I remember when I first became a kids pastor years ago there were only a couple of options when it came to attending a conference. It was this or that. There are now so many conferences out there that how you pick conferences has to change. I believe that you now need to attend a conference based on what you feel your needs are. Until a couple of years ago I had only attended a few conferences in the course of 12 years of ministry. I was not a conference junkie by any means. I did pick conferences that I felt would help me grow a pastor and leader.
Over the next few days I am going to talk about the conference I will be attending in the fall and highlighting a few of each conferences strong points. This by no means will be a comprehensive list, but rather a point of reference that I hope will help you make the best decision for you and the ministry you lead.
I believe you need to keep a few things in mind before blindly booking a conference package. As you read my posts over the next few days ask yourself these questions.
1. What area do I need to grow in most this coming year?
2. Where is my church at presently and where is it headed?
3. What is the bottom line price of this even with pre-cons included?
4. What value can I add as someone attending?