Do you wish that you and your volunteer leaders were better equipped to:

  • Understand the Bible’s role in discipleship

  • Intentionally plan what to teach at youth group

  • Move from studying the biblical text to a simple teaching outline

  • Communicate so that teenagers will hear and understand God’s Word

Participant Testimony:

“I attended YPT’s Teaching Workshop as a brand new youth pastor, and it has completely changed my ministry! I learned how to teach God’s Word to teens in a way that has made them want to engage with it outside of youth group, and that has been the biggest factor in helping our teens become disciples of Jesus. Since I’ve implemented what I learned in the workshop, 12 students have come to saving faith in our youth group, many have recommitted their lives to Jesus, and 40 students have committed to serving Jesus somewhere in the church. Evangelism has skyrocketed amongst the students, which has helped us reach 100 students at our youth group for the first time. The Bible says that God’s Word will never return void, and I’m so thankful to Mike and John for running the YPT teaching workshop and to the Fellowship Church for hosting it in my area!”

Jack, Youth Pastor in CT

YPT’s Teaching Workshop is a daylong training event that your church can apply to host for your team and for the youth ministries in your area. Taught by our experienced YPT Trainers, you and your team will receive:

  1. STRATEGY to plan your TEACHING CALENDAR
    Many youth ministries focus on teaching doctrine, or Christian living, or spiritual formation. We will help you develop a long-range teaching strategy that incorporates all of those components as you make disciples.

  2. METHODS for how to STUDY and TEACH THE BIBLE
    We will teach you time-tested methods for developing effective lesson outlines that clearly flow from the biblical text to the head, heart, and hands of your teens.

  3. Effective COMMUNICATION SKILLS
    This workshop will sharpen your communication skills so you can deliver theologically sound and biblically focused lessons to teenagers with clarity and depth.

The YPT Teaching Workshop will strengthen your whole team to have a unified vision for teaching the Bible to youth. So whether or not you’re the lead teacher of a large youth ministry or a volunteer small group leader or Sunday school teacher for a handful of teenagers, this day will train you to study and communicate God’s Word to teenagers with clarity and confidence.

I Want to Host a Workshop

What’s it cost to host?

YPT’s break-even cost per workshop is $2000. We want to serve your volunteers and enable them to study and teach God’s Word with confidence. If your church can afford to pay more, then that will make it possible for us to do it at-cost for those with tighter budgets.

Ideally, we’d love to see a few churches partner to co-host the Teaching Workshop. For example: if you find three other churches, then each of you contribute $500 to train your volunteers together.

If cannot afford the break-even price, then we’re willing to work with you help you find sponsors to make it happen. If you want to host, or simply want more info, please click the button above and complete the Google Form.

More About the Teaching Workshop

  • If you want teenagers to grow in their hunger and thirsting after righteousness, then the YPT Teaching Workshop is for you.

    This workshop is designed for volunteers, bi-vocational, and full-time youth workers. It will also draw your whole team together with a common language to explain WHY teaching the Bible is central to discipling the next generation into lifelong faith.

  • We offer two workshop options:

    Half day Workshop: 9am-12:30pm

    Full day Workshop: 9am-4pm

    Obviously, the full day workshop requires a more robust commitment from attendees, but we’re able to cover more territory and allow more discussion.

    In general, there are three movements throughout each workshop:

    Part 1: What to teach
    Part 2: How to study the Bible
    Part 3: How to teach the Bible

  • YES! This workshop is primarily designed for TEAMS of youth leaders to attend together.

    Imagine your whole team sharing the same vision for teaching God's Word to students! They will be better small group leaders, Sunday School teachers, and have more confidence in discipling students because of this workshop.

  • No! We want to provide good biblical training for volunteers and bi-vocational youth leaders who cannot usually attend youth ministry conferences. Biblical depth isn’t only for large, well-funded churches.

    We will discuss important principles and commitments that will help every youth leader strengthen their teaching ministry.

    Whether you preach to 100 teenagers, facilitate discussion in a small group, or meet personally with just one or two teens, this workshop will help you gain clarity about why you do what you do and will give you confidence to draw students into God's Word.

  • YES! Please do not keep this training session only for your youth leaders. This is a great way to support other churches and ministries in your community.

    Imagine what might happen if multiple youth ministries in your area shared a common approach to teaching the Bible to youth! Take this as an opportunity to reach beyond the same people you normally partner with. If you don't already have a youth pastors network in your region then maybe this could be a great way to start one.

    Cohosting the workshop is also a great way to collaborate, share the expense, and train your volunteers together.

  • YPT wants to make hosting as easy as possible, while also receiving enough financial support to be sustainable. Here are the hosting and financial requests.

    • YPT’s break-even cost for both trainers is $2000. If you co-host with other churches, you can share this honorarium with them. If you don’t have the budget for this, we’re happy to work with you to make it happen.

    • Meeting space with tables that is sufficient for the anticipated group size.

    • Audio/Visual: Microphone and a display screen with HDMI connection

    • Host church is asked to provide a coffee/snack station throughout the day to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Hosts are asked to provide lunch for attendees of full-day workshops. Please keep it simple and affordable.

    • Commitment to clear and consistent promotion among churches in your region. Please invite other churches in your denomination and broader community.

    • Since we host these for break-even cost, we ask that churches allow YPT to share about our ministry with your church the Sunday after the workshop. Whether you’d like Mike or John to preach, or to simply share a short ministry moment, we’d appreciate the opportunity to highlight YPT and invite your church members to partner with us.

Meet the Team

A man taking a selfie in a park with colorful tulips and trees with red and pink leaves in the background.

Rev. Dr. John Gardner

John is the Pastor of Youth Ministries at Grace Church in Longmont, CO. He has served in youth ministry since 2009 and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from SBTS with an emphasis in Expository Preaching to Youth.

Man wearing a gray flat cap and plaid shirt smiling outdoors with trees in the background.

Rev. Dr. Mike McGarry

Mike is the Founder/Director of YPT and served as an ordained youth pastor for nearly twenty years in Massachusetts. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from GCTS with an emphasis in Ministry to Emerging Generations and has published multiple youth ministry books.