in honor of group’s 3rd annual kidmin conference in just a little over two weeks, i put together a kidmin top ten list of things i am most excited about this year. this extreme extrovert can’t wait for all the people time and i am sure i will have much to share. i will be blowing up social media with conference updates throughout the week. consider yourself warned. (the conference hashtag is #kidmin13.)
the conference app – i am a self-admitted tech nerd, so i have loved playing around with our new kidmin conference app. even though we are more than two weeks out, i may have already set up my personal schedule so i will feel a tad bit more organized. 🙂
time with my team – i have to say i work with some of the most amazing and fun people i know. i am constantly learning from them and laughing with them. i believe there were several “laugh ’til you cry” moments at the kidmin conference last year. times of learning, growing, and laughing together are just plum good for the soul. oh the stories we will have from this year’s conference. they really shouldn’t let us loose in a city together.
traveling – call me crazy, but i love almost everything about it: plane trips, hotel rooms, new cities, taxis, shuttle buses, airport people watching, the luggage carousel, and more. for me it is just one big adventure.
the IT (inside track) team – this group of 100+ kidmin leaders from around the country is a constant source of support and encouragement throughout the year. not only do they speak into the kidmin conference and share ideas, they also share successes and failures with each other all year long. several times a day our group connects through facebook, tweets, or emails but it will be so sweet to connect face-to-face at kidmin.
xorbee sack chair conversations – you just can’t beat comfy chairs, dear friends, spontaneous conversations, and honest sharing. these casual times in the hallways of the conference center are some of my favorites. i have yet to be able to take a nap in one of these chairs, but i have never found it hard to strike up a conversation in one.
the unexpected – i like control, but there is nothing quite as uplifting and personal as the unexpected ways God speaks to me through an uninterrupted time of worship, an authentic conversation about ministry struggles, a message from a speaker, a comment from a friend, time in the prayer room, being still in His Word, and time just hanging with people who “get me” and ministry. you simply can’t schedule how He will show up, but how i look forward to seeing how He does. 🙂
R.E.A.L.. learning – don’t talk at me, teach me. don’t just speak of creative classrooms, allow me to encounter one. this is yet another reason i love this conference. not only the workshops, but the general sessions engage and stretch each participant using group’s R.E.A.L. learning method. (relational, experiential, applicable, learner-based) i get to learn through hands-on experience and then debrief what we discovered. i also leave with practical activities i can easily apply to my ministry back home. not to mention that R.E.A.L. learning is just plain fun!
my workshop – i am super excited to get to share my heart about “helping kids have a friendship with Jesus.” this is one of my favorite topics to discuss and i look forward to learning alongside participants as i lead this session. here is my workshop description: “we’ll explore ways to be intentional in facilitating a child’s spiritual formation. experience and explore R.E.A.L. Learning (relational, experiential, applicable, learner-based) ways to take kids beyond learning to genuine relationship with Jesus.”
connect groups – conversation is such a key component of kidmin and i love working with the connect groups. this 
year we have connect groups for: children’s ministry veterans, first 2 years in children’s ministry, large-church children’s ministry, small-church children’s ministry, rural children’s ministry, urban children’s ministry, early childhood ministry, preteen ministry, family ministry, multi-site ministry, burned out in children’s ministry, special needs ministry, thriving in transition, volunteers in children’s ministry, bivocational children’s ministry, married to a children’s minister, canadian children’s ministers, international children’s ministers, men in children’s ministry, women in children’s ministry, and senior pastors.
once a year face time – my kidmin friends are just too spread out across the u.s. so, when you put so many people i admire in one place, i cherish face to face talks and any insight they can share. i love that chris yount jones and i can pick up right where we left off and weave ministry and personal topics in and out of easy conversation. i always love a few moments to sit and glean wisdom from denise muir kjesbo. i have loved gordan and becki west for many years and i am always thrilled when our ministry paths cross. the group staff could not be more fun and i can’t wait to see karen, laycie, celia, donna, sherri, roseanne, david, shannon, tim and sharon. i’ll have to catch time to giggle with brook, chat with mary, hang with kimberly, and oh the list goes on and on. so many great people to connect with, so little time!
i would love to hear from any of you who are attending kidmin ’13. i would also love to grab a cup of coffee, a quick meal, or a sack chair convo with you! can’t wait, see you there.
one of my great joys comes from getting to know other ministry leaders and talking through practical strategies that will impact kids and families for eternity. to think that i get to do this alongside some amazing other women, is just surreal.
