MINISTRY INTENSIVES
MINISTRY INTENSIVES
Take a deep dive into topics that matter most to your ministry with our Ministry Intensives. These pre-conference sessions are designed to equip church leaders, volunteers, and ministry teams with practical tools and strategies to serve individuals and families impacted by disability, mental health challenges, and trauma. Each intensive offers a focused learning experience led by expert practitioners, providing actionable insights and resources to help your church create welcoming and effective ministries.
Choose from the following sessions tailored to your ministry’s needs:
A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting or Growing Your Mental Health Ministry
Individuals and families impacted by common mental health conditions arguably represent the largest underserved population by the church in North America. This year’s mental health intensive will provide church leaders with a comprehensive set of resources for crafting a mental health outreach and inclusion strategy, offer an array of supports for caring for children, adults and families who are already part of the church, and provide ideas, inspiration and connections for mature Christians sensing a call to mental health ministry through, or independent of the churches they attend.
Presenters:
Catherine Boyle – Board of Directors, Key Ministry
Stephen Grcevich, MD – President and Founder, Key Ministry
Starting and Strengthening Your Church's Disability Ministry
In this ministry intensive, Sandra Peoples and Beth Golik will cover everything you need to know to launch a disability ministry at your church or help your church take the next steps of inclusion and accessibility. We will cover a theology of disability, the models of inclusion, how to train volunteers, ways to adjust curriculum for every learner, and tips for positive behavior support. You will be prepared with tools you can implement right away and ideas that will help you grow your ministry and serve your community in the years to come.
Presenters:
Beth Golik – Director of Ministry & Training, Key Ministry
Sandra Peoples – Disability Ministry Consultant, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
Creating a Trauma-Informed Children’s or Youth Ministry
The kids in our communities are hurting like never before. Childhood depression and anxiety doubled in the wake of COVID-19, and suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among kids aged 10-14. To be relevant in a hurting and broken world, your ministry needs to be trauma-informed. In this interactive, highly practical workshop, you will learn to recognize the hidden signs of trauma in your ministry so you can respond in ways that help kids heal and succeed at church. Through shocking real-life case studies, provocative group discussions, and eye-opening activities, you will discover trauma-informed principles and strategies that reduce behavioral problems, increase engagement, and promote learning. Find out how to create life-changing small groups that offer safety, comfort, and healing. And discover what most churches get wrong when it comes to disciplining hurting kids, so you can turn frustrating behavioral challenges into one-of-a-kind ministry opportunities. Developed by scientists, pastors, and mental health professionals at the Reach Hurting Kids Institute, this workshop is a must for every children’s and youth ministry leader.
Presenters:
Robert Crosby, PhD
Lori Crosby, MFT, RPT-S
Kayla Smith
Reach Hurting Kids Institute
Always Worship. Worship All Ways
You’re invited to a conversation. We’ll talk about worship, and worshipers ranging in ability, age, and “soil condition”. We’ll discuss research on worship practices and the senses, as well as real-life examples. We’ll show, engage, and express worship, as well as share reflections. Join us for this ministry intensive to see how to provide a variety of “handles” so that a variety of people can “grip” the conversation with God.
Target audience: Pastors, worship leaders, and all who are eager to expand their vocabulary of worship practices to engage people with varied abilities.
Presenters:
Victoria White