Watch our online training event and we’ll equip you with quality, research-based tips and tools from FYI experts on recruiting, training, and retaining youth ministry volunteers for discipleship impact. In just half a day, you’ll learn to:
- Recruit volunteers for your ministry by casting vision and creating connections between your church’s gifts and your young people’s needs.
- Train your volunteers by energizing, equipping, and empowering them to nurture faith that lasts.
- Retain your volunteers by building up their confidence, boosting their skills for effective discipleship, and celebrating their wins.
This 4-hour training features keynote sessions with Dr. Kara Powell, author of Faith Beyond Youth Group, and Dr. Chuck Hunt, ministry consultant and leader with over 30 years of experience. You’ll also attend breakouts with ministry experts and choose from practical topics such as Recruiting and Onboarding New Volunteers, Helping Leaders Understand Today's Young People, Equipping Volunteers to Foster Positive Mental Health for Teens, and Helping Small Group Leaders Welcome Hard Questions.
Get quality training you can trust—with no travel required! When you register, you’ll receive:
- 4 hours of interactive online training
- Downloadable workbook, plus slides from select workshops
- Recorded workshops so you don’t miss anything
- FREE Faith Beyond Youth Group Compass volunteer training guide
By the end of our training event, you’ll be ready to equip your volunteer team for effective teen discipleship.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Kara Powell
Kara Powell, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration, and the Chief of Leadership of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch,” Kara speaks regularly at national parenting and leadership conferences, and is the author or co-author of a number of books including Faith Beyond Youth Group, 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager, Faith in an Anxious World, Growing With, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.
Dr. Chuck Hunt
Rev. Charles (Chuck) Hunt, DMin, is the Senior Director of Training and DEI at FYI and has been ministering to adolescents, young adults, and their families for more than 30 years. He has a proven record of building teams in the church and fostering partnerships with organizations in the community. Through both his career and lived experience, Chuck has an ability to connect with individuals from diverse cultural, spiritual, and economic backgrounds. He lives with his wife Shannon and their young adult daughter Rhyen, in Southern California. Though cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, Chuck still runs, surfs, mountain bikes, and skateboards.
Breakout Sessions
Equipping Your Volunteers to Foster Positive Mental Health
with Aaron Rosales and Chuck Hunt
A healthy community can play a key role in fostering positive mental health in young people. This breakout will empower you to foster a mental-health friendly team of adults who can respond to the young people in your care. We’ll offer an important paradigm shift in how we think about mental health. Then, we’ll consider positive Christ-centered practices that can convey the transformative hope of the gospel to teenagers who are struggling with their mental health.
Packing for Their Journey: Knowing the Terrain and Tools You Need for Discipleship
with Roslyn Hernández and Zach Ellis
Your volunteers are committed to young people’s discipleship! But it can be difficult to know how to disciple when we don’t understand what our young people are experiencing. This workshop will deepen your insight into the challenges young people face today and equip you to help volunteers understand and walk alongside young people through life’s ups and downs.
Discover, Develop, Deploy: Tips to Recruit and Onboard New Volunteers
with Kristel Acevedo
Learn effective strategies to identify, inspire, and engage potential volunteers who are passionate about making a difference. Discover practical tips on creating a welcoming onboarding process that equips volunteers with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in their roles. Leave with a renewed vision and actionable steps to strengthen your youth ministry team that is ready to disciple today’s young people.
Leading Small Groups: Helping Your Volunteers Welcome the Hard Questions
with Brad Griffin and Rachel Dodd
Volunteer small group leaders hear all the questions but might not feel like they have all the answers. The great news is that effective leaders make space for questions and learn to see the process as the point. In this workshop we’ll share four skills to set your small group leaders up for success by cultivating safe space, listening well, asking good questions, and handling hard questions with confidence and care.
Breakout Speakers and Facilitators
Kristel Acevedo is the Discipleship Director at Transformation Church in South Carolina. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Florida International University in 2007. She went on to complete her Master of Arts from Southeastern Seminary in 2010. Kristel is currently working towards her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wheaton College Graduate School. She is the co-author of 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future and author of a forthcoming Bible study with IVP. Kristel has the honor of being married to her husband, Alex, and they have two kids, Liam and Isabel. Keep up with Kristel on social media (@KristelAce) or on her website: KristelAcevedo.com.
Kristel Acevedo
Spiritual Formation Director, Transformation Church
Rachel Dodd is a spiritual director, writer, and Managing Editor at the Fuller Youth Institute. She has a BA in Church Music and Youth Ministry from Point Loma Nazarene University, an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary, and is currently finishing a DMin in Spiritual Formation and Direction. Having served students and families in the UK and US for over 20 years, Rachel loves writing to share stories and equip those following their own calling in ministry. She and her husband, Carl, now live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and have two daughters. Connect with Rachel at racheldoddwriter.com. Read more about Rachel.
Rachel Dodd
Spiritual Director & Managing Editor
Zach Ellis is the Church Training Manager at the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI). Zach holds an MDiv from Nazarene Theological Seminary and a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is ordained in the Church of the Nazarene and is an active volunteer in his church’s youth group. Before joining FYI, he was a youth pastor in Eastern Oregon. In his free time, you’ll likely find him hiking with his wife and two kids or watching Sporting Kansas City score goals. Read more about Zach.
Zach Ellis, PhD
Church Training Manager
Brad M. Griffin is the Senior Director of Content for FYI, where he develops research-based training for youth workers and parents. A speaker, writer, and volunteer youth pastor, Brad is the coauthor of 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Growing Young, several Sticky Faith books, Right Click: Parenting Your Teenager in a Digital Media World, and the series Can I Ask That?: 8 Hard Questions about God and Faith. Brad and his family live in Southern California.
Brad Griffin
Senior Director of Content, Fuller Youth Institute
Roslyn Hernández is DEI Manager and Content Producer at the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI). She produces The FYI on Youth Ministry podcast, manages resource production, and provides support for research projects. Roslyn lived in México City as a child and grew up in the Central Valley of California. She holds a BA with majors in Film & Media Studies and Spanish, and a minor in Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB); and an MDiv with an emphasis on Youth, Family and Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary. Roslyn is also a Spiritual Director and writer. She is passionate about decolonizing, public theology, pop culture, culinary traditions, nature, and tea.
Roslyn Hernández, MDiv
Spiritual Director, FYI Diveristy, Equity, and Inclusion Manager and Content Producer
Aaron Rosales, PhD, is the Director of Mental Health at Brio, a non-profit that partners with extraordinary impact communities to help everyone build mental health. Passionate about promoting mental health for all people, Aaron equips faith-based organizations to meet the needs that arise in their communities through consultation, coaching, and collaborative programming. Aaron has a wealth of experience applying psychological research and skills into real-world practice in churches, universities, police departments, and community organizations across the globe. He completed his Clinical Psychology PhD at Fuller Theological Seminary and his postdoctoral training at Stanford University.
Aaron Rosales
Co-founder of Brio