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Limitless Leaders
The annual gathering of Youth and Children's ministry leaders from across the UK

26th - 27th January 2021
ONLINE

In the spring of 2020 we found ourselves in a new world. Many of the things we had come to rely on were gone. We had to quickly adapt to continue to give our best for the people we serve.

In many ways, the future seems equally uncertain now as it did then. We wonder if life will ever return to normal.

But somewhere deep down we know it won’t. It can’t. Because: God is moving. God is speaking. God is pruning. God is leading.

This is a new world. Our job is not to recover what we had; our job is to find out what God is doing… and join in.

So Limitless Leaders 2021 is here for that purpose. We will be gathering in online learning communities to consider practically and prophetically how to do effective youth and children’s ministry in the new world…

Tickets are £30 each. Click the button below to register.

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PROGRAMME
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DAY ONE

9:00AM
Plenary
Ministry In The New World
Tim Alford
10:00AM
Electives One:
Leadership
The Value Of The Small
(Even In The Big!)
Dave Adamson
Youth
Why Detached Is The New Youth Club
Hannah Hughes
Children's
Family: Where the Story Begins! 
Ian Harland &
Shell Perris
11:00AM
BREAK
11:30AM
Electives Two:
Leadership
How To Lead In The Season
Andy Hancock
Youth
Effective Schools Ministry In The New World
Wayne Dixon
Children's
Reaching And Supporting Additional Needs Families
Oluwaseun Ademakinwa
12:30PM
LUNCH
1:30PM
Plenary
From Sit And Watch To Signs And Wonders
Mike Pilavachi,
Susie Aldridge &
Andy Kennedy
3:15PM
Consultancy Sessions
4:00PM
Consultancy Sessions

DAY TWO

9:00AM
Plenary
Prayer & Ministry
10:00AM
Electives One:
Leadership
Leading An Anti-Racist Ministry
Rev Dr Kate Coleman
Youth
From Mono-Generational
To Multi-Generational
Jonny Slatter
Children's
Reaching Kids And Families In The Community
Dave Sharples
11:00AM
BREAK
11:30AM
Electives Two:
Leadership
Why You Should Evaluate Your
Ministry And How To Do It
Andy Hancock &
Al Causey 
Youth
From A Few Gifted Leaders To The
Priesthood Of All Believers
Andrew Root
Children's
Resetting And Rebuilding Kids Ministry
Emma Bacon
12:30PM
LUNCH
1:30PM
Plenary
Why You Shouldn’t Quit,
Even Though You Feel Like It
Rev Dr Kate Coleman
2:45PM
Consultancy Sessions
3:30PM
Consultancy Sessions

CONSULTANCY SESSIONS

Is there something going on in your youth or children’s ministry that you would value the opportunity to chew over with another leader? Then book a consultancy session with someone from the Limitless Leadership Team. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have some experienced leaders who would love to process with you.

This year we are also offering technical consultations with industry professionals. So if you need help on Zoom, live streaming to different platforms or for any other technical difficulties your facing trying to work online sign up.

Consultancy sessions are offered on a first come, first served basis.

PLENARY SESSIONS
DAY ONE
Tuesday 26th January

Ministry in the new world

// 9:00am - 9:45am // with Tim Alford

Have there been some things we placed too much value upon? Are there some critical things we have unintentionally sidelined? In this session, Limitless National Director Tim Alford reflects on some of the shifts the Lord may be asking us to make, the approaches he is calling us to adopt, and the things he is asking us to leave behind, in order to reach and disciple young people in the new world.

Tim Alford lives in Malvern, England, with his wife Jen, and two kids, Tobijah and Aria. He is the National Director of Limitless, a Youth Ministry Specialist Lecturer at Regents Theological College, and a volunteer youth leader at The Source Church. Tim is passionate about equipping leaders and communicating the gospel having spoken at conferences, churches, schools and events all over the world. He is an enthusiastic - if average - runner, a frustrated supporter of Arsenal, and has on more than one occasion been to the cinema in Star Wars fancy dress.

From sit and watch to signs and wonders

// 1:30pm - 3:00pm // with Mike Pilivachi, Susie Aldridge & Andy Kennedy

Is it possible that children and young people can engage with our ministries without ever encountering God for themselves? How distinctly Christian are our gatherings? Are they spiritual experiences, or could they be substituted for any kids/ youth-sector run provision? Throughout Scripture, we see that signs and wonders result in people following Jesus. They are an integral part of the ministry of Jesus and his early followers that served as evidence of the reality of God. So how do we build ministries through which the supernatural power of God is regularly at work? How do we move from ‘sit and watch’ to ‘signs and wonders’?

Mike Pilavachi started the Soul Survivor Watford church family in 1993 by gathering a bunch of people who wanted to reach out to teenagers in Watford. He also started the Soul Survivor charity and was recently awarded an MBE for his services to young people. In his previous life, he was an accountant who could never quite balance the books but now he travels the world sharing his passions for Jesus and terrible jokes. He has written a number of books including Wasteland, Storylines, Everyday Supernatural and Lifelines.

Susie Aldrige leads DTI and is based in Nottingham, where she’s been involved in youth work for over 10 years. She loves anything yellow and is almost always found wearing sunglasses.

Andy Kennedy is married to Catherine and they have two children, Noah and Grace. Andy has worked with YWAM for 30 years, heads up Kings Kids in the UK and has ministered with kids and young people in 73 nations. For 23 years Andy has also led the 8-11s Children’s ministry at Spring Harvest. He is passionate about families growing together, youth being released to know God and make him known, and children learning to hear God’s voice! He loves Thai curry, learning magic tricks and impersonating his twin brother.

DAY TWO
Wednesday 27th January

Prayer & Ministry

// 9:00am - 9:45am // 

A time to be together, pray together, and speak prophetically into the season. 

Rev Dr Kate Coleman

Why you shouldn’t quit,
even though you feel like it

// 1:30pm - 2:30pm // with Rev Dr Kate Coleman

This season has been hard. Many of us have felt lonely and isolated. We’ve suffered from digital fatigue. We have felt overwhelmed and confused. Many of the children and young people we served pre-Covid seem to have disengaged from our programmes, leading us to feel like failures. We do not know what tomorrow holds; the illusion of control has been shattered.

It’s no surprise, then, that at some point or another the thought of quitting seemed a great deal more appealing than the thought of pressing on. But our children and young people need us now more than ever. So how do we keep going when we feel like giving up?

Rev Dr Kate Coleman is the founding director of Next Leadership. She has well over 30 years of leadership experience in the church, charity, voluntary and business sectors, and is a mentor and coach to leaders from diverse sectors, backgrounds and communities.

LEADERSHIP STREAM
DAY ONE
Tuesday 26th January

The value of the small (even in the big!)

// 10:00am - 11:00am // with Dave Adamson

We so often approach youth and children’s ministry with an unspoken premise… if it’s bigger, it’s better. Undoubtedly, we want to reach as many as we can with the gospel, but what if going small is our best shot at getting big? What if the way kingdom movements spread is by investing deeply in the few rather than broadly in the many? So whether you have a few young people or a massive children’s ministry, this is a session that will explore how to invest deeply in those God has entrusted to us, that we might effectively make disciples in the new world.

Dave Adamson is an Australian pastor, author, content creator and YouTuber, living in Atlanta. Dave is now the social media pastor at North Point Ministries in Atlanta, and has developed a clear, relevant communication style. Dave specialises in teaching churches how to leverage technology to engage and connect with the next generation, and communicating the cultural context of the Bible. In his spare time, Dave likes to spend time with his wife Meg and three daughters, Chelsea, Ella and Jordyn, watch movies, continue his search for the perfect cup of coffee, and write YouVersion reading plans.

Dave Adamson-14

Andy Hancock

How to lead in the season

// 11:30am - 12:30pm // with Andy Hancock

Much of our focus has been on getting through the season until we can get back to normal. But the realisation is dawning upon us is that normal as we know it is a long way off. It’s important then that our focus changes from leading through the season to leading in the season; to embrace the reality of where we are now and lead the best we can in the current reality.

Andy Hancock is NextGen Pastor at Lifecentral Church and is also part of the Limitless Leadership Team. Andy’s background is in youth work but has a growing passion to see the next generation equipped to find and follow Jesus and to better partner with parents for the faith and future of their children. Andy’s main hobby is supporting the Champions of England, Liverpool FC - expect him to mention that at some point!

DAY TWO
Wednesday 27th January

Leading an anti-racist ministry

// 10:00am - 11:00am // with Rev Dr Kate Coleman

Following on from a series of podcasts, learning communities and seminars in which we have discussed the issues of racial justice together, this is an opportunity to build on that foundation by exploring how we develop proactively anti-racist youth and children’s ministries.

Why you should evaluate your ministry, and how to do it

// 11:30am - 12:30pm // with Andy Hancock & Al Causey

Experience doesn’t make you better; evaluated experience does. Reflecting on our ministries and acting on the implications is always important, but this is a moment where we have the incredible opportunity to reset and renew. So how do we evaluate our youth and children’s ministries? What do we need to start? What do we need to stop? And what do we need to reinvent?

Al Causey is currently the Family Ministries Director for Gwinnett Church which is a North Point Partner Church in Georgia, USA. He is a father of 4 kids and married to Debbie Causey, who is the Director of Care at North Point. Al has been with North Point Ministries since 2008 and has served as a volunteer in Transit (11-14s) for over 10 years.

Al Causey
YOUTH STREAM
DAY ONE
Tuesday 26th January

Why detached is the new youth club

// 10:00am - 11:00am // with Hannah Hughes

Remember your Friday night drop in? Seems like an age ago, right!? With large gatherings still some way off (at least in the way we remember them), should detached youth ministry be our new focus? Hannah Hughes joins us to share on the value of detached youth ministry, and how to do it well.

Hannah Hughes is the head of community engagement at Phase Trust. her role is to look into how we engage with the communities we work in and those on the fringes; mainly in the areas of mental health, LGTBQ+ and exploitation.

Hannah Hughes
Wayne Dixon

Effective schools ministry in the new world

// 11:30am - 12:30pm // with Wayne Dixon

Bubbles, missed exams, predicted grades… it’s a new world for schools, a confusing time for young people, and a stressful time for teachers. So how do we do schools work in this context? Are schools closed to visitors or more in need of help than ever? How can we best serve our local schools, and the young people within them, in the new world?

Wayne Dixon is a Schools Worker in Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead with a local charity called Christian Connections in Schools (CCiS) in partnership with Scripture Union. He was invited by a teenager to take an assembly to help her start a School Christian Group in June 1986. Two years later this led to him working in schools which he continues 30+ years later and just loves it!

DAY TWO
Wednesday 27th January

From mono-generational to multi-generational

// 10:00am - 11:00pm // with Jonny Slatter

We come to youth ministry with an unconsidered set of immovable preconceptions; that youth ministry is the gathering of a mono-generational group of 11-18 year olds. And there’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but it’s not in the Bible, so we don’t have to do it that way. What if young people need spiritual parents more than spiritual programmes? And what if youth ministry in the new world needs to look more like a family than a school classroom? In this session, Jonny shares about how he has been adopting intergenerational approaches to raising disciples.

Jonny Slatter heads up the Limitless Erskine youth group in Scotland. He is originally from Edinburgh and moved to Erskine in 2018 following God’s prompting that the Bridge Christian Fellowship was the right place for him to continue his ministry. He is currently studying at Regents Theological College/the Limitless Academy for a qualification in Theology and Youth Ministry and his heart is to see young people build life-lasting relationships both with friends and with Jesus.

Johnny SLatter
Andrew Root

From a few gifted leaders to the priesthood of all believers

// 11:30am - 12:30pm // with Andrew Root

Theologically we ascribe to the doctrine of a priesthood of all believers, functionally we have a model where only the gifts of a few are utilised. But Scripture is clear, ‘to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.’ So how do we create youth nostrils where everyone gets to discover and grow in their gifts?

Andrew Root (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A former Young Life staff worker, he has served in churches and social service agencies as a youth outreach associate and a gang prevention counsellor.

CHILDREN's STREAM
DAY ONE
Tuesday 26th January

Family: where the story begins!

// 10:00am - 11:00am // with Ian Harland & Shell Perris

In this session Ian and Shell bring Matthew 19:13 to life through Spiritual Insight and Practical Guidance.

Ian Harland

Ian Harland heads up Kids Ministry throughout Elim in Ireland, and has been involved with kids ministry for over 25 years. His heart and passion is to see kids encounter the love of Jesus; and that every volunteer not only recognises the value of the contribution they bring to children’s ministry, but that they would also feel truly empowered to reach their full potential in working with kids.

Shell Perris

Shell Perris is a co-founder of Imagine Ministries, Imagine for Schools, Alive events, part of the Limitless Kids team and with her husband Tim, is parent & peacekeeper to four energetic boys!
Shell has a burning passion to see kids and their families empowered in the things of God to make a real difference in the world.

Reaching and supporting additional needs families

// 11:30am - 12:30pm // with Oluwaseun Ademakinwa

In this session Oluwaseun will share with us her testimony and give both a parent and leaders perspective of how we can be a support network for parents of additional needs families and reach the children themselves during the current season. We will also have space for Q&A, so you can ask any questions you may have about supporting families within your setting.

Oluwaseun Ademakinwa is married to Yemi and they're blessed with two great kids. She is also a secondary school maths teacher. She is very passionate about pastoral care and volunteered in her previous church as a pastoral care coordinator. Within her local church she volunteers in the SEN team within the kids work and helps with Connect +, a support group for parents of children with additional needs. Being a mother of an autistic child, Olu has a heart to reach out to other families with children that have additional needs. She is also passionate about helping SEN kids in their discovery of God’s love and His Peace.

Olu
DAY TWO
Wednesday 27th January

Reaching kids and families in the community

// 10:00am - 11:00pm // with Dave Sharples

In this Session Dave will share with us his testimony and heart for reaching out into the community. We will also have space for Q&A, to allow you to ask Dave any questions you may have regarding reaching kids and families in your communities.

Dave Sharples MBE has lived and worked in Toxteth, Liverpool for over 25 years. He is married to Steph and they have three children, Abi, Jake and Josh. He started volunteering for his local church Frontline in 1993 to work with inner city kids, and became known locally as "Captain" Dave. KidzKlub slowly grew over a number of years to a peak of over 500 kids in attendance every week. Together with a team of volunteers they helped to train 200 churches to set up similar ministries in their local community. Dave also set up a christian mentoring project, Mighty Men, as well as a city wide youth event called Space Liverpool, which ran for 10 years. Dave was on staff at Frontline church for over 20 years period but is now employed by the4points ministry which he set up in 2005. Earlier this year Dave and his family volunteered to start a church plant for Frontline Church in Toxteth.

Dave Sharples
Emma Bacon

Resetting and Rebuilding Kids Ministry

// 11:30am - 12:30pm // with Emma Bacon

We are in a season which has caused us to re-look at our kids ministries.
Online videos and Zoom calls, I’m sure, are not ways we would have thought we would be reaching our kids today. But could it be that God is setting us in a position to reset and rebuild our kids work in a new way?
In this session Emma Bacon shares her heart on this topic.

Emma Bacon is the full time kids worker at Elim Coventry and is currently overseeing Limitless Kids. With a diploma in popular music and worship and a level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education, Emma is passionate about seeing all children, including those with additional needs, encounter God, feel loved and accepted and discover their God given identities and giftings.
She is also passionate about seeing children encounter Jesus through worship and has released a kids EP.
Emma enjoys travelling, writing songs, listening to Music and spending time with friends and family.

WOW! What a line up!

Get involved!

 Register Here

Tickets are £30 each

26 - 27 January 2021
ONLINE

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