Dr. Lorinda Roberts recently presented at the Southeast Youth Leaders Conference, taking with her a group of students from Lee University’s School of Theology & Ministry.

This conference is provided by the Youth Leader Collective, an interdenominational ministry empowering and equipping youth pastors in the Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia area. Training, encouragement, networking opportunities, community, and resources were offered.  The conference is designed for full and part-time youth pastors, volunteer youth leaders, and youth ministry students.

“Although most of us aren’t youth pastors yet, it was still interesting to learn from the perspective of one,” said Christopher Wilson, a freshman youth ministry major who attended the conference. “From discovering new ways to communicate the gospel, to learning how to genuinely make disciples of youths, to discussing some of the issues the younger generations face and how we can guide them through those issues, it really gave me an in-depth look at what a youth pastor’s life and youth ministry work look like.”

Included in the conference were over 20 breakout sessions to choose from, two main sessions, worship, and an opportunity to learn more about ministries and products at the exhibit hall. This year’s event was located at Woodland Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Roberts gave her presentation, “Equipping and Engaging Parents,” in one of the breakout sessions.

“We believe that the church should be intentional to both engage with the parents, building relationships and connections with them, and equip parents, offering strategies and resources to assist them with the spiritual development of their child,” said Roberts. “As the church partners with parents, teens have a greater opportunity for transformation to take place.”

For more information about the Southeast Youth Leaders Conference, visit https://thesylc.com/.

For more information about the School of Theology & Ministry, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/theology-ministry/ or call (423) 614-5080.