No one disagrees that we want teens to follow Jesus and that most of their peers are not doing this. If we want students to follow for a lifetime, then we need to know what doesn’t work and identify the goal. We’ll talk practically about implementing a theology and praxis that moves us toward developing teens who primarily identify themselves as followers of Jesus.
This practical session will help youth workers and parents develop a plan for presenting positive, value-centered sex education, focus on the prevention of drug and alcohol use and abuse, and get a handle on the rapidly changing media and technology, including how to create a media-safe home environment.
Almost half a century ago, Bob Dylan wrote this famous lyric, “The times, they are a changing.” That statement is true now more then ever. What we are seeing in recent years confirms that the United States is moving closer to a post-Christian world. How is this affecting students and how do we respond as youth workers? Come hear the latest research and some innovative ideas for reaching today's teenager.
According to recent studies, adolescents think of God as distant, impotent, predictable, and utilitarian. And yet this is not the God in which we believe—God as the Holy Spirit is a God who is radically present, and powerful, and unpredictable, and undomesticated. In this seminar, we’ll discuss things we can do in our youth ministries so that students can recover a sense of God as Holy Spirit.
Research shows a majority of Christian youth doubt their faith, but few ever talk about it. In this seminar, we'll consider practical ways to journey alongside youth who have questions about their faith. Grounded in both theology and research, we'll explore various kinds of adolescent doubt while learning to engage questions as a vital part of discipleship.
This session will go over the who, what, and how for mentoring students towards spiritual transformation. We'll discuss:
• How to choose students who are ready to be mentored.
• The high-five guide for mentoring.
• How to teach students a lifestyle of mentoring.
• Eight mentoring tips to teach and model to every student on how to live as a Christ follower.
