For over two decades, Student Leadership University has had the privilege and honor of serving tens of thousands of student pastors, youth workers, educators and their volunteer teams by providing an incredible gift called Youth Pastor Summit (YPS). This leadership-equipping conference is our opportunity to say “thank you” for investing in the lives of students. Youth Pastor Summit is a one or two-day experience (depending on date and location), where leaders from over 20 denominations and movements come together to be inspired, encouraged and resourced in order to mobilize thousands of students to be salt and light for the Kingdom of God.
Youth Pastor Summit is valued at $350 per person, however, it is made available for every attendee at no cost. It’s like a gift that keeps on giving! One of the major benefits of attending YPS is you don’t have to completely exhaust your annual youth conference budget on one event. When I was a youth pastor, I remember how stressful it was to plan out my conference training calendar. It wasn’t about what conference I wanted my team to attend, it was more about how many could I afford to take. I hated the fact that I had to pick and choose which of my team members and volunteers I would take. It was awkward to have those conversations. When I heard about Youth Pastor Summit, all of my stress of what conference to attend and who I would take went away. YPS was a gift to me and my team! It was our ONE STOP SHOP!
Speaking from a Youth Pastor’s perspective, I absolutely love receiving the “gift” of YPS. For me and my team, it was always a refreshing time where we could glean wisdom from some of the most respected, trusted and world-renowned influencers within our culture. At Youth Pastor Summit, we were guaranteed to hear from an eclectic and diverse group of pastors, authors, creative minds, practitioners, theologians and leadership gurus. It didn’t matter if it was from the main stage or within the breakout sessions, each communicator and presenter provided a unique set of ideas, insights, and perspectives that were relevant and applicable to any ministry or organizational context. YPS quickly became “the thing” we did every year!
Beyond the uniqueness of the YPS experience being of no cost to every attendee, I believe there are 5 major benefits to attending Youth Pastor Summit:
- INFORMATION:You will walk away with fresh ideas and concepts that can immediately be infused in your context. Leaders should always and forever be learners.
- ASSOCIATION:You will have an opportunity to network with other leaders, organizations and ministries that will help resource you as well as help you expand your own leadership influence and capacity.
- MEDITATION:It is a great opportunity to pull away from all of the busyness and chaos of life and ministry for a moment of spiritual refreshing and renewal.
- APPLICATION:Everything you learn and experience will greatly benefit you and the ministry or organization you are a part of. All of the content is transferable and contextual.
- RECREATION: One of our non-negotiables at Youth Pastor Summit is that you and your team MUST have a BLAST! If it’s not fun, we’re not doing it!
I really hope you will prayerfully consider joining us for one of our 2019 Youth Pastor Summit events. We’re going to be in Orlando, California, Dallas, Nashville and Upstate New York. Mark your calendar because registration opens January 3, 2019 at 10am EST. Since we’re taking care of the cost of attending, the only thing you cannot afford is to not attend! The SLU team and I can’t wait to hang out with you!