GrowCon is an annual online conference for leaders in kids ministry and youth ministry. Thousands of people have watched the conference (either live on January 27, or as a replay after the live event is over) and this year, we decided to make it easier than ever for you to watch the conference with your entire family ministry team — staff and volunteers, kids ministry and youth ministry!

In this Do-It-Yourself Event Guide, we’ll show you how to design an entire training event around this free online conference (either live or after the conference airs). GrowCon is packed with: training, celebration, fun and games, and even some special awards.

What Every Teenager Needs from the Local Church | Propaganda

3 Facts About the Teenage Brain Every Adult Needs to Understand | Mark Oestreicher

Scientists understand more than ever before about the teenage brain, but most youth workers don’t have a ton of spare time to study cognitive psychology. In this session Marko (youth worker, author, and co-founder of The Youth Cartel) will walk us through three new break-throughs in understanding the teenage brain and how those developments should shape our ministries.

How to Discipline a Teenager | Sandra Stanley

As a youth worker, disciplining a teenager can be complicated. How do you discipline them and preserve your relationship? How do you address behavioral issues at church? What about at home? When (and how) do you get a parent involved? In this session, we’ll be joined by Sandra Stanley, author of the new devotional Breathing Room. Sandra has parented teenagers of her own, led teenagers in the local church, and cared for both youth workers and parents as well.

The Art of Good Conversation | Yulee Lee

Every week, you probably spend a lot of time in conversations. But whether you’re talking with students, volunteers, parents, or co-workers, let’s be honest – we all know what it’s like to get stuck in a bad conversation. In this session, Yulee Lee (children’s and youth pastor, educator, and doctoral candidate) will challenge you to think differently about your conversations, become a more active listener, and learn to engage in true dialogue.

Cultivating a Culture of Student Leadership | Jeff Wallace

We all understand the power of students serving and leading in our ministries, but it’s not exactly easy to figure out how to raise up teenagers and empower them to lead. In this session, Jeff Wallace (executive director of The Lift Tour and Youth Pastor Summit for Student Leadership University) will walk you through a realistic vision for teenagers leading in your ministry and give you practical steps to get there.

5 Ways to Grow as a Leader | Tyler Reagin

When it comes to the health and growth of our ministries, we are sometimes our own biggest barrier. In this session, Tyler Reagin (president of Catalyst and a former youth pastor) will help you think more strategically about your development as a leader by looking inward before we look outward. Because if you want to see your ministry grow in health and effectiveness, you need to consider your own health and effectiveness too.

5 Tips for When Leading Volunteers Gets Difficult | April Diaz

We couldn’t do youth ministry without our volunteers, but sometimes leading volunteers gets difficult. In this session, April Diaz (author, youth worker, and certified coach) will help you navigate and better prepare for those challenging, but inevitable, moments of conflict and misunderstanding with your volunteers.

10-ish Ways to Get More Students at Your Next Event | Frank Gil

After all the time, energy, and resources you spend planning incredible events, wouldn’t it be awesome if those events could reach even a few more students than you’re already reaching? In this session, Frank Gil (youth pastor and host of the podcast Fifteen Minutes with Frank) shares a ton of ideas, tips, and strategies for getting more teenagers through the doors for your next event.

How to Partner with Any Parent | Jeremy Lee

You probably believe in the power of partnering with parents, but figuring out how to do that is tricky – especially with parents who aren’t exactly engaged in their kid’s faith journey. In this session, Jeremy Lee (youth worker and founder of MinistryToParents.com) helps us understand the three different kinds of parents in our ministries and how we can partner with each of them more effectively.

How Not to Preach to Teenagers | Karl Romeus

If you’ve ever preached to students before, you know that trying to engage a room of teenagers can be difficult. In this session,  Karl Romeus (a youth pastor and co-leader of the Thrive Unleash Conference) will share some practical strategies you can use this week and help you avoid a few common mistakes when it comes to preaching to teenagers.

5 Email Sequences to Help You Scale Relationships | Kenny Jahng

Digital marketers know something youth workers could learn from: technology is a tool that can be used to scale relationships. In this session, Kenny Jahng (digital strategist, church consultant, and founder of Big Click Syndicate) will teach you the basics of email sequences and share five specific sequences you can use to build relationships with students, parents, and volunteers.