Lead Kids 2019 has ended

Create Your Own Event

Lead Kids 2019

8:00am EDT

Arrival & Check-In

Saturday March 16, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Main Foyer

9:00am EDT

General Session 1

Speakers

Andy Needham

Keynote / Event Director, Berea / Greenhouse

Saturday March 16, 2019 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
Worship Center

General Session

10:30am EDT

Being a Great Partner to Your Pastor

Limited Capacity seats available

Do you long that every team you’re on would function as the Church is intended: a Body, with Christ as the head and each part healthy and living as designed? How can we partner with our pastors to encourage them to lead our teams into this experience? Consider a few practical steps you can take to set the foundation for your team’s transformation.

Learning Objectives:
Each participant will identify their current phase in the partnership process.
Each participant will create a partnership trajectory.
Each participant will identify a first action step.

Speakers

Katie Mancini

Walnut Hill Community Church

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
100

10:30am EDT

Creative Bible Teaching

Limited Capacity seats available

Have you ever wanted to teach in a way that grabs people’s attention and has them wanting more of God and his Word? This seminar is highly practical and hands on. You’ll dive into practical tools and simples processes for teaching in a way that will have your audience excited to open God’s Word and apply it to their walk with Christ.

Speakers

Melissa MacDonald

Children's Disciplemaking Specialist, Christian & Missionary Alliance

Passionate about the church and about kids, Melissa travels extensively speaking, training, coaching, and consulting. She’s the author of Missing and is currently writing her second book. With a fresh and unique perspective Melissa boldly calls the church to be The Church everywhere... Read More →

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
Student Life Auditorium

10:30am EDT

Love & Logic: Preserving the Learning Environment (Behavior Management)

Limited Capacity filling up

Come grab up some golden nugget strategies to maintain control in your classroom while developing good relationships with those you teach. There is always a positive response to the key ideas from Jim & Charles Fay & David Funk’s, Teaching with Love & Logic. The biggest complaint from parents and teachers is, “Why didn’t I know about this sooner?"

Learning Objectives Include...

1. Understand the level of motivation of the students you minister to in order to encourage them in growing into a faithful servant of the Lord.
2. Learn to preserve the learning time and your relationship with your students by using preventative interventions or consequences given with empathy.
3. Get more control by sharing it and gaining cooperation from your students by teaching them to make good choices within your boundaries.

Speakers

Cindy Barnum

EE Senior Coordinator, Eastern Division, ACSI

Early Education, Spiritual Formation, Child Development, Reaching Your Community, Individual Differences: Personality Style & Motivational Gifts, Jesus :)

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
KL1

10:30am EDT

Retaining Great Volunteers

Limited Capacity seats available

At Eastpoint, we currently have over 100 volunteers serving in Children’s ministry. Many, if not all of them, LOVE it! In this lab, Matt will shared techniques for appreciating and retaining volunteers for the long haul.

Speakers

Matt Geren

Eastpoint Christian Church

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
KL4

10:30am EDT

Supporting Kids (and their Families!) with Autism

Limited Capacity filling up

Supporting Kids (and their families!) with Autism With 1 in 59 children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it is likely that your church already includes someone with ASD. If you are a ministry leader, Christian education teacher or volunteer, you will receive specific ways to identify, interact with, and teach those with ASD. Practical ideas will be shared and you will leave with some great tools and resources to effectively minister to families of kids with autism.

Speakers

Liz Babbitt

Church Engagement Manager, Joni and Friends

Doug Babbitt

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
KL2

10:30am EDT

Help! I'm Raising a Human! Part I: It’s a Tough World Out There

Limited Capacity filling up

Have you ever heard people say they would be afraid to bring a child into the world today? As followers of Jesus Christ we can live in confidence that God is Sovereign, but at the same it helps to be aware of cultural shift taking place as the United States becomes increasingly a “post-Christian” nation. Norms that our parents and grandparents could count on are less and less present for today’s families.

In Part One of “Help! I’m Raising a Human” we will explore this cultural shift and its impact on our families as well as the opportunities it raises for parents to partner with churches in raising the next generation of Christ followers.

Here’s what you can expect to learn:

The impact of the post-Christian culture on our children and how to find the positive influences
The importance of the grand narrative of Scripture and helping our children find their place in God’s story
How to talk about faith at home so it’s part of your everyday conversations
How the church can partner with parents and how parents can help the church be a better partner

Speakers

Ruthie Seiders

Grace Chapel

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
Liberty Room

10:30am EDT

Feeling Safe, Being Safe: Ensuring the Safety of Kids

Limited Capacity seats available

Nationwide, communities are facing an increasing number of tragedies involving active shooter and/or hostile events. This lab will emphasize the importance of maintaining physical safety while addressing new threats. Facilitated by a local public safety official, this session will highlight the importance of collaboration between first responders and faith communities in ensuring the safety of the children entrusted to our care.

Learning objectives:

Identify hazards and assess vulnerabilities of educational, religious and recreational facilities.
Illustrate what an integrated preparedness, response and recovery program looks like for those who work with kids.

Speakers

Michael Cassidy

Fire Chief / Emergency Management Director

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 12:25pm EDT
145

10:30am EDT

Kids Can Shine!: Teaching Strengths-Based Verses to Build Today’s Young Leaders

Limited Capacity seats available

Using Matthew 5:13-16 as the curriculum, participants will adapt Regina’s 4L Leadership Tools to provide practical steps for youth engagement.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn new principles to apply to each school and church setting
2. Listen more effectively to understand the heart of your youth
3. Let your light shine to model specific opportunities for evangelism
4. Lead your friends in making good choices to create spaces for youth to influence others

Speakers

Regina Robinson

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 12:25pm EDT
KL5

10:30am EDT

Walk Your Talk: Moving Beyond Rhetoric to a Lifestyle of Kingdom Diversity

Limited Capacity seats available

We quote Psalm 139:14 and wear it on our t-shirts. But do we really live it out in how we treat the unique people God puts in our path? Using her children's books, Dorena helps us shape a Kingdom perspective that celebrates people across race, socioeconomic lines, and disability.

Learning Objectives:
1. Reinforce that God's Word is faithful and true. Contrast examples of how Christians did not see the Imago Dei in every people group.
2. Unpack the challenges we face in doing this, and how we can rise up to meet those challenges in today's society because of God's redemption story.
3. Reiterate the importance of modeling kingdom diversity well, so the next generation will see the gospel lived out in authenticity.

Speakers

Dorena Williamson

Saturday March 16, 2019 10:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Kids Life Auditorium

11:35am EDT

Managing Your Time Well

Limited Capacity filling up

Using insight from Michael Hyatt and Carey Nieuwhof, we will leave with a plan in place to invest our time, not waste or even spend it.

Learning Objectives include:

Using Google docs to align your calendar and energy
How to decide what (and who) to spend your time on
How to create focused goals that move you forward in your purpose

Speakers

Kelly Tibbitts

Kelly is married to Fred and is the mom to 3 wonderful daughters, Elizabeth, Katie and Emily. She served as the preschool Sunday School teacher for each of them and then became a Children’s Pastor in 2003. This allowed the girls to grow up serving in the kingdom, using their... Read More →

Saturday March 16, 2019 11:35am - 12:25pm EDT
KL4

11:35am EDT

Partnering with Parents to Celebrate Milestones

Limited Capacity seats available

Milestones: Raising a Jesus-Loving Generation is a curriculum that was developed at Highrock Covenant Church in Arlington, MA to equip and inspire parents to partner with the church in passing on faith to their kids. Recognizing that parents in New England are so busy and often aren't able or willing to come out for regular training or classes, the goal of this strategy/curriculum is to provide parents with the resources and vision they need at 11 key transition moments in the life of their child. This seminar will lay out the structure of the curriculum, the strategy behind it and offer many of the best resources we've found helpful for parents so you can pass them on at your church.

Learning Objectives Include...

Help leaders develop their strategy for partnering with parents to raise up the next generation
Share a parenting curriculum based on 11 spiritual milestones from birth through high school
Offer many resources and ideas that can be practical and spiritual wins for parents

Speakers

Brian Dietz

Saturday March 16, 2019 11:35am - 12:25pm EDT
Student Life Auditorium

11:35am EDT

Reaching Your Community Through Child Care Ministry

Limited Capacity filling up

“Why” should Christian leaders involve themselves in meeting the need for quality early education? “How” can you develop an early education program that will not only train up children, but also be used as an evangelist outreach to the community?

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand there is a need for quality early education and the Christian church or school is one of the best resources to answer this call.
2. Review ten ministry opportunities that are available through a Christian early education program.
3. Be encouraged to change the focus from “serve us” to “service”

Speakers

Cindy Barnum

EE Senior Coordinator, Eastern Division, ACSI

Early Education, Spiritual Formation, Child Development, Reaching Your Community, Individual Differences: Personality Style & Motivational Gifts, Jesus :)

Barnum Reaching Your Community through the Child Care Ministry pdf

Saturday March 16, 2019 11:35am - 12:25pm EDT
KL1

11:35am EDT

Storytelling as a Tool for Teaching

Limited Capacity filling up

Take a Montessori approach to Sunday school by preparing a contemplative environment that engages children in constructive play to experience God. Use story-telling (adapted from Godly play) that engages, provides lasting memory, and supports the spiritual development of children. This open-ended approach can be used to bring deeper meaning to the stories of the Bible and allow children to grasp the elusive presence of God in their lives.

Learning Objectives include…

1. Developing strategies to prepare children to sit in a circle for the lesson as well as having an awareness of crossing into a prepared environment where their play and experiencing God are nurtured.
2. Experience a Bible story told with movements, beautiful language, and teaching artifacts (story is adapted from Godly Play)
3. How to nurture and support children in creating meaningful, personal experiences from the Bible stories

Speakers

Jamie Hui

Saturday March 16, 2019 11:35am - 12:25pm EDT
100

11:35am EDT

You’ve Got Questions: Welcoming & Including Kids Affected by Disability

Limited Capacity filling up

“How do we do this?” is a question many churches ask when hoping to better include children with disabilities. This very practical session begins with God’s design for each child and will then give participants basic information about disabilities such as attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, sensory processing disorder, struggling readers and writers, and more. If you have questions about ministering to special needs families, here’s your opportunity to ask them!

Speakers

Liz Babbitt

Church Engagement Manager, Joni and Friends

Doug Babbitt

Saturday March 16, 2019 11:35am - 12:25pm EDT
KL2

11:35am EDT

Help! I'm Raising a Human! Part II: What to Expect as Your Child Grows

Limited Capacity filling up

Wouldn’t it be great if your child entered your family with a complete set of instructions? There has been a lot of good research over the years about child development by famous psychologists, but the folks at The ReThink Group have a new Phase Project that puts that research into concise and practical language. Drawing on some of those resources we will explore the ages and stages of the development of our children and how to navigate those waters as smoothly as possible.

Here’s what you can expect to learn:

Characteristics for each age and stage of a child’s development
Implications for parenting in each stage
How to take advantage of chairos times in the chronos time
Hints on navigating the rough waters of adolescence

Speakers

Ruthie Seiders

Grace Chapel

Saturday March 16, 2019 11:35am - 12:25pm EDT
Liberty Room

12:25pm EDT

Lunch Break

Saturday March 16, 2019 12:25pm - 1:05pm EDT
Cafe

1:05pm EDT

General Session 2

Speakers

Melissa MacDonald

Children's Disciplemaking Specialist, Christian & Missionary Alliance

Passionate about the church and about kids, Melissa travels extensively speaking, training, coaching, and consulting. She’s the author of Missing and is currently writing her second book. With a fresh and unique perspective Melissa boldly calls the church to be The Church everywhere... Read More →

Saturday March 16, 2019 1:05pm - 1:55pm EDT
Worship Center

General Session

2:05pm EDT

Disappointment, Rejection, Hurt: An Honest Conversation About Walking Through Hard Seasons of Ministry

Limited Capacity seats available

Ministry to children and their families is one of the most rewarding adventures in the church. But what happens when the journey gets hard?
When there is discord in your church body?
When families leave?
When you don’t feel support from your church leadership?
Our goal in this lab is to identify how to navigate through difficult seasons, to hear that we are not alone when they come, and to learn strategies to successfully bring joy back into ministry.

Speakers

Diane Heermance

Director of Children and Family Ministries, Valley Brook Community Church

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
KL4

2:05pm EDT

Embrace the Chaos

Join us as we share how we establish culture in the chaos of connecting with kids and volunteers. Yes, it could be summed up as a kids ministry, but if you look a little deeper, it’s about the restoration of family and inspiring people to engage in their community. It is about the genuine love of God- receiving it, living in it, and delivering it to the people around us.

AJ and Jenn Hebert will share real and raw stories of Roca Kidz Club, their inner-city outreach in the center of Manchester, NH reaching 200 kids each week. Hear how they embrace the chaos of loving kids so they can experience the genuine love of God through their lives and the lives of many volunteers.

Do you want to instill worth in kids, parents, and volunteers? Do you know your worth? Are you able to adapt easily to changes and embrace your life in the same way you want children to embrace theirs? Come learn how to embrace the chaos of it all.

Speakers

Jen Hebert

Roca Kidz Club

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
Worship Center

2:05pm EDT

Engaging the Parents

Limited Capacity seats available

Children are only half of the equation. Connecting and networking with parents is extremely significant in the spiritual walk of a child. Discover how to maximize and leverage every encounter with parents.

Learning Objectives Include...

1. Engage and connect with parents through a mutual love: their child.
2. Equip parents with the tools needed to reinforce the lesson at home.
3. Connect parents with other parents.

Speakers

Kristen Carlson

Kid's Ministry Director, Connect Church

Partnering with Parents Handout pdf

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
Student Life Auditorium

2:05pm EDT

Kids Ministry in Today's Climate

Limited Capacity filling up

This lab is for anyone who wants to connect with kids and lead them to Jesus in 2019 and beyond! All volunteers, staff, and parents are invited to join us as we confront 5 lies that are easy to believe, look at 5 truths that never change, and suggest 5 things to try in kids ministry today.

The goal is for you to walk away from this lab with:
1. Confidence in what God is doing today.
2. Passion for how God's using you.
3. New ideas for ministering to kids and families.

Speakers

Johanna Beachy

Family Life Pastor, Manchester Christian Church

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
KL5

2:05pm EDT

Leading Volunteer Teams

Limited Capacity filling up

A team is simply a group of people working together toward a common goal. The word team is used so often, we lose sight of what it is. Teams are people on the same path working for the same goal.

In our time together, we will learn:

Why having a team is the only sustainable way to grow
What methods and measurements of success should be used
How to get to role clarity for both teams and individuals
You will leave with practical ideas to develop a team so that you can experience success beyond your individual capability.

Speakers

Kelly Tibbitts

Kelly is married to Fred and is the mom to 3 wonderful daughters, Elizabeth, Katie and Emily. She served as the preschool Sunday School teacher for each of them and then became a Children’s Pastor in 2003. This allowed the girls to grow up serving in the kingdom, using their... Read More →

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
Main Foyer

2:05pm EDT

Learning to Listen: Connecting With Children Around What Matters to Them

Limited Capacity seats available

After having led children’s ministry for years, I shifted my thinking. I wanted to be as ready to hear from my students as I was prepared to talk to them. In this workshop I will share a few things I have learned about listening to kids and how it can help you develop more meaningful and influential relationships.
Learn how to:

Create a listening environment.
Avoid the temptations that destroy listening.
Plan for listening conversations.

Speakers

Brad Walker

Children's Ministry Director, Calvary Baptist Church

Brad has spent his career devoted to reaching children with the Gospel of Christ. As a local director for Child Evangelism Fellowship of Maine and a staff member at Calvary Baptist Church in Brewer, Maine, he has developed a heart for partnering with local churches to see them reach... Read More →

Lead Kids Handout.2019 docx

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
Kids Life Auditorium

2:05pm EDT

Responding With Compassion: Navigating Challenging Behaviors in Special Needs Ministry

Limited Capacity seats available

As you engage with families affected by disability at your church, you may think that God has called you into a world of service that you do not feel equipped for. This lab will address the challenging behaviors that some of our friends with disabilities might display. Some proactive planning ahead strategies will be given along with specific ways to respond in those moments. For those who want to learn how to positively engage special needs kids in an inclusive ministry environment, this one’s for you!

Speakers

Doug Babbitt

Katie Mancini

Walnut Hill Community Church

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
KL2

2:05pm EDT

Running Large Group Gatherings

Limited Capacity seats available

We’ve been tasked to engage kids for an hour or maybe two on Sundays. Unlike what people may think, this is not childcare, we are reaching kids for Jesus. Are their tactics to help? Absolutely! We’ll discuss engaging kids in large group and small group. Utilizing games not just for fun but to reinforce the principles you’re trying to teach as well as maximizing the time we have with these young folks!

Learning Objectives Include...

1. Controlling the energy in the room
2. Utilizing Games to drive the main point home
3. What do you do when adult service goes long?

Speakers

Jared Hogue

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
100

2:05pm EDT

Skipping Stones: The Value of Long-Term Kids Ministry

Limited Capacity seats available

Kids' Ministry isn't just about the weekend or the mid-week night. It's really about how you live every day. Do you have to live, eat, and breathe kids' ministry? Not at all! But after a while, working in KM does color your view of just about everything. We'll explore ministering with perspective, ministering on purpose, and ministering with patience--and not just for a year or even 2 or 3 or 5, but for the long haul. How far will your influence go?

Speakers

Nancy & Jerry Feldott

LifePoint Church

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
145

2:05pm EDT

Those Terrific Tots: Ministering to Infants, Toddler, & Preschoolers

Limited Capacity full

Are you just serving your time in the nursery or do you understand the powerful impact you have in the spiritual development of “the least of these”? According to brain research, children begin to establish their values during their preschool years when they are absorbing information in all developmental areas. Further research shows that the moral foundation of a child is set by the time he is 9 years old when it then shifts to using the information gained to confirm or challenge new information and perspectives (Barna 2003).

Learning Objectives Include...
1. Be encouraged in the vital role you play in teaching in early education at church and/or school.
2. Look at developmentally appropriate practices for ministering to children under the age of 6.
3. Obtain resources for ministering to preschoolers.

Speakers

Cindy Barnum

EE Senior Coordinator, Eastern Division, ACSI

Early Education, Spiritual Formation, Child Development, Reaching Your Community, Individual Differences: Personality Style & Motivational Gifts, Jesus :)

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
KL1

2:05pm EDT

Help! I'm Raising a Human! Part III: Helping Our Children Answer the Basic Questions of Life

Limited Capacity seats available

From the moment a baby catches his reflection in a mirror to the time a 5th grade girl will take trying on outfits and fixing her hair, our children are wondering who they are, what is the purpose of life, and what is their destiny. Many will try to find the answers to these questions in their peer groups, in school, in academics, in athletics, in performance arts. As parents, we want them to find their identity, their purpose, and their destiny in Christ.

Here’s what you can expect to learn:

The answers to these questions have been revealed to us
We are created in the image of God – how to help your child have a healthy self-image
We are created for relationships – how to help your child develop friendships
We are created for eternity – how to help your child discover how to serve God

Speakers

Ruthie Seiders

Grace Chapel

Saturday March 16, 2019 2:05pm - 2:55pm EDT
Liberty Room

3:05pm EDT

General Session 3

Saturday March 16, 2019 3:05pm - 4:00pm EDT
Worship Center

General Session