YLT Electives Sessions

YLT Nashville - Closing Session

January 26, 2024 • Richie Sessions

Year 3+: Resiliency in Ministry - Britton Wood

January 23, 2024 • Britton Wood

Year 2+: Non-anxious Leadership for Youth Ministry: A Systems Approach

January 23, 2024 • Tom Gibbs

Leading Discussions for Learning

January 25, 2024 • Jessie Swigart

Facilitating discussions must be one of the most slippery tasks a ministry leader engages in. Some weeks feel great: everyone has something to say and rich insights and personal reflections abound. Other weeks make you question whether you should be in ministry at all. This workshop won’t eliminate awkward silences and those inevitable “off” weeks, but we will talk about research-based principles of good discussion and some techniques to add to your toolbox for effective discussions in the future.

Fear, Failure, and the Freedom to Learn

January 25, 2024 • Jessie Swigart

To what extent do your students see school, participating in youth group, and other challenges as opportunities to grow? To what extent do they experience those responsibilities as pressure to prove themselves? What about you? Is your next sermon, lesson, or meeting a chance for you to learn something new about others and yourself, or are you concerned that the next task will reveal whether you are really good enough at what you do? Most of us, teachers and students alike, possess a spectrum of attitudes about performance and failure, which can impact what we learn and how we disciple. In this workshop we will discuss how failure can be a barrier to and an opportunity for learning, as well as the freedom Christians have to not be perfect and therefore learn with another. 

Moving from Teaching to Discipleship

January 25, 2024 • Doug Franklin

Join Doug as he takes an intentional look at the "why" and the "how" behind discipleship. Learn practical tips and tricks for building meaningful relationships, sharing personal stories, asking intentional questions, helping students make life applications, and holding students accountable. Even if you've never been discipled yourself, you'll learn guiding principles that can be applied to your own discipleship relationships or taught to other volunteers on your team.

Developing Volunteers into a Team

January 25, 2024 • Doug Franklin

Never underestimate the power of a dedicated team of volunteer leaders. But finding, forming, and training that team can prove to be one of the toughest challenges in ministry. Join Doug Franklin as he explores how to equip volunteer leaders with a skill set unique to their role. You'll learn practical tips and tricks for building meaningful relationships, teaching for transformation, leading discussions, and challenging students to make life applications.

How to Engage Students with Theology

January 25, 2024 • Linda Oliver

All of our students, whether they realize it or not, are theologians, and they have minds that can learn and process theological themes and topics. In this elective, we will consider why engaging students with theology matters, a variety of simple approaches to do so, and how you can think through meeting your students where they are at theologically.

Fostering a Bible Reading Culture with Students in Ministry

January 24, 2024 • Linda Oliver

We want our students to read, study, and apply the Word of God in their lives, but many of them are busy with activities, buried in technology, and even struggle to make time for youth group. In this elective, we will diagnose the root of this problem as well as think through practical solutions to help build a culture of Bible reading in our youth ministries. The goal is to teach and train students to know God more through reading their Bibles both now and for decades in the future! 

Frontline Trauma Informed Care

January 24, 2024 • Joey Kime

What do you do after tragedy strikes? How should you respond when you're the first to hear the worst? Is there anything you can even do to effectively walk with students through crisis? Youth leaders are often first on the frontlines in scenarios like these and know how confusing it feels when the "why" questions don't make sense. Join Joey Kime as he covers the dos and don'ts of providing psychological first aid and explores how the gospel frees us to lean on Him to shine light into the darkest places. 

Building and Nourishing a Gospel Culture in Ministry Marriages

January 24, 2024 • Scotty Smith, Darlene Smith

Scotty and Darlene Smith have been married for 51 years and counting. Their story highlights that Jesus meets us where we are and takes us where the Gospel alone can take us. In the first part of this seminar, they will share their stories of individual and couple growth in grace through their heart wounds, weaknesses, and need for a greater experience of God’s grace. The second part of the seminar will include practical suggestions for building a Gospel culture in marriage—an environment of kindness, healing, repentance, encouragement and hope. While these are applicable to all marriages, as Scotty and Darlene will attest, they are uniquely significant for ministry marriages.

Sabbath Wisdom for Life and Ministry: Fostering Peace and Avoiding Burnout

January 24, 2024 • John Perritt

The biblical truth of Sabbath is one that often stirs up notions of debate, disagreement and misunderstanding. At the core of this truth, we see a loving God providing wisdom for his children to avoid overwork, stress and burnout. This class highlights our gracious Father and offers practical ideas to foster healthy boundaries for balancing life and ministry.

A Unique Call: Working with Females in Ministry

January 24, 2024 • Rose Turner Ohnstad

What do Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and the Bible all have in common? They all paint an accurate picture of the hardships of living on this side of Heaven. Work is no exception. The aim of this class is to look at the unique challenges of working with females in ministry but also the unique opportunities set before you. Come relax and seek to be encouraged and renewed as you lean into your calling to work with females in the local church.

Partnering with Parents in Ministry to Youth

January 24, 2024 • Kristen Hatton

On the frontline in the lives of teenagers, you play a pivotal role in their faith foundation, and yet it is the parents who are the #1 spiritual influence in their lives. But with many parents feeling ill-equipped, they often abdicate their call to discipleship, relying on you instead. Parents need you, and not just to speak into their kids. Realized or not, they need you to come alongside them for training and encouragement. For together with the parents and the church we share in the calling not just to produce Christian teens, but to grow up adults upheld by the love of Jesus. And together in this workshop we will explore what this gospel partnership might look like.