“The best event of this sort I’ve ever attended.”
“Every session has been so helpful.”
These were just a couple of the comments overheard during this year’s North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) Children’s Leadership Conference, held Sept. 24–27 in Portland, Ore. More than 300 individuals active in children’s Sabbath School ministries and the Adventurers program came from around the Northwest to take part in a packed agenda.
Primarily coordinated by Alphonso McCarthy and Pattric Parris of the NPUC youth department and Shirley Allen, Oregon Conference children’s ministries director, this conference featured eight general meetings and 80 individual breakout sessions. Guest presenters for general meetings included Brenda Walsh, 3ABN (Three Angels Broadcasting Network) Kids Network general manager, and Terry Johnson, executive director of mission integration at Adventist Medical Center in Portland. Breakout sessions included such diverse topics as “Making Budgets and the Church Board Work for Children’s Ministry,” “Making Scripture Stick,” “Faith Development in Adventurers” and “Great Ideas for Children’s Church.”
With the unmitigated success of this recent event, many are already asking when the next session will be scheduled. “If I had known it was going to be so good, I would have brought more of my friends” was a common refrain. Brad Forbes, director of AdventSource, which provides many resources and materials for children’s ministries, suggested that additional coordination and promotion of these events could be done from the North American Division in the future.
For more information, contact the NPUC youth department at 360-857-7033 or go to their website to watch videos of the conference.
Terry Johnsson shares his message "The Power of Words" during Friday morning's general session.
Jackie Bishop speaks on "Understanding Grace" during on of Friday's breakout sessions.
Hiram Ruiz presents a breakout session in Spanish.
Sonia Cano gives a Spanish breakout session on working with children with special needs.
Gloria Beerman teaches how to make scripture stick in a breakout session.
Jaclyn Russell takes a fresh look at the family network in a breakout session.
Brenda Walsh focuses on how to serve with passion in a Friday breakout session.
Groups join together in prayer as the Sabbath morning general session begins.
Jeanine Goodwin leads Sabbath morning worship.
Sabbath morning worship.
Children perform special music Sabbath morning.
Brenda Walsh talks about to to teach kids that Jesus loves them during Sabbath mornings general session.
Tina Houser teaches how to tell the best story, God's story, in a creative way.
