Workshops
2017 Conference
Walt Mueller: How the Youth Pastor Can Support and Lead Parents in Discipling Their Kids
The Scriptures are clear: parents are primarily responsible for the Christian nurture of their children and teens. Youth workers are uniquely positioned to support Christian parents in their nurturing efforts, and to encourage parents who are not believers to understand both the Gospel and the call to pass faith from one generation to the next. In this workshop recorded at Rooted 2017 in Dallas, Walt walks you through a variety of strategies he has learned over the course of the last 35 years that you can and must implement if you desire to help parents help their kids counter the cultural narrative on identity and worldview with the life-giving narrative of the Gospel.
Alice Churnock: Media Messages and the Impact on Adolescent Body Image
In a culture of skinny jeans and thigh gaps, it’s no surprise that body dissatisfaction is at an all-time high with youth. Eating disorders are the “good girl’s” drug, often making church youth groups a breeding ground for the addiction. In this workshop from the 2017 Rooted Conference, Alice Churnock teaches parents and youth leaders how to identify the warning signs of low body image, as well as how to address this difficult topic from a spiritual perspective.
Julius Kim: Preaching the Whole Counsel of God
Based on Julius Kim’s new preaching book from Zondervan, this workshop from our 2017 conference provides an introduction to the primary elements involved in the preparation and presentation of gospel-centered sermons from all the Scriptures–with special attention given to the unique context of youth ministry. Both the interpretive and communicative parts of the preaching task are discussed, from genre analysis and typology to the influence of neuroscience on preaching.
Zac Hicks: Being a Worship Leader Defined by the Gospel
Leading worship is a sacred task, and there are ways to engage in this call which, in the words of Paul, are “in step with the truth of the gospel” (Gal 2:14). During this workshop from the 2017 Rooted Conference, Zac Hicks (author of The Worship Pastor) explores how to bring our worship leadership—everything from our planning and preparation to our leadership in the moment—into increasing conformity with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Clark Fobes: Gospel Centered Youth Ministry in the Asian Church
When it comes to a robust, Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry, many common themes might include: Gospel-centered preaching, encouraging parents to be the main disciples of their kids, and students being part of the larger church body. However, when it comes to the Asian Church context, these things are often not present in Youth Ministry, nor are they always plausible. How do we lead Gospel-Centered Youth Ministries in churches where it seems near impossible? How can we shape our Youth Ministries around these healthy practices when our context has great cultural and language barriers that prevent us from doing so? In this workshop from the 2017 Rooted Conference, Clark Fobes looks at common barriers in the Asian Church, and how the Gospel-Centered Youth Pastor can strive for a healthy, Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry.
Syler Thomas: Building a Youth Ministry that Strengthens Christians and Welcomes Non-Christians
In youth ministry, some of us have been told that you can only do one thing or another at one time. You can either disciple your Christian students or be a place that targets those outside the church. But what if you could do both? What if your youth ministry could be a place where Christians are strengthened, outsiders are welcomed, and God is central? Drawing on 19 years as a youth pastor in suburban Chicago, Syler explains how you can have it all! All of your wildest dreams come true! (Hey, the Cubs won the World Series. Anything is possible, right?)
Brent Bounds: A Psychological Perspective of Spiritual Formation
In this workshop from our 2017 conference in Dallas, Brent Bounds looks at developmental theories of Piaget and Erikson and how they might inform our communication of theological concepts to our children. This is a fun, engaging, and practical time of exploring the developmental stages and how they influence a person’s understanding of God.
Kevin Yi: Finding Our Place in God’s Story
One of the most beautiful things about the gospel is that it answers one of life’s biggest questions: “Who am I?” The young church needs help in answering this question, and as youth ministers, one of our joys is that we get to help our students discover who they are in Christ. Within the Asian church context, this question becomes more complex as we have to help our students navigate through two distinct cultures: the 2nd generation American culture at school and their 1st generation Asian culture at home. The dissonance often leads to a third culture identity. In this workshop from Rooted’s 2017 conference, Kevin works through the unique challenges and opportunities that this presents to help our students mature and grow in their union with Christ, as well as touching on how this affects many Asian American pastors as well.
Liz Edrington: The Anatomy of Shame
Parents and youth pastors both observe a number of concerning behavioral trends among teens: withdrawal, anxiety, and perfectionism. So many students complain about stress or bury themselves in Netflix or their smart phone. Many of these struggles can be interpreted by understanding shame, which pervades our culture. This workshop from our 2017 conference in Dallas will give youth ministers and parents the tools to better understand the anatomy of shame at both a psychological and theological level. It will show how the Gospel provides hope for us in helping to bring students out of the isolation and fear that shame so often produces.
Kristen Hatton: Reorienting Our Teens to the Truth Social Media Distorts
Synopsis: Walk into a room full of teenagers and quite possibly every one of them will be on their phones, more engaged online than with each other. With so much happening behind the screen it’s hard for parents to keep up, or know what is really going on. And it is easy for teens, seeking an identity in false places, to fall prey to a lifestyle of comparison and the lie of perfection. In this workshop from Rooted’s 2017 conference in Dallas, Kristen Hatton answers the following questions: What will it take to reorient students back to the truth social media distorts? How can we enter in to help them process what they see and evaluate their social media use through a gospel-centered lense? What truths do they need to hear?
Zac Hicks: Making Worship a Lifestyle for Kids, Not Just a Few Songs on Sunday
One of the great dangers for our kids is to think of worship as a box to check for an hour on Sunday rather than an all-encompassing orientation of one’s day-to-day life toward the glory of God. In this workshop from Rooted’s 2017 conference in Dallas, Zac Hicks explores how we might help our kids interpret the “liturgies” present in their everyday life and reorient themselves around what it means to be a “living sacrifice.”
David Ake: Teaching Junior High Students Scripture
In the middle of a hectic week of building relationships and shepherding students, you sit down at your desk for the weekly challenge of crafting a message from God’s Word that is engaging, relevant, understood and substantive. In this workshop we will look at timeless tools and structures for teaching Scripture on a regular basis, building opportunities for personal and relational follow up with students and developing a process to identify and coach Junior High students to grow in their skills and passion for God’s Word.
Cameron Cole: Theology of the Cross v. Glory, How We Theologically Misunderstand Our Kids
For years, churches and families have ministered to kids through moralism and exhortation. We tend to minister to kids through a theology of glory. Martin Luther critiqued the theology of glory in launching the Protestant Reformation and articulated the theology of the cross. This workshop from Rooted’s 2017 conference in Dallas shows how these different approaches influence our spiritual leadership of kids. Cameron talks about how the Cross changes the way we relate to and lead kids. He offers specifics on how a theology of the cross changes our teaching, how we pastor to our students in suffering, and how we disciple them.
Kris Fernhout on The Five Pillars of Effective Youth Ministry
During the “New to Youth Ministry Pre-Conference” at Rooted 2017 in Dallas, Kris Fernhout lays out Rooted’s five pillars of effective, gospel-centered youth ministry – ministry that fosters lasting faith in the hearts of teenagers.
Mike McGarry on Understanding What Teenagers Believe (and the Gospel’s Response)
The gospel is unchanging, but the students to whom we minister are changing all the time. It is vital to have a solid understanding of both the gospel and our audience. In this short session from our 2017 conference in Dallas, Mike McGarry shares some traits of today’s teenagers, followed by key inroads for communicating the gospel.