; unhelpful responses students in his situation might hear from adults and peers. Together we’ll seek to bring some clarity to our conversations about faith and sexuality. This breakout is taught with a commitment to the historic Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality, and people from all theological traditions are welcome to the conversation.

This breakout will help uncover the heart of why small group matters and the philosophy of how to create space for students to feel known, valued and connected. This strategic but very practical breakout will give you many of the needed tools for a healthy effective small group culture.

In a world where about half of our church kids leave their faith behind after graduation, there is still hope. This breakout will focus on the four principles of “sticky faith” – that is, faith that sticks after high school: Intergenerational Relationships, the Whole Gospel, Partnership with Families, and creating a Safe Place for Doubt. When we learn how to focus on these things, perhaps we can reverse the exodus out of the church, and maybe even bring about a new awakening in the lives of students. Content from this breakout has been derived from Fuller Youth Institutes’ research on Sticky Faith.

Generation Z (those born 1996-2010) has been full force in our student ministries for several years now, and still we struggle to know the best ways to understand and engage them. This breakout will focus on practical ways to come alongside this generation that lives in a culture driven by success, screen time, anxiety, and so much more. How do we get them to show up to what we offer and engage with what we’re saying so that they can know Christ’s love? Could it be they are looking for something more? What would it take to become the kind of student ministry that knows and empowers Gen Z so they can live out the gospel in our world today?

Generation Z (those born 1996-2010) has been full force in our student ministries for several years now, and still we struggle to know the best ways to understand and engage them. This breakout will focus on practical ways to come alongside this generation that lives in a culture driven by success, screen time, anxiety, and so much more. How do we get them to show up to what we offer and engage with what we’re saying so that they can know Christ’s love? Could it be they are looking for something more? What would it take to become the kind of student ministry that knows and empowers Gen Z so they can live out the gospel in our world today?

It’s no longer simply our students who are over-extended; parents are all too busy as well. Do you feel like parents don’t even read the emails you send? It feels like it’s harder and harder to talk to parents, or even find time in their schedules to make the natural connection. Partnering with parents can change everything, whether you are a volunteer or lead youth worker. This session discusses practical ways we can move past simply communicating to parents and see them as partners in helping their children grow.