Dear Pastor (and Board),
We’re just one month away from the inaugural Northeast Youth Ministry Summit training event to be held in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center! Perhaps you’re supervising a timid youth pastor (is there such a thing?) who’s hesitant to ask if they can register and attend, or maybe you just need a little push to give the “OK!” to a youth pastor who has expressed a desire to join with their peers for a few days of top-quality youth ministry training. Whatever the situation, I’m sharing 10 reasons why your Youth Pastor and youth ministry volunteer team should have the opportunity to join us in Ligonier. Here goes. . . in no particular order. . .
- The theme for this year’s Northeast Youth Ministry Summit is “Biblical Hope for Anxious Hearts.” Anxiety, stress, and mental health issues are off the charts for kids in today’s world. We believe that the Scripture speaks boldly and loudly to these issues with guidance that leads to human flourishing. Your youth worker. . . rookie, veteran, full-time, part-time, volunteer. . . will be trained to speak the truths of God’s Word into the lives of anxious students on their journey to develop their identity in Christ along with a biblical worldview!
- Youth workers will be encouraged, trained, and sent home with a new enthusiasm and practical tools to become more effective in their ministries.
- We’ve brought together a team of 17 youth ministry veterans who are experienced and highly respected youth ministry trainers. Your youth worker and their team will get to learn from the best in an intentionally smaller gathering that will allow remarkable access to the speakers, along with ample opportunity to continue conversations. (Check out the full speaker lineup here).
- Along with morning sessions from counselor and author Julie Lowe and evening preaching from Dr. Chris Walker, your youth pastor and volunteer team will benefit from 28 different breakout options that cover a host of timely practical topics including, sexuality and gender, youth ministry nuts and bolts, ministering to kids with special needs (learning disabilities, autism, adopted children, immigrants, etc), digital discipleship for students, ministry to parents, leading a volunteer team, developing student leaders, how to teach the Bible and theology, narcissism, intergenerational ministry, small group ministry, discipleship, and more! (Check out the full seminar lineup here.)
- You can trust that all of our speakers and trainers will offer solid advice from a solid biblically-faithful perspective. Your youth worker will be equipped to understand how the Scripture shapes youth ministry practices.
- Seminars will incorporate ample time for interaction with the trainer, along with round-table processing of information with other youth ministry peers. We believe that some of our best Northeast Youth Ministry assets and trainers are our attendees!
Our location at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center will allow us to spend our days together void of distraction, along with several hours a day at mealtimes and late night social times to make new friends, process information, and build community. Think of it as a retreat for your youth worker!- Your youth ministry crew will be exposed to all kinds of biblically and theologically-sound resource recommendations, may of which they will be able to access upon return for free. In addition, they will be able to interact with trusted and vetted organizations which can resource your youth ministry for years to come.
- A registration price that we have discounted significantly and which covers everything: conference, meals, and lodging. In addition, there is a special registration price for commuters (local hotel or airbnb lodging). College students are offered an all-inclusive half-price rate, and students from Grove City College and Geneva College are being offered 1-credit by their respective schools for attending! If you are a student at another college, check in with them regarding credit possibilities. (Here’s the link to the pricing and registration page).
- Your youth worker will be encouraged by how your willingness to send them to the Northeast Youth Ministry Summit shows how much you value them and their ministry at your church.
Do you need a little more coaxing? Here’s a little video invite featuring yours truly. . .