Ministry Coordinators Sharpen Leadership Skills

Youth and children’s ministry leaders gathered for a biennial retreat Dec. 3-5.

Ministry leaders gathered last weekend for training, visioning, and inspiration during Chesapeake Conference’s biennial Coordinators Retreat. 

More than 80 children, youth, and young adult ministry leaders convened Dec. 3-5 at the Mt. Aetna Retreat Center in Hagerstown, Md., to meet with peers from around the conference to build skills and collaborate on future ministry projects.

“The retreat had several goals for both our conference level and area coordinators,” says Carl Rodriguez, Chesapeake Conference youth director. “We provided training in the areas of communication, character development, leadership, and spiritual growth. We also provided opportunities for our team to plan, formulate, and vote on the goals for the next two years.” 

Rodriguez was pleased by the qualities he saw displayed among the coordinators. “I’m most excited by our team’s commitment and level of professionalism. There is an atmosphere of continuous improvement,” he says. 

The Coordinators Retreat featured keynote presentations from Javier Mendez and Felix Nieto and breakout sessions for specific ministry cohorts. “In-Grace,” a young adult music group from the Baltimore Spanish church, provided the weekend’s music.

“Sometimes a reminder is all that is needed to bring clarity or focus to a ministry and give its leaders a second wind,” says Javier Scharon, pastor of the Dover (Del.) First church. “I feel that this weekend was just that. We were reminded that Jesus is the foundation of our ministry and that partnering with Him to labor for children and youth is an arduous task that requires qualities, character traits, and even energy that God is willing to supply.”