Experience Event for Youth Pastors

Experience: Practice What You Preach

A Unique, In-Person Event for Youth Pastors Who Preach

May 5-7, 2025 - Nashville, TN - SOLD OUT

Youth pastors preach. Sharing the message matters because souls matter. Whether you preach regularly to a room of 12 or a crowd of 1,200 the skill of preaching is critical, and it is skill.

This unique event is a chance to practice one of the most important things you do with other youth ministers like you.

Event Details Speakers Hear From Previous Attendees

Preaching better matters. But where are the places you practice what you preach?

The Experience is not a preaching conference to sit and listen, but a 3-day event to practice and learn from leading voices and fellow youth pastors.

Each session will be hosted in a unique venue with a gifted communicator and will offer a new chance to learn, share, and practice what you preach. These three days are a deep, meaningful, and memorable experience that boosts your preaching for a lifetime.

The Experience includes:

Two nights of lodging in a Nashville hotel
Tasty local food
Incredible sessions
Exclusive swag
And a few more surprises

You will only be responsible for your travel and meals to and from Nashville. All local travel, lodging, and food will be covered under the event registration.

Who’s already coming?

This unique experience is only happening with this 2025 crew, in Nashville, this year. It is sure to be a memorable experience that will impact your ministry leadership for years to come.

Chad Higgins

Mike Keahbone

Scott Pace

Will Cumby

Shane Pruitt

Zac Workun

Jeff Wallace

Preaching is powerful, portable, and our greatest defense against church apathy. Rediscovering creative consistency that meets students where they are spiritually, emotionally, and physically is more important now than ever. God's message never changes; the delivery method must stay updated!
— Will Cumby

Incredibly thankful for the team at Lifeway for putting together a power packed preaching workshop experience. Specific coaching, real-time feedback, and practical tools to enhance message preparation and delivery.

Regardless of experience, would highly recommend to all student pastors to sharpen the craft that God has given you by participating as it’s allowed me to teach more concisely, creatively, and consistently.
— Jason Mick, NextGen Pastor (Prestonwood Baptist Church)

The Experience is a once in a lifetime type of conference where you are taught the intricacies of sermon prep and delivery from some of the leading Bible scholars, writers, and communicators in the world.

The content is applicable to every person who teaches at any level in any size of church and community lasts far beyond the event.

I have and will continue to recommend it to anyone who is seeking to improve as a Biblical communicator.
— Brett Lalli, Student Pastor (FBC McAlester)

Attending this conference was a game-changer for me as a student pastor. It’s easily one of the best I’ve ever been to. I walked away feeling more equipped and confident as a communicator to teenagers. One of the highlights was connecting with other youth pastors who truly understand the challenges of ministry—sharing insights and learning from each other was invaluable.

What really sets this conference apart is its focus on practical feedback. Many youth pastors don’t have someone in their corner to give constructive critique after delivering a message. This conference fills that gap by providing access to seasoned communicators who identify blind spots and help you grow as a preacher. If you want to sharpen your skills and take your communication to the next level, this is the place to be.
— Anthony Vargas, Student Pastor (TogetherWeChurch)

There is so much to say about this event that can only be understood by attending! Preaching and teaching is a a gift that we need to steward well and a craft that should be refined. The Experience does both of those things for student ministers with precision and encouragement. The Experience pairs together exhilarating fun and tender moments for student ministers from all over to come together to be encouraged, equipped, and refreshed in their calling and gifting so that when they go home they continue to faithfully do what the Lord has called them to do.

One thing I didn’t realize I needed going into The Experience was a gentle reminder that the Lord sees me as a son and not just as a student minister. The Lord used The Experience to remind me that my calling means nothing without the One who has called me. Whatever season you may find yourself in right now, The Experience is an event that will refresh your soul and tenderly remind you that God still sees you and has so much more for you.
— JP Black, Youth Pastor (FBC Rockwall)

Who is The Experience for?

This unique event was created for youth leaders who teach and preach, but because it's relatively new we wanted to answer some of your questions.

The Experience is all about the craft of preaching and the art of communication. Whether you call it a message, a talk, or a sermon, the work of preparing, sharing, and delivering is all we are going to be talking about at this event!
We are not just going to talk about preaching, we are going to practice it! Each session will have a unique moment for each attendee to participate. And on the last day of the event, we will all preach live.
We are capping the attendance at 50. Our hope is that this strengthens the bonds and everyone will get a chance to meet all of the other participants and connect with each of our guests.
At every session, there will be a chance to participate and lots of room for feedback. We are all going to be stretched because we think that’s the best way to grow. We are all going to put it out there, be a little more vulnerable, and see some huge growth!
We have some secrets we want to wait and share with only those who go!
Initially no. We want each session of the Experience to be uniquely memorable for those who attend each year.
Although, we do already have ideas for how to make Experience 2026 more open to those who have already been “Experienced.”
We think so! But don’t take our word for it!
“Incredibly thankful for the team at Lifeway for putting together a power packed preaching workshop experience. Specific coaching, real-time feedback, and practical tools to enhance message preparation and delivery. Regardless of your experience level, would highly recommend to all student pastors to sharpen the craft that God has given you by participating as it’s allowed me to teach more concisely, creatively, and consistently.” - Jason Mick NextGen Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church

Schedule

May 5-6-7, 2025
Check-in starts at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, May 5th
Event concludes at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 7th

Location: Nashville, TN

Enjoy great food and incredible sights in one of the fastest growing fun cities in America. We are going to take you on a tour de force of Nashville spots along our journey of an event together.

Two – Night Hotel Stay Included

We'll be staying in a swanky hotel in south Nashville. It’s nice, and close to our new Lifeway headquarters (which you will be some of the first to check out).

All Meals Included

Nashville has incredible food, so you can be sure that we'll be feeding you well. You can bring spending money if you want, but for all the meals you are with us, you are covered.

Intentionally Small

This is not a traditional conference. Each year is offered for only a few new folks. The speakers are familiar, but the kinds of sessions, the unique venues, and the opportunities to share and preach to a fellowship of fellow preachers is unique. We need the group to be smaller to maximize the plans we have for those who attend.

Limited Spots

The experience is exciting because everyone will have a chance to participate, practice what they preach. To do that, we are limiting the number of registrations. This year we are only offering 50 spots for first-time attenders. Last year it sold out quickly, so we would encourage you to register sooner than later.

2 Registration Options

Registration fees are non-refundable for this exclusive event.

Double Occupancy

$299

per person

At this rate you will split a hotel room with an assigned roommate. If you get a friend to sign up for the Experience, we will match you together to share the room.
If you want to pick your roommate (your friend!), you'll be able to do that before the start of the event.

Single Occupancy

$499