Rooted Conference Workshops

Ministering to teens today feels more daunting than ever. Growing up in a culture that preaches a gospel of the “Self”, whilst living as the first post-Christian generation in America, reaching young people with the gospel seems like a near impossible task. Despite the reality of our society and religious statistics, Youth need the gospel more than ever; which means Youth Ministries need to be willing to step into the void of evangelistic ministry more than ever before. What models of evangelism have preceded our times, and which model(s) are best suited to reach this generation? More importantly, what role do Youth Ministries play in the future evangelistic strategy of the American Church? This workshop will seek to address these questions by presenting a model of evangelism that is relevant and realistic, and discussing the urgent and important role Youth Ministries play in mission in America.

As children’s ministry teachers, we have an incredible responsibility. God has entrusted the next generation into our hands. But what will the kids in our classrooms remember after we’ve finished teaching? What characters in the story will they most want to identify with and be like? How will they grow in their understanding of God and the gospel?In this presentation, I’ll walk through some different ways you could teach a Bible story. Understanding these three basic approaches will help us so that we don’t miss the main point of a Bible passage. These ways of telling a story will help you encourage the kids in your class to grow in their understanding of the good news. To begin, I’ll use a familiar Old Testament story as an example, the story of David and Goliath.

Think about the messages that kids hear in our world. A girl strives for good grades so her parents will take her out for ice cream. A boy spends hours in a batting cage working on his swing hoping for an “attaboy” from his dad. Kids grow up thinking: “Intimacy is earned.” The overwhelming message to kids in chore charts, report cards, standardized tests, recitals, and athletic banquets: How you perform determines who you are. The Bible’s message is different. It tells us intimacy with God is a gift. Because Jesus came, we have a new identity that’s not based in earning or deserving. It’s simply based in who he’s made us to be. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.”

Adolescents, and their parents, are increasingly indicating how stressed and busy they are. The pressures to excel, succeed, stand out, and fit in can be a crushing weight on their shoulders. Discover and recover methods and ideas on how youth workers can usher in peace while helping cultivate the faith of teens.

No one can do children’s ministry alone. How does a children’s ministry
staff shoulder the weight of discipling the people under their care? There is an art to
recruiting, placing, supporting, and developing serving partners so that they not only
care well for our children and families, but become an integral part of a discipleship
ministry team and find a place of belonging. In this workshop, we will examine practical
ways to collectively share both the burden and privilege of ministry in the local church.

Modern teenagers often experience a disconnect between their faith and their everyday lives. This gap is largely the result of growing up in a secular society, where most aspects of public life are no longer shaped by God or spiritual truth. As a result, faith is increasingly pushed into the private sphere, subtly forming students more in the image of the surrounding culture than in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

In this workshop, we’ll explore key questions such as: What are the effects of secularism on young Christians today? What unique discipleship challenges do students face in a post-Christian context? How can parents and youth ministers cultivate a biblical vision for spiritual formation that helps teenagers wholeheartedly follow Jesus?