“Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 1:13 (HCSB)

Sunday School Events at Glorieta and Ridgecrest Conference Centers offer LifeWay's one-of-a-kind training experience — like nothing available anywhere else. A first-class faculty leads training for anyone who leads Bible study ministries, including preschool leaders, children's leaders, student workers, adult leaders, pastors, ministers of education, Sunday School directors, and outreach directors, and those who work with people who have special needs.

Attendees can choose from dozens of elective conferences each afternoon. Inspiring worship and preaching sets a spiritual mood. Plan now to bring a team of workers to this exceptional training experience.

The mountain settings provide a unique retreat environment, but with fun, vacation attractions just a few miles away. Activities are available for the whole family: childcare for children birth through preschool, Day Camp for grades 1-6, Centrifuge for grades 7-12, and VBS Camp for persons with special needs. Make this a family affair as you combine some days of vacation with a time of training and spiritual renewal.

Age Group Leadership Tracks for Sunday School Events

Preschool Leadership: reDiscover Your Preschool Ministry Potential
The preschool leadership track at Sunday School Events encourages preschool division directors, department directors, and teachers to reDiscover their gifts, talents, and calling as they teach preschoolers and minister to their parents. Conferences include

• Professional Staff conference track
• Preschool Division Director track
• Conference for parents — reDiscover Parenting: Helping Parents reDiscover Their Role in the Biblical Education of Their Child.
• Special interest conferences to help teachers engage in sound Bible teaching, ministry opportunities, and outreach to families in and outside the church.
• A special morning of hands-on learning methods for teaching preschoolers the Bible. (You’ll want to bring your camera for this one.)

Children's Leadership: reDiscover the Joy in Teaching Children's Sunday School
Have you lost the spark you once had when teaching children in Sunday School? Children's leaders will reDiscover:

• The joy in teaching children
• The pride in knowing that you are making a difference in the life of a child and their families
• The fulfillment in serving God
• The confidence that comes in knowing how to use better more effective teaching methods
• The security in knowing how to plan
• The excitement of networking with other children's leaders from around the country
• A renewed vision for your ministry
• A closer walk with God

Conferences are offered for professional children's Ministers, children's division directors, department directors, and children's leaders.

Student Leadership: reDiscover Student Ministry
At LifeWay Student Ministry we've been asking ourselves a tough question: Have those of us in student ministry been growing students or student ministries?

The student leadership track at Sunday School events addresses issues surrounding those "plastic coated" Christian students found in your group who can talk the talk... but do not walk the walk. For the most part these students are not bringing Bibles to church. Is there a way to lead Bible study so that it becomes more than a history lesson about God and move them to the place where they know that to read from His word means that they can hear Him speak? Sessions help leaders learn to lead Bible study in a way that guides students to acknowledge the voice and direction of God in their lives.

The track equips student ministers and leaders to:

• Design a curriculum plan that develops students on their spiritual journey through the 6 years of student ministry
• Teach students to use a personal Bible and to journal an intimate walk with God through His word
• Disciple students in skills needed for personal interpretation of God's word
• Facilitate a Bible study that is relevant to a student's own life culture and environment
• Tailor a Bible lesson that makes life application connections with absolute truth
• Foster growth as the body of Christ in a small group setting

Adult Leadership: reDISCOVER Sunday School!

Training is provided at Sunday School Events for:

1. Teachers of adults. Teachers discover opportunities to strengthen Bible study and Bible teaching approaches. Specific training is provided for teachers of adults of all ages, including young adults, boomers, and older adults. Teachers focus on ways to more effectively discover the treasure of Scripture and help members discover it in and out of class settings, focus on appropriate ways to teach Scripture to share self and not merely facts, help adults apply Scripture in the context of their own story setting, and effectively shepherd class members.
    
2. Adult department and division directors and professional staff who relate to Adult Sunday School. These key leaders identify ways to strengthen leadership abilities and focus on enlisting, training, and motivating adults to reach and minister to adults. Conferences focus on strengthening leadership, organizational, and growth strategy skills. This training helps leaders focus on engaging adults in ministry and missions.
    
3. Class leaders who focus on reaching and ministry with adults. Every class needs as least one person who leads the class to invite adults, and one person who leads the class in hospitality and ministry. Conferences for these leaders focus on ways to reach adults through the class. This training also helps you plan for and connect adults to the class and to the church through meaningful ministry and fellowship opportunities.
    
4. Single adult leadership. Helps professional and lay leaders seeking to reach, teach, and minister with single adults strengthen strategies for this unique group.

General Leaders: reDiscover Sunday School
Sunday School Events offer distinct training for distinct roles in Sunday School leadership:

1. Pastors and Ministers of Education
   Something new! Ed Stetzer, director of research, and Bruce Raley, director of leadership ministries join together to train pastors and ministers of education at Sunday School Events. “Missional Sunday School” helps church leaders understand how the Sunday School can be on the forefront of church life. Combining the latest research and proven best practices, Stetzer and Raley assist pastors and educators in strategizing and planning their Sunday School ministries for maximum effectiveness. Pastors and educators can benefit by attending this training together.
    
2. New Sunday School Directors
   As a new Sunday School director, are you like most other new Sunday School directors in that you don't know where to begin or you feel overwhelmed? The new Sunday School director track helps you gain a full and complete understanding of your role in helping the Sunday School accomplish its purpose; plan initial steps to insure you begin your service effectively; understand the principles and process that grow a healthy Sunday School; learn how to develop teaching that transforms the lives of Sunday School members; and develop a step by step strategy and plans tailored specifically for your Sunday School. Led by P.K. Spratt ,who spent 20 years as a corporate trainer and volunteer Sunday School director before God called him as a full time minister of education, and by Dean Abernathy, a LifeWay Sunday School leadership specialist and former minister of education.
    
3. Experienced Sunday School Directors
   Move beyond the basics! As an experienced Sunday School Director you have been exposed to the foundational principles and basic skills needed to grow your Sunday School. Are you ready to move to the next level in vision, values, organization, growth, training, and teaching. During this track experienced Sunday School directors will look at the latest research and proven best practices as they develop a personalized strategy for moving their Sunday School to its maximum effectiveness. Wayne Poling, Lead Sunday School Leadership Specialist at LifeWay will lead this track along with a variety of experienced Sunday School trainers. Wayne has trained over 12,000 Sunday School Directors across the United States in the National Sunday School Director Seminars.
    
4. Outreach Directors
   Dig Into Reaching, Assimilating, and Ministering! Sunday School can be your church's number one tool for reaching, assimilating, and ministering to people, but to make it so requires organization, training, skills, and focus. Spend 10 hours focusing on how to engage Sunday School members in reaching and ministering to lost and unchurched friends. Strengthen skills in instilling a vision for outreach, organizing for outreach, enlisting passionate outreach leadership, training outreach leadership to serve effectively, outreach and ministry skills, witnessing skills, and much more. Sessions are led by Daniel Edmonds, director of Sunday School work in Alabama, and Wayne Etheridge, a LifeWay Sunday School leadership specialist, bringing more than a half century of experience and passion for building outreach and evangelism in Sunday Schools across our nation.
    
5. Small Group Leadership
   Small groups meeting in homes are more than a program, they are a movement. The small group leadership track helps attendees learn how to lead a group, discover the numerous approaches to small group ministries, and start a small group ministry. These sessions are led by Rick Howerton, LifeWay's national specialist for small group ministries.

Special Needs Leaders: reDiscover Teaching
Sunday School Events offer relevant, hands-on, and uplifting special needs ministry training. Tracks for children’s ministry leaders and for adult ministry leaders challenge you to reDiscover who you’re teaching, what you’re teaching, when you’re teaching, where you’re teaching, and why you’re teaching in special needs ministry.

Advanced leadership training classes take veteran teachers to the next level of leadership with training in basic conference leading skills. Verteran teachers are equipped to pass on the pattern of sound teaching and teach others the who? what? when? where? why? and how? of special needs ministry.

Activities for Preschoolers, Children, and Students
accompanying families attending Sunday School Events

Preschool Children
Kids play, learn, and grow in a loving, caring, and safe preschool environment. Using LifeWay materials, preschool workers are trained to give quality care and individual attention to your child. He or she learns about God’s love and His creation through songs, activities, stories, and play. Focus on the ministry training experience, knowing that your children are happy and safe.

Day Camp
Children (who have completed 1st through 6th grades) are in for a full week of day camp fun and adventure while family members attend training sessions. Using LifeWay curriculum specifically designed for a Christian day camp, children have a blast with games, Bible stories, crafts, hiking, and recreation.

Centrifuge
Centrifuge, for students who have completed grades 7 and up, is led by dedicated and passionate student leaders from around the country. Centrifuge is a first-class summer camp experience — with cool music, new friends, recreation, small groups, worship sessions, and Bible study.

Special Needs VBS Camp
The Special Needs VBS Camp provides a safe and loving place for children, youth, and adults who have special needs to enjoy LifeWay’s Special Friends VBS. Family members as well as church groups are welcome. Please preregister for camp to ensure we are well-prepared and staffed. For more information, contact Carlton McDaniel Jr., special needs specialist, at 615.251.3790 or carlton.mcdaniel@lifeway.com.