PRACTICAL

[101] Engaging High-Risk Youth
The U. S. government estimates that one in four youth are deemed at-risk of not developing into healthy adulthood. What works for the majority of kids in a youth ministry generally doesn't work with these kids. Can we offer them more than "three strikes and you?re out?" This workshop looks at what makes kids high-risk, and delves into proven models of programming to effectively reach them with the Gospel.

[101] First 2 Years of Urban Youth Ministry
If you have recently taken over a youth ministry or need a fresh start- this one's for you! You may be asking questions like: Where do I begin? What is most essential? What are the best ways to build a volunteer team? How can I better connect with youth in the church and beyond the four walls? This learnshop will give you a step by step process for mapping out your first two years in urban youth ministry.

[101] Transforming Your Youth Ministry Overnight
Everyone who works with youth in the city longs to see them transformed into vibrant followers of Christ. We would all like to believe that there is one, bottled "formula" to make this happen. Christ however, sees, each heart and wants to meet that person at their point of need. There are some practical tips, however, that can help to bring your ministry along to help see this happen. In this session we will be exploring some different elements to bringing transformation to your ministry through learning to meet young people from the city where they are.

[101] Don't Waste Your Creativity: Writing Inspiring Lessons that Challenge the Heart
Up to eighty-eight percent of children who grow up as professing Christians will denounce their faith by the second year of college. Youth pastors and teachers have an incredible opportunity to shape the lives of the next generation, "warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ" (Col. 1:28). This workshop explores writing lessons that will challenge hearts, producing hunger and obedience to God in a crooked world.

PHILOSOPHY

[301] Nurturing the Spark - Youth Spiritual Development
Spiritual development is, in part, a constant, ongoing, dynamic, and sometimes difficult interplay between three core spiritual components: awareness and awakening, connecting and belonging, and a way of life. This workshop will take a look at these spiritual components discovered from three years of Search Institute's research. It will also challenge you to see how each component can help build a youth ministry that is about developing kids spiritually and not having them just entertained. Learn how to frame necessary questions to assess where the spiritual disciplines lie within your kids.

INNER LIFE

[201] Stress in the City: Beating Burnout in Urban Youth Ministry
This workshop takes an honest look at the stress, trauma, and burnout that come with living and ministering in the city. You'll leave with all sorts of practical, research-based tips to help you find your own personal and spiritual relief in the midst of pouring yourself into others. Learn how to move from stress in the city to resting in the Kingdom.

THEOLOGY

[201] Prophetic Youth Ministry: A Holistic Model for the Urban Context
Based on the work of Fernando Arzola Jr. in his book, Toward a Prophetic Youth Ministry: Theory and Praxis in Urban Context, this biblically-based, holistic model for urban youth ministry flows out of the conversation between Jesus and an expert of the law where Jesus answered him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."

INTENSIVES

[301-401] Mobilizing Your Youth as Agents of Change
This foundational training describes our approach to transformational development where the role of children and youth is paramount-both as beneficiaries and as change agents in the development around them. Learn how to build youth programming in the context of community, while your teen leaders are simultaneously discussing the "value" of community impact.

[301-401] Moving From Youth Ministry to Community Transformation
Urban Youth Ministry is traditionally focused on working with individual youth, but so often our efforts are sabotaged by the unhealthy environment where our kids and families live. In this workshop, we will examine CCDA's proven Biblical approach to restoring urban communities that works to create healthy neighborhoods where youth and their families can not just survive, but thrive as agents of God’s redemptive work in the cities of our nation.

[301-401] Scenario Planning
Scenario planning was developed as an alternative to traditional strategic planning and designed to help organizations increase their preparedness for the future. In this session, participants learn how to identify the "big unknowns" that could significantly impact their future - personal or ministry - and how to explore a variety of plausible scenarios that could result from different combinations of these key driving forces.

[301-401] Youth Ministry = Team Ministry: Keys to Building Local Youth Events and Regional Coalitions
Building a strong local youth ministry requires a team of powerful servant leaders. These leaders can work together to build an ongoing life changing youth experience both within a local church/organization, or involving several local ministries. Learn principles on planning and organizing a one-time event or ongoing service. These same principles can be expanded to join with other youth programs to build a coalition who can work together to influence a city.

1) By combining choirs, dance, rap, drama, preachers and equipment, ongoing regional events can be held when youth leaders partner.
2) Combined efforts create greater spiritual impact and less drain on individual leaders and churches.
3) Shared effort and resources allow for larger, more frequent events that can be held with little or no financial cost.
4) Unity and student involvement builds stronger and larger local youth ministries and will set the culture of unity and co-laboring for adult churches in the coming decades.

Teen Leadership Track (for high school students only)

As you envision and develop the emerging young leaders around you, think about bringing your TOP high school student leaders for a deeper leadership training experience designed just for them.

Jumping Hurdles: How to Develop a Closer Relationship with God in the Midst of Life’s Hurdles
Life is fast paced and sometimes seems to be non-stop; between school, after-school activities, home, work, friends, and other stuff - it just keeps going. However, we know that in order to be truly productive, we need to have a great relationship with God to keep us going on the right path. You could say life for you is like running in a hurdle competition, with the goal of finishing the way the coach (God) wants you to finish.