I have been blessed to attend my third Orange Conference. As many of you have witnessed, our youth group is growing and on FIRE! The community is even talking about our youth group. I truly believe they are going to be the change our schools, churches, and community need. I think this is partially due to us attending orange conferences and gaining the tools necessary for our youth. Each year I receive information to take our kids to the next level of their faith. It teaches me to be a leader they need now versus the leaders we used to be. Our world has changed over the years, and we as leaders must adapt to new ways of leading to keep kids engaged. Think of how our world used to be 20 years ago. If we taught our students the same way, and same topics, our church would be empty. Leaders of orange conference are always one step ahead. They always know what we need before we are even experiencing it as leaders. This conference focused on “see you tomorrow.” We want to make sure our youth group has hope for a better tomorrow. As a youth leader of Jr. high and high school aged kids, I chose sessions that I felt were important to their phase of life.

My favorite session equipped me with tools to help build character so our kids will have faith beyond youth group. We want our youth to walk with God all the days, not just Sunday school and Youth Group. We don’t want our students to stay “I just need to make it to Youth Group, then it will get better”. What about the rest of the week. What character do our students show when they aren’t with us leaders. We need to help develop our youth’s character. Character shapes our identify, our belonging, and our purpose. 90 min of church a week can 100% change their life. We have to Cultivate Trust, teenagers wonder if they can trust you. It’s less about grand gestures and more about showing up for the small moments. Teenagers want to know if we are real. Can they connect with us and share their struggles with us. We as leaders need to model growth. We need to share our struggles with them if we want them to share their struggles with us. Less about celebrating victories and more about sharing life and struggles. Teenagers wonder why should I pay attention to you, I have heard this all before. We need to teach for transformation. It’s less about what to think and more about how to think. We need to make room for tricky topics students want to talk about. They aren’t listening if we aren’t talking about what they are interested in. We need to Practice together. It’s important for kids to see leaders and other adults in their life serving. Kids need to take faith to their world outside of youth group. We need to build character that moves their hands and feet through current events or volunteering. Getting them serving outside of youth group will help create muscle memory so it becomes natural to them. We have already been working with kids on serving but we tend to ask what they feel comfortable with when serving. I need to remember serving isn’t about preference. We need to be an image bearer of Christ. We have to Make Meaning. Teenagers wonder, “What does it mean”. We need to touch deeply and help kids make sense of what they are going through. It’s less about facts and what happened and more on feelings and what now. Jesus used symbols, actions, and stories to make meaning. He took everything going on in the world to make meaning. When we shape teenager’s character, faith matters beyond youth group. They will have a foundation to carry them throughout their young adult life.

Another session I attended was “Helping youth break free from the anxiety spiral”. Students are experiencing an alarming rate of anxiety and depression. This session equipped me with tools to help understand kids’ behavior and how we can help. Students want to belong, have a purpose, and a safe place to be honest and grow. (People, Place, and Purpose = Church) When our youth is experiencing anxiety or depression their brain doesn’t function correctly. The left side processes logic, and the right side processes their emotions. When anxiety or depression is elevated, they can’t think clearly because the right side is taking over the left side. We as leaders need to connect, respond in love, and show empathy to level it out. Our first reaction can be damaging if we don’t react accurately. We need to see them; we need to see them beyond their behavior to see the emotion. We need to help them find their purpose so they can grow. We have to win their heart before we can win their mind. One emotional exhale allows the logical side room to increase.

This conference not only gives me tools needed to lead our youth, it teaches me how to be a leader. We all know when we constantly pour into others, we become drained. I look forward to Orange Conference each year as it allows us time to fill our cup spiritually. We always say watching church online is nothing compared to being present in church, Orange conference is the same. We could read all the books needed to try to better ourselves, but being able to be present at the conference keeps my cup filled to keep going. Orange conference always motivates us and encourages us to do better. Prior to attending my first Orange Conference, I was a volunteer who would get burned out looking for a rotation of teachers so I could have a break. I would just read the lesson and not put any heart into it. If I can be truly honest, Orange is what gave me a passion to be a leader, not just a volunteer. Orange made me realize Jesus puts hope in us leaders to share the gospel and carry on the next generation. We are made with a purpose for a purpose. We were born at the exact time God planned so we can be exactly where he needed us at that exact time. I know I am here at this exact time to be a leader in our youth group. My mistakes as a teenager and young adult can now be used for God’s glory when I share life with these kids. I want our youth to know I am here for them no matter what. I will love them no matter what. Hope happens tomorrow when we as leaders acts like Jesus.