Mike King

Youthworkers, Join us for a Morning with Mark DeVries - Foundations of Sustainable Youth Ministry

Foundations of Sustainable Youth Ministry

April 11, 2019

Mark DeVries

Mark has trained youth workers across the United States and Canada, as well as in Russia, Uganda, South Africa, Ecuador, Trinidad, Nicaragua, and Northern Ireland, working with a wide variety of denominations. He has taught courses or been a guest lecturer at a number of colleges and seminaries. Mark is the author of a number of books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry (IVP, 2008). Mark serves as the chairman of the board for the Center for Youth Ministry Training, a two-year residential, masters-level, youth ministry training program based in Nashville. He also serves on the Alumni Board for Princeton Theological Seminary.

In the world of youth ministry, there are a handful of constant factors that thrive over the long haul.  This seminar introduces participants to those factors and offers a strategic design for instilling these foundational patterns into the fabric of any youth ministry, regardless of its model.

This workshop focuses on:

• ∙ The Anatomy of Stuckness
• ∙ The 411 on Sustainable Ministry
• ∙ Working Together: Building Teams that Win
• ∙ You Are Here: Assessing Your Own Ministry.

Training Event Details:

• ∙ Location: Christ Community Church, Brookside Campus
  (400 W 67 St, Kansas City, MO 64113)
• ∙ Date & Times: April 11, 2019 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  (doors open at 8:40 a.m.)
• ∙ Lunch: Joe’s Kansas City BBQ is included in the price of the event
• ∙ Cost: $10

Youth Workers - Bring Your Youth to THIS!

 

PlanetWisdom is a two-day teen discipleship experience filled with uplifting worship, meaningful small-group conversations, powerful speakers and entertainers —and FUN!

See for yourself how PlanetWisdom empowers teens to:

• Reflect on Scripture and become devoted followers of Jesus.
• Create lasting connections with God, each other and you.
• Feel inspired to live out their faith through the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Join us at PlanetWisdom Kansas City!

 

Sponsored by Youth Specialties in Partnership with Youthfront

 

Dr. Andy Root Bringing Dietrich Bonhoeffer to Kansas City

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the most beloved Christian pastors and theologians of the 20th century, often being listed on the top of everyone’s most influential Christians.  Yet, there has been a major oversight when it has come to exploring his life and thought, this omission has been the centrality of Bonhoeffer youth work and children’s ministry.  Between 1925 and 1939 all of Bonhoeffer’s direct ministry practice was with children and youth, leading the experience of children and youth into his well known theological works, as well inspiring him to write much less known pieces and sermons about and for young people.  This presentation will look to right this biographical wrong, by exploring Bonhoeffer’s work with young people, seeing how he might inspire our own ministry, giving us new perspectives on our own work with young people.

Andrew Root, PhD (Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Olson Baalson Associate Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is most recently the author of Christopraxis: A Practical Theology of the Cross (Fortress, 2014) and Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker (Baker, 2014).  He has also written The Relational Pastor (IVP, 2013) as well as a four book series with Zondervan called A Theological Journey Through Youth Ministry (titles include Taking Theology to Youth Ministry, Taking the Cross to Youth Ministry, Unpacking Scripture in Youth Ministry, and Unlocking Mission and Eschatology in Youth Ministry).  In 2012  his book The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry (with Kenda Creasy Dean, IVP, 2011) was Christianity Today Book of Merit.  He has written a number of other books on ministry and theology such as The Children of Divorce: The Loss of Family as the Loss of Being (Baker Academic, 2010), The Promise of Despair (Abingdon, 2010), Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry: From a Strategy of Influence to a Theology of Incarnation (IVP, 2007) and Relationships Unfiltered (Zondervan/YS, 2009).  Andy has worked in congregations, parachurch ministries, and social service programs. He lives in St. Paul with his wife Kara, two children, Owen and Maisy, and their two dogs. When not reading, writing, or teaching, Andy spends far too much time watching TV and movies.

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The Apprentice National Conference Is An Awesome Conference... Thankful Youthfront Has Been Added to the Team

Exciting news regarding the 2014 Apprentice Institute National Conference

We are weeks away from hearing enlightening and powerful speakers at the 2014 Apprentice Institute National Conference.  Registration is still open for this amazing event, click here for more registration details.

               New Workshops

 

Join us for Faith Forward

In 2012, hundreds of leaders, ministers, volunteers, parents, and students gathered in Washington, DC, for “Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity” (CYNKC) a groundbreaking gathering about spiritual formation, young people, and the future of the church. After the success of this event, CYNKC founder Dave Csinos launched Faith Forward as a not-for-profit organization aimed at continuing the movement that began at that seminal event in Washington. Faith Forward is an ecumenical Christian organization that brings together forward-thinking leaders in children’s and youth ministry for collaboration, resourcing, and inspiration toward innovative theology and practice.

 

It’s with this vision in mind that Faith Forward will host its 2014 gathering in Nashville on May 19-22 (www.faith-foward.net). By bringing together pastors, Christian educators, youth leaders, denominational representatives, parents, and allies, Faith Forward will deeply explore what it means to really form sustained faith in youth and children. The 2014 gathering will be really unique. Events include:

 

·  Presentations from an all-star lineup of speakers, including yours truly, Phyllis Tickle, Brian McLaren, Andrew Root, Sandy Sasso, Anne Wimberly, Melvin Bray, Mark Yaconelli, Ivy Beckwith, and many others

·  Unique workshops offered by cutting-edge practitioners and leaders

·  Music led by Aaron Niequist and Sharon Irving

·  A spoken word performance by teens from Southern Word

·  Resources and exhibits from all sorts of organizations

·  Opportunities to forge relationships across denominations, traditions, and perspectives

 

Join me and many others in Nashville as we re-imagine children’s and youth ministry, May 19-22. Visit www.faith-forward.net for more information and to register.

Don't Miss PRELUDE a SENTRALIZED Pre-Conference event, presented by YOUTHFRONT

September 25-26, 2013

PRELUDE: an introductory action, or event preceding and preparing for a principal and/or extremely important matter

We invite you to join us at Youthfront Camp, located just 15 minutes from the Sentralized conference site, and enter into a time of formation and learning with each other as we explore our participation in God's unfolding story and the transformation of the emerging generation. 

 

This year we will focus on:

* Nurturing flourishing communities of Christian practice.

* Spiritual formation of youth and young adults.

* Crafting life giving spiritual rhythms.

* Unleashing the imagination of youth and young adults for the missio Dei.

* Contextualizing Christian Formation for pre-adolescents, middle school, high school and late adolescents.

* Intergenerational ministry paradigms.

* Rethinking, reimagining evangelism.

SENTRALIZED: Sept. 26-28 

WHERE: Youthfront Camp in Edgerton, KS

WHEN: Prelude begins at 10AM on Wednesday, September 25 and ends Thursday midday, September 26 in time for Sentralized registration and kickoff.

Why another conference? Two reasons. First, we believe there is a need to continue to bring clarity to the missional conversation. By bringing together some of today's best missional thinkers; we desire to assist God's people in thinking deeply about God's mission in the world. Second, we want to ensure the missional conversation moves beyond theory. We want to inspire and propel the church to engage in God's mission in life changing ways. That is why a significant feature of the conference will focus on practical engagement; through the stories and personal examples of some of the best missional practitioners around.

For more information about Sentralized or to enroll, click the button below:

 

The Story of God & Us

Youthfront is sponsoring the Aprentis Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation's National Conference. Everyone has a story.  Even God. "In the beginning" is how we start to tell our story of God. "Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus!," is how we end it in the Bible.  But that is not the end of God's story.  To this day followers of Jesus are a vital part of the storyline of God in the world.  We tell it.  We live it. We are being formed to write the story of God as God's co-laborers.

   

Join an array of today's leading speakers as together we consider how we immerse ourselves in the story of God.

Friends University, Wichita, KS   Sept 26-28, 2013

More Info here

Youthworker Opportunities

Attn Youthworkers: Lot's of Great Training Opps w/Youthfront This Spring!

We wanted you let you know about a couple of great youth ministry training opportunities coming up in Kansas City:

April 9 Youthfront is hosting the Youth Specialties UnConference – for FREE! The UnConference is designed around collaboration, discussion and relationships. It isn’t about lectures or training but rather about learning from each other, identifying and solving problems we share in the field of youth ministry. We would love for you (and your whole ministry team) to join us at the Youthfront Headquarters (4715 Rainbow Blvd) from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm for a day of sharing life and ideas.  More details and registration online at ysunconference.com/kansas-city/

July 1-4 Youthfront will be hosting our annual Youth Workers Retreat.  We would love for you (and your spouse, your friends, your kids, your ministry partners, etc.) to join us for a few days of rest and refreshment this summer.  We’ll meet Monday evening to Thursday morning at Youthfront LaCygne to pray and play and be together. The cost is just $20 per person (with a family cap of $100.)  More details and registration online here.

Opportunities Available for meal packing!  Youthfront's Something to Eat ™ and Something to Drink™ programs are scheduling meal packing events now.  Schedule your youth group or community to package meals for the critically hungry and raise funds to give water to the severly thirsty.  Contact Amber Booth to discuss hosting an event: [email protected]

Finally, we want yout to know that Youthfront would love to be helpful to your church.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be a resource – we’d love to pray with you, be a listening ear, suggest resources, and more.  Contact Laura Larsen: [email protected] or Jamie Roach: [email protected] for more info.

The UnConference

On April 9, Youthfront will be a hosting a Youth Specialties UnConference – for FREE! The UnConference is designed around collaboration, discussion and relationships. It isn’t about lectures or training but rather about learning from each other, identifying and solving problems we share in the field of youth ministry. We would love for you (and your whole ministry team) to join us at the Youthfront Headquarters (4715 Rainbow Blvd) from 9a - 4p for a day of sharing life and ideas.  More details and registration online at ysunconference.com/kansas-city/

UnConference - Kansas City - April 9 - 2013

The UnConference sponsored by Youth Specialties and Youthfront on April 9th at the Youthfront Auditorium is designed around collaboration, discussion and relationships. It isn’t about lectures or training but rather about learning from each other, identifying and solving problems we share in the field of youth ministry. Rather than a person or committee planning the direction of the event from the top down, the event “self organizes” from the bottom up. AND IT'S FREE, Plus the rumor is that lunch will feature OKLAHOMA JOE'S BBQ... ahhhhhhh, a perfect day for youth workers is right around the corner.  Check out the video below to hear Mark Matlock talk about the UnConference.