One hundred and twenty people involved in youth ministry in the local church attended the annual Children’s Ministry Training Conference sponsored by Christian Education and Publications and Great Commission Publications at Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center in northeast Atlanta.

The conference concluded a series of five regional conferences using the theme Great Expectations. Due to sudden illness the plenary speaker Rev. Joe Novenson of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., was unable to speak; however the conference was ably lead by opening speaker, Dr. Allen Curry, retired Christian education professor at RTS, and a regional trainer and advisor for CEP. His challenge was to clearly understand what God expects of his covenant children and then to help leaders adjust their ministry to those expectations. He challenged the audience to not dumb down the message, and to view the ministry as more than simply providing fun and games for the kids or giving them materials to help them as they mature.
 
A panel discussion, led by CEP coordinator Charles Dunahoo, dealt with a variety of questions that participants face in their local ministry. Under the CEP theme of “Making Kingdom Disciples,” Dunahoo challenged the group to think of their children’s ministry in a broader way by focusing on discipling God’s covenant people.
 
People representing some 20 states including California, New York, Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts, as well as surrounding states attended the conference. They came primarily from PCA churches, with a group from the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church also participating.
 
There were more than 30 seminars to choose from during the two-day conference, covering many aspects of children’s ministry in the local church with an emphasis on parenting and partnering with both family and church in that discipleship process. The variety of workshops included Connecting Parents to What is Taught in Church, Helping Parents Build a Godly Heritage in Their Children, and What Does God Expect of Children? Tasha Chapman from Covenant Seminary and Brent Turner, executive director of Christian education ministries of the ARP, were among the 18 different workshop presenters.
 
The conference closed on Thursday morning with a challenge from Sue Jakes, CEP’s children’s ministry track coordinator. Her challenge, representing CEP’s Strategic Faith Plan, revolved around the theme 2020 Vision—what are we seeking to accomplish in the lives of the children during the next ten years?
 
Visit the PCA Website www.pcanet.org to learn about future conferences in your area.