How am I meant to attend a ministry conference on a Sunday/Saturday when I’m expected to serve in my church?
Leaders to go is a conference for leaders who oversee teams in ministry with children and families. These key leaders are invited to attend L2g to hear the latest thinking, explore current topics, share with the expertise in the room, and to come alongside each other in prayer and encouragement.
For 2023 the conference will be held from a Thursday to Sunday, rather than the usual Tuesday to Friday. The L2g organising team made this decision as we had become aware that some people in key ministry roles have other work commitments, often paid, that makes it difficult to take a whole week off for a ministry based conference.
We hope that by holding the L2g conference from a Thursday to Sunday it will encourage and enable those who are only employed part-time or who serve in an unpaid capacity in church-based ministry and perhaps have other work commitments to attend the conference and to engage in this leadership ministry development opportunity.
We acknowledge that many church and ministry roles are centred around gathered worship services, often on Sunday mornings. To attend L2g 2023 this will mean children and families ministry leaders won’t be at church on that Sunday (or Saturday) or at other ministry programs like Friday kids clubs or mid-week playgroups. We would encourage you to have conversations with your church leadership teams where you serve to discuss how L2g is for your professional development. It is an opportunity for you to network with other colleagues, to sharpen your skills and to grow in your thinking and understandings in best practice in children and families ministry.
By taking one Sunday off it is giving you an opportunity to become a better leader, and that will have a flow on effect to hopefully mean a healthier ministry in your local context. We also hope that some of the things you learn and engage in at L2g you will be able to bring back and work through with the teams that you serve with locally.
Our hope is that churches would show that they value leaders in ministry with children and families by supporting them financially and releasing them from ministry to attend the L2g conference so they can be present and engage in this space with other colleagues in this area of ministry.
The Leaders to go national team are open to hearing feedback about whether this timing is helpful and how we can also support you to attend the conference. No decision has been made about conference days in the future beyond 2023.
