large church connection youth pastor's gathering

Tonight I will welcome 40 youth pastors from some of the largest United Methodist Churches in America to a conference here at Resurrection. This is in direct relation to our Senior pastor Adam Hamilton's work with the same gathering that began last year for Senior Pastors.

We will hope to accomplish a few things in this gathering...

1) to connect, support, and encourage one another.

2) to discuss, in round table fashion, what seems to be the greatest obstacles in youth ministry in these settings (as submitted by the participants).
-Staff Structure and Team Building
-Recruiting and Equipping Leaders
-Discipleship
-Connection to the Church Whole

3) Launch this as an annual gathering to be hosted by different churches. I will offer to host it again to be sure it happens. My true hope is that someone is inspired to do so, and I would come beside them as co-leader expecting that to happen with the 2010 host person and the next year's host.

I am excited to connect and conference together starting tonight!