Are you coming to Orange 2019? I certainly hope so.

If you are a NextGen Pastor, one of the best places to grow, learn, and find community with other NextGen Pastors is AT THE ORANGE CONFERENCE! Sorry, I get a little passionate.

If you’re coming, let me give you this one small bit of advice. The Orange Conferences isn’t to be attended. To get the most out of Orange, the conference needs to be experienced. What does that mean? I’m glad you asked. Let me be your NextGen Tour Guide to one of the biggest and best gatherings of Family Ministry Leaders.

PREPARATION

Get some sleep. Now. Seriously, you’re going to need to go into Orange well rested. There are breakouts and general sessions – you already know about that. But there are also some amazing opportunities to meet new people. Make plans to share a meal or coffee with someone who can help you. These opportunities often happen early before the conference begins or late after everything is over.

GATHER SOME GOOD QUESTIONS

What don’t you know that you need to know. What problems are you facing in your ministry? What challenge, if you could overcome it, would launch you forward more than anything else? Does that make sense? Develop a list of 3-5 really good questions and determine to find as many answers to these questions as you can find while at Orange.

  • Ask people you meet at breakouts.
  • Work your way to the front after a breakout and ask the speaker.
  • Connect with other NextGen leaders and ask them.

Don’t come home from Orange with a bunch of notes from sessions and breakouts. Come home with solutions to your problems.

PRE-CONNECT WITH OTHER LEADERS

If you wait until you get to Atlanta, you might be too late. In a sea of 8000 people, it might be hard to find the specific people who know what you need to know.

Begin asking some questions on the I AM NEXTGEN Facebook group. Ask others about meeting up to talk about…

  • check-in software options
  • preteen ministry
  • preschool small groups
  • staff challenges
  • High School programming

Trust me, there are people who want to connect about what you want to connect about. Throw out some of those questions and make arrangements to meet, even if it’s just standing around outside the arena for a 30-minute conversation before a general session.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPEREINCE

Drink as much as you can from the Orange Experience. There are a lot of things happening.

  • Come to a NextGen MeetUp. We’re hosting one at lunch on Thursday and after Seriously Night.
  • Sign up for a 25-minutes one on one coaching sessions (before they’re all gone).
  • RSVP for a seat in the YouLead/Ministry Boost Suite.

You can get more information and sign up for all these opportunities HERE!