Leadership Training Conference will be held March 6-9, 2014. After being held in Greenville, South Carolina for many years, the conference leadership team has decided to move it back to its roots, to the Marriott Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee to celebrate 20 years of training and equipping children’s ministry leaders.
In January 1994 at an interdenominational children’s ministry conference, nine local-church Church of God children’s covenanted to help advance Church of God ministry to children.
In September of that year, a two-day children’s leaders retreat was held near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Twenty-seven children’s leaders from nine states met and formed Children’s Pastors Fellowship, which later became the National Children’s Leaders Association.
In 2011, the name of the fellowship was changed from National Children’s Leaders Association to Children’s Leaders Association. The purpose for the name change was to be inclusive of many of the international leaders who are a part of this fellowship.
On May 13-15, 1995, the first national children’s ministries conference, called “For the Kids!” drew 300 people to a three-day event in Asheville, North Carolina. This annual conference, now called FOCUS Children’s Ministries Conference, has continued annually for 20 years. It has expanded to include Middle School leaders, as well as Spanish speaking delegates. There are 32 workshops, four general sessions, and even several workshops which begin before the initial conference general session. Each general session includes a variety of elements, including worship, entertainment, inspiration and fellowship.
Guest speakers for the FOCUS 2014 Conference include Jim Wideman and Craig Jutila. Gene Cordova, a comedian and ventriloquist, will be entertaining, as well as training. Music for the conference will be led by Larry Bean and James Matchack, the creators of Kids Praise Traks. To register, go to www.cogyouth.org [1] or call 423.478.7229. FOCUS is a ministry of Church of God Youth and Discipleship.