Next Generation Conference
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 10:00 AM-2:30 PM
Ezell Center
Practical Ministry Tools for Churches
The Next Generation Conference equips children's and youth ministers, family ministry leaders, and church staff with practical tools for supporting families in their congregations. Drawing on the theme of Russell Moore's The Storm-Tossed Family, this one-day conference explores how ministers can offer stability and hope to families, helping them find their center in the cross of Christ.
Featured Speaker: Russell Moore
Russell Moore serves as Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today and is one of the most influential voices in American evangelicalism on matters of faith, family, and culture. As the former President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Moore has spent decades helping churches navigate cultural challenges with theological clarity and pastoral sensitivity. His book The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home (Christianity Today's 2019 "Beautiful Orthodoxy" Book of the Year) provides the theological foundation for this conference, challenging both the idolatry and neglect of family that characterize our age.
Cost: $35 per registrant (includes lunch)
Conference Schedule
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Check-In, Paul Rogers Boardroom (Ezell 147)
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Keynote #1: “The Family is Not First,” Russell Moore
Doris Swang Chapel (Ezell 241)
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Breakout Session #1, “Understanding the Spiritual, Emotional, and Social Makeup of Gen Alpha”,Dr. JP Conway, Paul Rogers Boardroom (Ezell 147)
“Equipping Parents to Talk About God with Children,” Carly Brandvold, Doris Swang Chapel (Ezell 241)
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Lunch (provided), Paul Rogers Boardroom (Ezell 147)
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Breakout Session #2
“Intentionally Designing Kids Ministry,” Dawn Crisler, Doris Swang Chapel (Ezell 241)
“Intentionally Designing Youth Ministry,” Dr. Walter Surdacki, Paul Rogers Boardroom (Ezell 147)
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Coffee Break (provided)
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
Keynote #2: “The Church is Family,” Russell Moore
Doris Swang Chapel (Ezell 241)