2025 National Children's and Youth Ministry Conference

Maybe you had a passion or a calling for Youth Ministry but don't feel quite qualified for it (like myself). Maybe you've just started in ministry and you're questioning everything you do and doubting yourself, wondering if you can really do this. But if I know anything about our God, it's that He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. If you've read my bio, you can probably put 2 and 2 together to figure out that I didn't have full-time ministry in mind for my life. But by the grace of God, I'm still in it and going strong! I want to share with you what has helped me get through my first 2 years in Youth Ministry, especially when I didn't plan to be in it and didn't go to school for it -- while in the midst of fear and doubt. There is no "1 size fits all" model for a successful Youth Ministry, but I believe the items discussed in this session will be beneficial for those of you just getting started. So whether you went to a Christian University and studied Bible/Ministry, or you went into a different field like me and came into ministry with little experience and the odds against you, I pray that this session will bless you as you navigate your first couple of years in Youth Ministry.

Having the wrong volunteer can be worse than not having any volunteers. Who you choose to fulfill the role of a volunteer is crucial to the health of a ministry. Your next best volunteer could be waiting for you to invite them to serve, but you would never know if you didn't ask.

Lower your expectations, especially for this class.

Have you ever had perfect attendance from you teens on Sundays, never had to cancel an event, always had ease in getting volunteers? If so, this isn’t the class for you. Many of us have high expectations for ourselves and our ministry and due to a number of circumstances, reality doesn’t always meet expectations which can equal disappointment. Those who attend shouldn’t look to defeat disappointment, but for how to redeem it.