Date/Time
Date(s) - November 8, 2013 - November 10, 2013
All Day
Location
Hyatt Regency Vancouver
Categories No Categories
ABOUT CYWC
We know that you pour your life into kids, and we want to make sure you get some life poured back into you!
The Canadian Youth Workers Convention is all about you. It’s a place where you can get a much-needed respite from your everyday (and evening!) duties as a youth worker. You’ll have a chance to be refreshed, renewed, and recharged. It’s an opportunity for you to connect with other people who understand your unique challenges and who are as committed to teenagers as you are. It’s a time for you to feed your soul, equip yourself for effective ministry, and come back to your ministry with energy, vision, and even more passion for impacting a generation of teens for the kingdom of God.
First Things First – F– USE 2013
This year CYWC will kick off with an exciting initiative designed to empower and release a generation of young emerging leaders. It’s a full day of guided interaction between veterans in ministry and young men and women who will make a significant kingdom difference. Investors will invite young leaders to join them in this day of thoughtful conversation, shared worship and some wild “outside-the-box” dreaming about how to transform our communities, our nation, and our world! If you’re a veteran leader who is investing in a few solid young men and women, we invite you to participate in this unique shared experience. If you’re a young leader who’s been blessed enough to have someone older and wiser pour into your life, let them know about this opportunity and come together.
Once the convention gets rolling you’ll find…
Connections
Imagine five focused conferences wrapped into one! As a ministry specialist, we want to make sure your specific training needs are met so this year CYWC is offering Connections. Connections are affinity-based cohorts that allow you to learn with other youth workers who walk a similar ministry path. They are:
- Community Youth Workers – Hosted by Iona Snair and Carmen Rempel
- Academics, Theologians, and Researchers – Hosted by Dave Brotherton
- Volunteer Youth Workers – Hosted by Matt Wilks
- Youth Pastors/Youth Ministry “Point People” – Hosted by Geoff Stewart
- Young Adult Ministry Specialists – Hosted by Ron Friesen
A Packed (or not-so-packed) Schedule
At CYWC you’ll find plenty of time to get training in dozens of seminars, get inspired with five exhilarating Big Room sessions, kick back at late night specials, make new friends, or just get some time alone (whether that’s completely alone, alone with your spouse, or alone with God). Sometimes we all need to take a little time to care for ourselves, and this is a place where you can do that—guilt free!
Opportunities to Connect with God
It’s ironic, isn’t it, that we often spend so much time talking about God to our kids that we forget to actually be with God ourselves? At CYWC we give you plenty of places and ways to connect with God. You may find that you reconnect with God in worship during our Big Room sessions (where you have zero responsibility for programming or playing guitar!), while spending time with a soul care team member, by sitting quietly in the prayer chapel in a quiet worship/prayer time…experiencing a connection to God that is unattainable in your everyday craziness of life.
Chances to Connect with Others
We know that youth ministry can sometimes be a lonely place. You’re misunderstood by most of the other adults in your church because you actually want to hang out with teenagers. At CYWC you’ll find hundreds of other people who are as crazy as you and who will embrace you with open arms! You’ll find opportunities to connect with other youth workers who share your passion for youth ministry. You will find other newbies or seasoned veterans. You will also find people who share a love for a specific area of ministry be it middle school, rural ministry, leading worship, discipleship, whatever. Participate in the Burning Issues Focus Groups, our Saturday afternoon dialog-centred shared experiences, chat with a speaker, artist, other youth workers or just strike up conversations and set up times for coffee or meals with new-found friends. Some people keep coming back to CYWC because of the relationships they’ve built over the years. It becomes like a family reunion (for a very strange, energetic, fun-loving kind of family!)
Training, Training, Training
Did we mention that you can learn a lot of things at CYWC? We intentionally pack our schedule full of amazing seminars that are sure to help you with programming, leadership, understanding teens, care for your own soul, and so much more. You’ll find gifted speakers, professors, in-the-trenches youth workers, and thoughtful leaders teaching in the seminars. Whether you’ve been in ministry a few weeks or a few decades, we have something that will meet you where you are and provide practical help.
We also cram our schedule full of seminars so that your church leaders will be impressed with all that you will learn, and will gladly send you to CYWC to be equipped to lead the youth group even better than you do right now! (Of course, if you get to CYWC and realize that you just need to reconnect with God or others, you can always get the seminars on CD or MP3…so you still go home with the lessons from all the training!)
Experts Who Want to Help You (for free)
Set up a one-on-one meeting with someone from the soul care team or a youth ministry coach. With our convention pastors, you can have deep, confidential conversations about issues you may be having in your church or in your own soul. Our youth ministry coaches will take the time to understand what struggles you may be dealing with in your youth group, and will help you lay out a plan to make the necessary changes. These are people who care deeply about youth ministry, but care even more about helping you as you are carrying out the work of youth ministry.
An Event that Works for YOU and YOUR TEAM!
There’s no wrong way to participate in the Canadian Youth Workers Convention (unless, of course, you don’t come!). So join hundreds of other youth workers for a time to celebrate your calling as a youth worker, be encouraged and equipped, and reconnect with the God who called you to this crazy, wonderful world of youth ministry.
Cancellation Policy:
- Cancellations up to 30 days prior to the event are subject to a $75 per person non-refundable cancellation fee.
- Cancellations within 30 days of the event, or “no-shows,” will result in the forfeiture of the full payment.
- If forces beyond our control interrupt the Canadian Youth Workers Convention, your registration fee will be refunded less a pro-rated share of all costs incurred.
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If you are unable to attend, you may send a substitute to take your place by contacting the registrar at 1.250.469.1737.
Youth Specialties Canada
For nearly 40 years Youth Specialties has worked alongside Christian youth workers from just about every denomination and youth-serving organization all around the world. We’re here to help you, whether you’re new to youth ministry or a veteran, whether you’re a volunteer or a career youth pastor.
Each year we serve more than 100,000 youth workers worldwide through our training seminars and conventions, resources, and here on the Internet.
In 2009 Youth Specialties invited Marv and Lois Penner, who had been part of the YS family for many years, to open a YS Canada office and give leadership to the Canadian conventions. Marv and Lois have been involved in youth ministry in Canada for nearly 40 years.
The YS Canada office is in Lake Country, BC a suburb of Kelowna, which is just as beautiful as it’s name sounds.