In this panel from Rooted 2023, panelists Terrence Shay, Andrew King, Kerry Trunfio, Connor Coskery, and Cameron Cole talk about making the shift from youth ministry to family ministry. Their conversation includes a frank discussion of the roadblocks and insecurities they have faced, practical advice about how to partner with parents, and ways to get the whole church on board with the concept of family ministry.Panelist Bios:Terrence ShayAndrew KingKerry TrunfioConnor CoskeryCameron Cole Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this talk from Rooted 2023, licensed professional counselor Monica Kim addresses the impact of trauma on children. With a particular eye towards events like school shootings, Kim examines trauma through the biblical lens of Creation, Fall, Redemption, giving listeners a theological foundation for understanding this particular kind of suffering. Underscoring the importance (and complexity) of linking trauma and hope, Kim offers substantive practical help to adults walking alongside traumatized kids."We don't have to read to far in the Bible to see that that God's story of redemption for His people through Christ happens in the context of trauma." Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this workshop from Rooted 2023, speaker Sarah Zylstra shares her extensive research on the topic of teenagers and social media. Speaking as an accomplished journalist, a mother, and a Christian, Zylstra offers parents and youth pastors theological tools and practical guidance on how to think about social media with teenagers, especially the young women whose mental health has been so negatively affected by their online interactions. "Check their phones, their laptops... giving that to your child is not invasive, that is love."Resources:Check out the Rooted Parent podcast season: Parenting, Technology, and the Truth.How to Help Your Child Navigate Video Games with Sarah ZylstraSocial Media and Technology Parent ResourcesWe offer a family discipleship curriculum entitled "Navigating Technology: Girls and Social Media; Boys and Video Games" and one called "Pornography and Parenting."  Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this episode of the Rooted Conference podcast, Kendal Conner continues with a "part two" of one of our most popular talks from Rooted 2022 (see below). Kendal explains the why and the how of this particular discipleship tool. She shares why Bible storying works especially well for digital natives, and how it empowers students to think biblically and study God's Word on their own. "We must be intentional as ministers in the church... of spiritual hunger and personal intent."Resources:Bible Storying: Teaching the Scriptures to a Post-Christian Generation with Kendal Conner (podcast; the part one workshop). Bible Storying in a Post-Christian Generation (article)  Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this talk from Rooted 2023, youth pastor Vince Greenwald encourages youth pastors to make confession a regular part of their youth ministries. Rather than teaching students that youth group is a place to maintain a false image of perfection, Greenwald urges youth ministers to cultivate a culture of honesty. Amid safe and honest confession of sin, the gospel really begins to "get traction" in students' lives."It is far more dangerous for our churches to be places where students hide sin than where students confess sin."Resources:Matthew 11: 28-30John 4 1 John 1:5-2:1 "the door into Narnia" Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this conference workshop from Rooted 2023, Kelly Kapic encourages listeners to embrace the limits that come with being a human being.  "If you're ever going to experience the joy of being a human creature, the statement I am about to give has to go deep into your heart. And here it is: Finitude is not sin. Finitude is not sin."Resources:You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News by Kelly Kapic4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this helpful workshop for Rooted 2023, veteran youth worker Curtis Zachery shares a pastoral perspective for youth pastors who steward complex and ever-changing ministries. From his personal experience, Zachery helps youth pastors see their need for prioritizing their time with Jesus, learning to love him, and accepting the rest he offers us."You are more than what you produce. It's hard to believe that. Because the only way that you have learned to measure your consistent presence in your position is based on the outcomes. But God is looking at you and saying 'I'm already proud of you.'"Referenced:Psalm 63:1 Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

Here at Rooted we get a lot of questions from youth pastors and parents about how to help kids grow up. How do we learn to release our children to go with God, especially considering they aren't really "ours" to begin with? In this panel talk from Rooted 2023, you'll hear from David Brashler, Dawson Cooper, Terrence Shay, Syler Thomas, and Anna Meade Harris--parents who have kids ranging in age from 9-26 years old--about how to trust God with the children he has so graciously entrusted to us. "That time that we have with our kids in our home is short...and [our] kids are not [our own]."Resources:Luke 2:41-52Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Raising Teens by Paul David Tripp  Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this episode of the Rooted Conference podcast, Vanderbilt professor of history and religion Paul Lim speaks about how to engage teenagers in an era dominated by shifting philosophies. He says our kids are growing up in an "achievement society" determined to "discard negativity," and the impact of our devices reinforces these trends. "I need to actually worry less about the perception of the other and move and remind myself about the perfection of the Other, namely, God himself in Jesus Christ."Resources:The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han Power Failure by Albert BorgmannThe Social Dilemma documentary (also see our podcast) Follow us @rootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26. 

In this workshop from Rooted 2023, 29-year veteran youth leader Danny Kwon shares both the why and the how of involving student leaders in youth ministries. Emphasizing the Rooted pillar of relational discipleship, Kwon outlines a process for developing a student leader team in your ministry. Kwon now serves as the Senior Director of Youth Ministry Content and Cross-Cultural Connections at Rooted."Student leadership is helping students to understand the gospel by serving alongside other student leaders and helping them develop maturity."Resources:Student Leadership Training Manual for Youth Workers by Dennis "Tiger" McLuenHelp! I'm a Student Leader: Practical Ideas and Guidance on Leadership by Doug FieldsA Youth Worker's Field Guide to Parents: Understanding Parents of Teenagers by Danny KwonMission Tripping: A Comprehensive Guide to Youth Ministry Missions by Danny Kwon Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from Rooted 2023, longtime youth and family pastor and Rooted founder, Cameron Cole, begins by debunking some myths about what family ministry means. He then moves into four key components of effective ministries to families in the church, with a special emphasis on how to work well with parents. Resources:Are My Kids on Track?: The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach by Sissy GoffRooted Reservoir Family DiscipleshipCPYUAxis MinistryGive Them Grace Elyse FitzpatrickAge of Opportunity by Paul David TrippJoin us at Rooted 2024 in Dallas, October 24-26! Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this talk from the 2023 Rooted Conference in Franklin, TN, longtime youth leader Mike McGarry encourages youth ministers to think deliberately about what a Christian is, and how to make disciples. Mike advocates for the longstanding church practice of a three- pronged approach to catechetical discipleship incorporating the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. Mike is the founder and director of Youth Pastor Theologian."[Are we] enfolding students into the life of the church, not just deploying them into youth group.  Are we helping students to really embrace the church so that when they graduate, the roots of their faith are not planted in the youth ministry...?"Resources:See here for more resources from YPT.Join us in Dallas, Texas this October 24-26, for a Walk Through the Book of Daniel.Purchase Anxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz Edrington today.   Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from the Rooted conference in 2023, Gospel-Centered Family founder and TGC editor Jared Kennedy explores God's good design for men and women. He describes how we can teach our children about gender so that they will understand and appreciate the bodies that God gave them."What we need to teach our students, and our kids (as parents), is that our bodies are gifts that help us to fulfill his creation mandate and his great commission."Referenced:Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25Purchase Anxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz Edrington today. Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from the 2023 Rooted conference in Franklin, TN, Syler Thomas shares nine principles that he uses to prepare the parents of the youth in his church for the changes that come with middle and high school. Considering Syler's experience as a youth pastor for over 25 years and raising his own four children to adulthood, you won't want to miss his wit and wisdom!"The biggest obstacle to youth group involvement in high school is a lack of relationships."Resources:Common Sense MediaSticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith In Your Kids by Kara Powell and Chap Clark Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from the 2023 Rooted Conference, CJ Moore gives a theological framework for short-term missions, an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of short-terms missions, and highly practical considerations for planning a trip. C.J. Moore serves as an Associate Pastor at Grace Bible Church in Oxford, MS and as an Adjunct Professor of Missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has more than a decade of ministry-related experience, including several years in campus- and church-based student ministry, as well as time as a mid-term missionary in East Asia and then as a stateside mobilizer for the International Mission Board. Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from Rooted 2023, Clark Fobes provides a foundation for teaching the Sermon on the Mount. After preaching through this text in his church, Fobes wrote Rooted's Sermon on the Mount curriculum. This workshop is a great place for anyone who plans to study this passage with their students or children."That's essentially how I try to approach the sermon on the Mount, by asking the question: What is Jesus revealing here, both about God's Kingdom and his covenant for his people?"Resources:Join us for Rooted 2024 in Dallas Texas, October 24-26!See our Sermon on the Mount Resources. Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this talk from Rooted 2023, Chattanooga family pastor Andy Cornett talks about how youth pastors can partner with parents and draw people of multiple generations to work with the teenagers in the church. These volunteers are crucial for the development of a fruitful youth community, where the gospel forms faith in young people.Andy Cornett is Associate Pastor of Families at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church at Chattanooga, TN and father of three children."Every kid is an at-risk kid. Every kid is one personal or parental decision away from being at-risk and having the whole course of their life upended.... In a society where kids or teens are being abandoned left and right by people, the church has to be the one place where there should be quality adult leaders who stand in the gap without agenda, without pretense, and open their lives to children and students." Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN, TGC journalist Sarah Zylstra shares wisdom about video games gathered from Scripture, her research, and her experience as a mother of teenage boys. This thought-provoking workshop will help parents think about their sons' gaming from a biblical perspective. Resources:How to Help Your Child Faithfully Navigate Video Games (Rooted 2023 Workshop Preview) by Sarah Eekhoff ZylstraGaming Alone: Helping the Generation of Young Men Captivated and Isolated by Video Games by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, TGCAnxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz Edrington  Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this highly practical, helpful workshop from Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN, RUF pastor and Indelible Grace leader Kevin Twit shares from his experience a veteran college minister and parent of three adult kids. Helping teenagers to rely on adults before they go to college, teaching them the principles of common grace and general revelation."If you think you understand youth from two years ago, you don't understand youth."Resources: Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers by Chap ClarkSurviving Religion 101by Michael KrugerYou Are Not Your Own Alan Noble Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this main talk from the 2023 Rooted Conference, worship leader, writer, author and speaker Katie Polski shares the comfort and hope that parents and youth workers find in the gospel. In particular, Katie focuses on choices- the choices we make as parents and leaders- and teaching teenagers to discern life-giving, gospel-centered choices, and those choices which lead to death. Listen, and be encouraged!"I can't conquer my own bad habits, much less save my soul."Resources:Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones  Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this main talk from the 2023 Rooted Conference in Franklin, TN, former youth pastor and current Rooted Director of Ministry Development Isaiah Marshall asks us to consider what our lives and our churches would look like if we lived out our kingdom calling God's way."We have to allow God to do the work in our lives so that he can use us to do the work in other people's lives."References: Matthew 7:1-12 Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this main talk from the 2023 Rooted Conference in Franklin, TN, veteran pastor Daniel Yang reminds us to seek Jesus' kingdom righteousness without being cynical about tomorrow.  "The truth doesn't reside on the left or the right, it resides with God. The Truth is a person."Resources:Matthew 6:25-34 Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this third main talk from the Rooted 2023 conference in Franklin, Tennessee, Kelly Kapic examines the Sermon on the Mount in view of performers (for whom do you perform?), prizes (for what do you long?), and practices (how can I seek wholeness?)."One reason virtue signaling is so painful is that it lacks actual virtue." Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this second main talk from the Rooted 2023 conference in Franklin, Tennessee, Trillia Newbell opens up this difficult text from Sermon on the Mount. She suggests that we as a culture have trivialized love, but also failed to embody a radical love for others."When we look out at the landscape of our churches and our communities, one might wonder if we too have adopted that false idea that we should hate our enemies." Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this first main talk from the Rooted 2023 conference in Franklin, Tennessee, Cameron Cole opens up the Sermon on the Mount to reveal the path down into suffering, the path up into the love of Jesus, and the path out into healing and comfort of the gospel."As counterintuitive as it sounds, the path into the blessed life of hope, joy, peace, and love first involves feeling very hard things." Join us at the next Rooted Ministry Conference! Find the details at www.rootedministry.com/conference. Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this workshop from the Rooted 2022 Conference, Liz Edrington talks breath, bodies, and being in process. Starting with the understanding that some anxiety is a very normal part of being human, Liz explores common questions that youth pastors and parents have about the anxious teenagers in their care. A trained counselor, Liz is the Fellowship Groups & Young Adults Director at North Shore Fellowship in Chattanooga, TN."We need to teach explicitly on relationships and friendships. Give students relational risk that is tolerable, so they can increase that risk. Help them learn that life and relationship that is beautiful has some risk to it."Resources: Anxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz EdringtonGenesis 2:4-9NSF A Theology of Emotion videoYou're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News by Kelly KapicSeeJesus website for Paul Miller's ministryThe Person of Jesus Student Edition by Robert RowJoin us for Rooted 2023!Follow us @rootedministry.

Head pastor Chris Polski brings to bear his 15 years as a student pastor and many more as a head pastor. Here he defines an intergenerational youth ministry as one that "sees, acknowledges, and strategically integrates generational representatives into its overall approach to youth and student ministry." In this talk from Rooted 2022 in Kansas City, Polski provides listeners with practical help and encouragement for integrating the generations in their youth ministries."The best and most long-impacting youth ministries are those that have an appropriate intergenerational mindset."Resources:Exodus 17:8-16Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.Join us for Rooted 2023 to hear more practical ministry workshops.

In this talk from Rooted 2022 in Kansas City, Jared Wilson sets out to define Gospel Centrality, and then outlines for listeners what it means to live a gospel-centered life. Wilson defines gospel centrality as: 1. The whole Bible is about Jesus, 2. People change by grace, not by law, 3. The gospel is the grounds for our validation. With gospel centrality as the "marrow of our ministry," Wilson turns his attention to what the difficult work of ministry actually means, and what personal rhythms will help us walk with Jesus in it. "The whole Bible is about Jesus... this is a hermeneutic that helps us get to what is unique, what is transformative, what is the point of the whole Bible."Resources:Follow us @rootedministry!Join us in Nashville for refreshment in the gospel, worship, and fellowship with other youth pastors and parents!2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV1 Corinthians 151 Timothy 3

The word "deconstruction" has become at best a buzzword and at worst a bogeyman in Christian culture, but most of us struggle to know exactly what it is and what this apparent trend means for teenagers. In this podcast, Barnabas Piper affirms the way God designed us to be thinking beings and encourages us not to get caught up in complex arguments, but to take doubters to Jesus. "Under the authority of Scripture, deconstruction means testing an idea to [discern]: does this reflect the heart and the reality and the truth of God according to his Word?"Resources: Join us at Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN for more workshops like this one.Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this conversation from the Rooted 2022 Conference, Josh and Anna talk about the buzzword "countercultural," and what it looks like to disciple our children to follow Jesus rather than following cultural norms. They will examine common attitudes parents adopt towards the prevailing culture in 21st century America, and how we as moms and dads can break free from fear, passivity, and anger and lead our kids from a place of security in Christ."If you are discipling your children to follow Jesus, then you are automatically countercultural." Resources: Follow @therootedministry on Instagram!Join us for the Rooted 2023 Conference and take advantage of the one-day pass for parents. Shepherding Your Child's Heart by Ted TrippHow to Raise an Alien Child with Jen WilkinJohn 17:14

The challenge of middle school ministry is real, but in this talk, Vince Greenwald offers enthusiasm and zeal for this potentially fruitful time of student ministry. Hear how Vince addresses issues like short attention spans, immature behavior, and low expectations, and turns these things into opportunities for growth. You'll especially want to tune in to hear about "walking in the light time" and "burden bearing time.""An hour with a middle schooler is worth ten hours with a high schooler. Middle schoolers are way more teachable, way more impressionable, way more hungry, way more impacted by you giving them time and attention than high schoolers."Resources:Join us in Nashville November 2-4 for Rooted 2023!Follow @therootedministry on Instagram.

In this important talk, Rooted founder Cameron Cole illuminates the importance of equipping parents to disciple their children. You'll hear about the spiritual lives of parents, how parents perceive the role of the church, developing parental ability to have spiritual conversations, and more. Tune in for a podcast full of practical tools for ministering to parents, even if you don't have kids or teenagers of your own."Christian parents are so afraid of everything that's out there; the reality is that stuff has very limited influence over kids compared to their parents' influence."Resources: Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation by Christian Smith We Must Never Forget Moralistic Therapeutic DeismJoin us for the 2023 Conference, featuring two workshops on family ministry.Our Family Discipleship curriculum is a series of courses designed to equip pastors for family ministry. 

Clinical therapist Chris Ellman speaks to youth pastors and parents on the topics of addiction, trauma, and shame. Sharing practical ways to talk to teenagers about pornography. Elmman also offers some hallmarks of addiction and demonstrates the importance of community in the healing process. "The remedy of shame is that we have to share our stories... When we share our stories, we are putting ourselves in a position of being known."Resources:Interested in more resources on this topic? Check out the featured course on Rooted Reservoir Family Discipleship: "Talking to Your Children About Pornography."Find out more about Chris and the Center for Healing in Kansas City. Join us for Rooted 2023!  

Listen in as Amanda Smith shares her story, exhorts youth pastors and parents to continue in biblical discipleship, and encourages us from the Scripture to persevere with our teenagers in love and hope. Amanda Smith is Director of Outreach at Redeemer Kansas City in Kansas City, MO. "God calls us to pick up our cross and follow him. When cultures and ideologies teach teens to avoid pain, we need to teach teenagers that they have the capacity, with the Lord's help, with your help, to face hard things."Resources: The Coddling of the American Mind:How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan HaidtMark 4:26-29Anxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz Edrington

Rooted Parent Steering Committee member Luke Paiva addresses the painful reality that so many parents confront: we cannot control whether or not our children accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. He offers practical advice, but even more, Paiva offers hurting parents the comfort of our good and loving Savior. "We are not the Savior. It is our joy in our Savior, and our trust in our Savior, lived out before our children, that can bring them to the Lord... Let us rightly love our Savior."Luke Paiva is a high school English and Religion teacher who returned to the classroom after ten years in law enforcement. He's also a husband and a father of four who holds an MA in Education and is pursuing an M. Div at RTS.Resources:Join us for Rooted 2023 in Nashville to hear a Parent Panel with five members of the Rooted Parent Steering Committee: "Discipling Children through Milestones and Transitions."Ministering to Our Kids While In the Ministry With Katie PolskiDiscipling Doubters with Barnabas PiperGenesis 1:1Psalm 56:8Romans 1:161 Corinthians 1:18-25A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home by Jason Helopoulos Matthew Henry Praying the Scriptures

In this thought-provoking talk from Rooted 2022, Dr Anthony Bradley shares what he has learned from years of teaching college students: young men are struggling. What can be done to help them continue to grow and develop in faith, community, and relationships? Dr. Anthony Bradley was most recently professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College, Theologian-In-Residence at Redeemer Presbyterian Church—Lincoln Square, and now serves as a distinguished research fellow at The Acton Institute and Research Professor of Interdisciplinary and Theological Studies at Kuyper College."Parents are far more influential in terms of their children's spiritual development spiritually than we've probably seen in 50-60 years."Resources:dranthonybradley.comPreparing Children to Suffer According to 1 Peter 3 with Anthony BradleyThe Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It by Warren Farrell and John Gray Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It by Richard ReevesHanding Down the Faith: How Parent Pass On Their Faith to the Next Generation by Christian SmithAnxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz Edrington

"God has written your child's story. You are not the author of your child's story. This doesn't mean that you're not actively involved, but you're not the author."Katie Polski, a fifth-generation pastor's wife (and so obviously, a pastor's kid) speaks from experience growing up a PK and then raising her own pastors' children. She provides seven principles to help diffuse the tension between ministry life and home life. In addition to being a wife and mom, Katie Polski is a worship leader, an English teacher, a writer and speaker and Rooted Parent Steering Committee member in St. Louis, MO.Resources:Order Anxiety: Finding the Better Story by Liz Edrington today!Join us for the Rooted 2023 Conference, where Katie will give one of the main talks. Parents, come hear Katie on Saturday by purchasing the one-day parent pass.

Of all the five pillars of gospel-centered youth ministry, Intergenerational Integration has long been a particular distinctive of Rooted Ministry. It's not easy to do! This diverse panel will share their experiences in different contexts, of different ways, to integrate children and teenagers into the daily life of the local church. Resources:To hear more about integrating students into the life of the church, join us for Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN, November 2-4. Growing Young by Kara Powell, Fuller Youth InstituteReciprocal Church: Becoming a Community Where Faith Flourishes Beyond High School by Sharon KetchamMilestones podcast

In this valuable workshop, Liz gives youth pastors and parents some tools for helping teenagers who may be struggling under the burden of depression or the impact of trauma. A longtime youth leader, Liz Edrington serves as the Fellowship Groups and Young Adults Director at North Shore Fellowship in Chattanooga, TN, and has an M.A, in counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL.Resources:Luke 7:12-13Matt. 15: 32, 9:36, 14:4John 11:33NSF Emotions 101Join us in Franklin, TN to hear Liz Edrington speak on anxiety and how the bigger story of our triune God offers teenagers hope. You'll want to check out Liz's 31-day devotional: Anxiety: Finding the Better Story. 

Following up from her excellent 2021 conference talk, Kendal Conner shares how her experience working with Muslims as a missionary equipped her to teach and disciple this generation of American teenagers. Many teenagers do not share either the language or the narratives that were once commonplace; Kendal shows how, through the power of story, sharing biblical narratives helps us reach students whose paradigms may be dramatically different from our own. She encourages us with important information about Generation Z and looks ahead to the emergence of Generation Alpha. Resources:Matthew 16Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World by James Emery WhiteJoin us for Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN, November 2-4!

In this excellent talk from Rooted 2022, Barnabas Piper talks about how, despite growing up in a loving home that was saturated with intentional training in God's Word, he did not have "reality with God." For many students, doubt doesn't take the form of outright disbelief, but rather a vague lip service to facts that have no genuine shaping influence. If doubt can take a person away from God or towards God, as Piper suggests, how can we help our students move towards their Creator and Redeemer? Resources:Barnabas Piper is an assistant pastor at Immanuel Church of Nashville. He is also an author, speaker, husband, and the father of two teenage daughters. Join us for Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN, November 2-4. Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not The Enemy Of Faith by Barnabas Piper

In this insightful and convicting workshop from Rooted 2022, Tucker Fleming unpacks the ways in which social media (and big tech) have fooled us into believing that these platforms are far more benign than they actually are. Fleming urges us to think about the ways social media allows us to hide our messy true selves, and even craft false versions of ourselves. He advises: digital management not digital asceticism ("you cannot solve a tech problem with a tech solution"); finding middle ground (especially if kids already have devices); catechizing parents in their God-given authority; understanding that someone is always catechizing kids (someone is always forming and shaping our children).Resources:Join us for Rooted 2023 in Franklin TN! The Social Dilemma

In this main session talk from Rooted 2022, Kendal Conner explores how the last chapter of 1 Peter answers the question: "If suffering is certain, which is what we learn from 1 Peter, what does it look like to clothe ourselves in humility while we face the suffering that is before us?" After spending 10 years working in youth ministry, Kendal Conner currently serves as a Groups Minister at Redeemer Fellowship in Kansas City, MO.Join us in Nashville for Rooted 2023 on November 2-4! 

Examining 1 Peter 4:1-19, author and speaker Dr. Michelle Reyes discusses how Christians suffer at the hands of non-believers, the ways that the believing community should care for each other as fellow suffering Christians, and how to find hope in the midst of suffering.Resources: Join us at Rooted 2023 in Franklin, TN In November!1 Peter 4:1-19

Dr. Anthony Bradley, a college professor at The King's College in NYC, teaches an undergrad course to freshmen every year. He is well acquainted with Gen Z students who are fresh out on their own, apart from home and youth ministry. Dr. Bradley shares his insights on Gen Z according to the guidance in Peter's first letter and admonishes listeners to prepare teenagers to suffer knowing that the suffering will draw them closer to Jesus.Resources:See Dr. Bradley's website here.Rooted Resources on Preparing Teenagers to SufferTish Harrison Warren, “Working, Watching, Weeping”Join us in Nashville for Rooted 2023!

In this very special episode of the Rooted Conference podcast, you will hear Rooted staff and steering committee members discuss the five pillars of gospel-centered youth ministry: gospel centrality, theological depth through Biblical teaching, relational discipleship, partnering with parents, and intergenerational integration. Moderator Davis Lacey will engage with Rooted founder Cameron Cole, Chelsea Erickson, Clark Fobes, Davis Brashler, and Josh Hussung to describe the essential function of each pillar, and how each contributes to a vibrant, faith-building youth ministry.Join us in Nashville at the 2023 Rooted Conference! 

In this important talk from the Rooted 2022 Conference, Clark Fobes addresses how youth pastors and parents can disciple teenagers to suffer well in a culture that is hostile to Jesus and those who love him.Resources:Join us for Rooted 2023 in Nashville!Living Hope for Teenagers in Exile by Skyler Flowers1 Peter: An Open Letter to Exiles by Elisabeth ElliottTeaching God's Heart for Men and Women to Teenagers in Exile by Chelsea EricksonFaith for Exiles: Growing Resilient Disciples at Home and in Church by Andy Hood

This talk from Rooted founder and Chairman Cameron Cole was recorded at the October 2022 conference in Kansas City. He encourages parents to prepare children for living in a hostile culture. If our children understand that following Christ means contradicting the culture, and we equip them to do this well, they will bring glory to God's name. Resources:1 Peter: An Open Letter to Exiles by Elisabeth Elliott Hayes 8 Ways to Preach the Gospel From 1 Peter by Seth StewartLiving Hope for Teenagers in Exile by Skyler FlowersFaith for Exiles: Growing Resilient Disciples at Home and in Church by Andy Hood Join us at Rooted 2023 in Nashville November 2-4. Check out our 1 Peter Curriculum on Rooted Reservoir.

In the opening talk of Rooted 2022 in Kansas City, Jared Wilson unpacks the opening verses of 1 Peter, a book whose themes resonate powerfully with contemporary believers. Wilson offers three hopes: the gospel grounds us in God, the gospel guards us from death, and the gospel grips us with glory.Jared Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.Join us at Rooted 2023 in Nashville November 2-4. 

In this conference workshop, Dr. Nicholas Reid debunks the current trend of discounting the Old Testament (or at least, parts of it). Reid demonstrates how the Old Testament is crucial and even indispensable to our understanding of the gospel.Nicholas Reid is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at RTS Orlando.References:Luke 24:13-352 Timothy 3:16-17Subscribe to Ask Alice!Follow @therootedministry on InstagramSign up to join us for our 2023 conference in Nashville, TN!

In this episode of the Rooted Conference Podcast, you'll hear from Dr. Ben Birdsong about the key moments where teenagers have to wrestle with questions about identity and belief, and how parents and youth workers can support kids in those pivotal moments. A frequent contributor to the Rooted blog and curriculum, Ben is the chief creative for Birdsong Innovations and Your Youth Ministry Curriculum.Resources: Subscribe the Rooted Conference Podcast.Join us in Nashville for our conference, November 2-4!Please rate and review our podcast on your favorite podcast platform!Deuteronomy 6:4-9Titus 2:1-8Pass It On: Building a Legacy of Faith for Your Children through Practical and Memorable Experiences by Jim Burns and Jeremy Lee

In this episode of the Rooted Conference podcast, Clark Fobes dives into church history to demonstrate that many of the political conflicts we see in our current day are replays of prior conflicts. The Church has always struggled to know its place in the public sphere. How should the church engage with culture: do we shape and influence and participate in culture, or do we separate and disengage? The questions are as old as the church itself.Links:Join us at the 2023 Conference in Nashville. 

Teaching from the life of Elijah at the Rooted 2021 Conference, Dr. Russell Moore encourages youth ministers to find their courage in the way of weakness- the way of the Cross. While Elijah demonstrated God's great power on Mount Carmel, he must then learn the way of weakness in the wilderness. So, too, youth ministers and parents must be willing to appear weak, foolish, and irrelevant to a world that will not recognize the strength we have in Christ. Resources:Russell Moore is Editor-in-Chief at Christianity Today, husband to Maria and Dad to five sons. 1 Kings 19From Weakness to Strength in Ministry and LifeFollow @therootedministry on InstagramJoin us for our 2023 conference in Nashville, TN! 

In this recording from Rooted 2021, Anna Meade Harris talks about the connection between parental anxiety and our kids' anxiety. In order to break free of our own anxieties for our children, parents must go to God first. We repent of any idols and turn to Scripture to remind ourselves of God's goodness and sovereignty. As God begins to set us free of crippling worry and fear, parents become more available to help their children deal with anxiety. Resources: Fear Factor in Parenting: Fear of the Teenage Years with Paul David TrippTeenagers, Parents, and the Anxiety Epidemic: What a Counselor Wants You to KnowFive Questions to Ask Your Teenager About His or Her AnxietyWhat Stressed Out Kids Need from Their Parents…Who are Stressing Them Out

In her workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, licensed professional counselor and Rooted podcaster Alice Churnock talked about the strong need that our children and teens (especially girls) have to know who they are and to be known. And she presents research that shows how our current culture is not helping. Links:The Breakfast Club on IMDBAsk Alice podcastRooted Conference

Teaching from James 2, with an eye towards Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17, Jason Williams examines the effects of the sin of partiality on the body of Christ. He demonstrates how this sin of preferring certain people based on externals leads naturally into tribalism, which then leads to outright rejection. Williams shows us how the gospel leads instead to unity and mutual thriving. Links:Aspire MovementRooted ReservoirRooted Conference

In their panel workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Owen Lee (Senior Pastor), Soojin Park (Youth Minister), and Huey Lee (Family Life Minister) from Christ Central Presbyterian Church talked about youth ministers and other ministry leaders can get the most out of their relationship with the senior leadership of their churches. This discussion is full of real practical advice and insights.LinksChrist Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VirginiaRooted Conference

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Dr. Nicholas Reid talked about how God made promises to Abraham and how He then committed Himself (not Abraham) to making those promises actually happen. Resources:Genesis chapters 15-17, 22Dr. J. Nicholas Reid | Reformed Theological Seminary (rts.edu)

In her workshop at the 2022 Rooted Conference, youth minister Kerry Trunfio talked about how we as youth leaders and parents can help our children and teens not only how to pray but more importantly who Scripture says they are praying to. Episode NotesKerry Trunfio is the Director of Youth and Family Life Ministries at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Join us for the next Rooted Conference. 

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Shelby Abbott talked about how we can minister to students who face those very tough doubts about the biggest questions. We can learn a lot from how Jesus dealt with the doubting apostle, Thomas. Know this first: God is never repulsed by our doubts. MoreAbout Shelby AbbottDoubting Thomas: John 20:24-29John the Baptist: Matthew 11:1-19CRUJacob: Genesis 32:22-32

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Skyler Flowers addressed the main reason that Rooted Ministry was founded, namely, tackling the issue of the 'dechurched', those who used to be faithful attenders but who no longer go to church. Some left casually; some were casualties. Learn about the problems the students in your youth group have with belief, belonging, and behavior. Resources:Skyler Flowers at RootedThe Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School bookThe Rooted Conference

In her workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Kendal Conner enlightened parents and youth ministers alike about the world that our teenagers are living in, how it's different than the world of other generations, and how we can start bringing them together. Resources Mentioned:Kendal Conner at RootedThe Gift of Good Land, by Wendell BerryMatthew 16:13-18Daniel 6The Rooted Parent PodcastThe Rooted Conference 

"So, if we cannot trust God to keep bad things from happening to us, how do we trust God at all?"In this episode of the Rooted Conference Podcast you'll hear Tish Harrison Warren describing the practices of weeping, watching, and working as ways to help the teenagers you love when they are in a season of grief. She wants us to invite teenagers to read the Psalms regularly, giving them a vocabulary of emotions and leading them to trust the Savior who went through all those emotions for us. Lament in particular is a practice Americans tend to want to avoid, but the Bible invites us to voice our sorrow, angst, anguish, and even doubt directly to God. Warren also invites us to be joyfully expectant that God is at work, and finally, to consider how we might join him in the work of the Kingdom that he is already doing. More resources: Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep by Tish Harrison WarrenRooted Conference Podcast: Tish Harrison Warren, “Why Are You Downcast? What the Promises of God Are (and Are Not) in Suffering"Mystery and Lament: When It Looks Like Your Child’s Life is Falling Apart (Rooted Parent) by Cameron ColeRooted Podcast: Joe Gibbes on Joy and Lament in PsalmsIn Stormy Seasons, Remember God’s Faithfulness by Dorena Williamson

Disequilibra…What? Exactly. You may be feeling uncomfortable, insecure and fearful about the difficult task set before you. Your middle school students are probably experiencing all the same feels.  It’s a good thing God has already equipped you with His Word, the Holy Spirit and a calling to this important work.  In her workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Kable Cunningham helped her audience understand the principles of helping middle schoolers connect with the confusing context of the Bible. Kable Cunningham at Westminster Christian AcademyRegister for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

In her workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Katie Polski talked about why we should incorporate true worship into our homes and our youth groups, even if we don't have a gift for music. She also gave very practical advice about how to do so.Katie Polski is the music director at Trinity Church in Kirkwood, Missouri.Five Worship Songs for Families in Uncertain Times – Rooted Ministry (Including Spotify Link)Register for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Josh Hussung talked about the importance of volunteers, how to recruit them, but most importantly, how to treat them and use them wisely. Josh Hussung is the Pastor of Youth and Families at Grace Community Church in Nashville. Register for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Tal Prince explained how the epidemic of pornography is different for today’s youth, and how youth ministers and parents can talk about it.Tal Prince is a therapist at Insights Counseling Center in Birmingham, Alabama.Register for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Philip Walkley helped us rethink youth ministry using the concepts of place, proximity, and posture... and the differences between a soup kitchen and a potluck. Philip Walkley is the Executive Director of SOS Memphis.Register for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

In their workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Robby Walker and Ingram Link led a conversation full of practical ways for churches to help people of different generations worship and pray together.Robby Holt is the Senior Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Ingram Link is the founder of Created for a Purpose. Additional Resources: Pray for Me

In his workshop at the 2021 Rooted Conference, Andrew T. Walker spoke about how Christians can respond to the transgender debate with grace and truth. Dr. Walker is the director of the Carl F.H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: https://www.sbts.edu/academics/faculty/andrew-t-walkerResources:God and the Transgender Debate, by Andrew T. WalkerRegister for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

Cameron Cole has been the Director of Youth Ministries at the Cathedral Church of the Advent since December of 2005, and in January of 2016 his duties expanded to include Children, Youth, and Families. He is the founding chairman of Rooted Ministry, an organization that promotes gospel-centered youth ministry.Show Notes: Philippians 3:8-21Register for the 2022 Rooted Conference

A veteran of vocational student ministry, Davis Lacey now serves as the Lead Planter and Pastor of Autumn Ridge Community Church in Ellijay, GA. He is also a member of the Rooted Steering Committee. He holds the MTS and MDiv degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as an Engineering degree from Mercer University. He is married to his childhood sweetheart Charis, and the two of them love having adventures with their two children: Evelynn and Haddon.Scriptures:Psalm 69Romans 15:3Register for the 2022 Rooted Conference.

Charlotte Getz is Director of Publishing Projects for Rooted Ministry. She is also the co-author of Unmapped: The (Mostly) True Story of How Two Women Lost at Sea Found Their Way Home and a frequent contributor to the Mockingbird Blog. Show Notes: Ezekiel 37J-Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life, by Paul MillerRegister for the 2022 Rooted Conference

Owen was born and raised in Southern California. He received his BA in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley. He then received his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Seminary, CA. Before being called to serve as the senior pastor of Christ Central Presbyterian Church in 2012, he served as the founding pastor of New Life Mission Church in Burbank, CA from 2002 to 2011. He is married with three kids. He loves to watch his kids play sports and hanging out with friends over great Korean food.Scripture Read: Genesis 15Rooted Conference

Tish Books:Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year) Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep (Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year). Join us for the Rooted Conference 2022 in Kansas City on October 6-8, 2022. 

More resources: The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear without Losing Your SoulOnward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the GospelAdopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and ChurchesThe Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home

More resources: 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about ChristianityThe Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary ClaimsConfronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest ReligionThe Rooted Conference