Check out the latest podcast from the gang from Simply Youth Ministry-Doug, Jana, Josh and Matt. They’ll all be at the conference and recording a live podcast on Friday night, Feb 22 at 10 pm.

I was just reading Josh Griffin’s blog about Skyline Chili in Cinncinnati. He’s never had it, and a bunch of Cincy folks are trying to explain it. Having gone to college at Miami of Ohio outside of Cincinnati, I lived on the stuff for 4 years! In the fall I went to visit the Duke Energy Center, and saw a Skyline Chili cart in the conference center lobby.  I think the highlight of the trip was discovering that we could hijack that cart for the conference and take it down to our end of the convention center right outside the general session area! It’s all ours for 4 days! I’m hoping they’re open for breakfast!

Hey gang! The registration booth opens on Friday, Feb. 22 at noon, and will be open through the evening. Here’s the scoop of the Friday events. Click here to check out the complete conference schedule.

Friday, Feb 22

Registration, bookstore and ministry partner booths open at noon

1-2 pm Affinity Groups will connect for fellowship and conversation

2 pm worship with Steve Jones in the commons area

2:30-4  Heart-to-Heart discussions with various speakers. Spend time picking Doug Fields’ brain–and many others!

3 & 4 pm worship with Steve Jones in Commons area

4:30-5:30 Affinity Groups meet again to connect and dialogue with later arrivals

6:30 General session preshow begins (lots of free prizes and laughs)

7-9 pm General session–hosted by Doug Fields with keynote from Coach Tony Dungy, worship concert with Sara Groves

10 pm-midnight Various events–check schedule online

Devastating to hear about these terrible storms, that are likely affecting thousands of your church members. We’re holding you close in prayer.

The discounted NYMC room block at the Millennium Hotel is now totally sold out–but we did a search of downtown Cincinnati, and there are available rooms at decent rates in many hotels within walking distance. Do a little online searching and look for deals! We’ve found some rooms under $100!

If you are flying into the Cincinnati airport, look for our staff in the baggage claim wearing red shirts and holding National Youth Ministry Conference signs, and they’ll help you find someone to share a taxi with into the downtown area!

If you haven’t booked your flight…seriously look into flying into Dayton (or even Indianapolis!). It’s usually more than 50% cheaper, and only an hour away. Post a note on the conference travel forum and ride share with someone coming in the same airport!

Tons of new info…check out the detailson each of the 4 sessions of all Deeper Learning Tracks, complete workshop descriptions, affinity group descriptions plus the bios of dozens of speakers that weren’t up before! We’ve added the most updated schedule too–late night breakouts and other new happenings on Friday afternoon! 

If you haven’t met Jeanne Mayo (NYMC Track Leader, and founder of Youth Leader’s Coach) you’ll definitely know her after attending the conference. Word’s can’t really describe her heart for ministry and her amazing impact on people…but this attempts to sing it.

Love these guys! They’re awesome to work with–and they were psyched about the personal/authentic themes of the conference. When we asked about them doing a talk-back session with fans after the concert–they’re game. They’d actually heard that we did that last year at the conference with Toby Mac, and thought it was a great way for sharing their heart and ministry behind their music.

More details to come–but plan on Sunday night as a late-night happening sometime after 10 pm–Kutless Unplugged: the Ministry Behind the Music.

    I don’t think they really thought we’d have livestock, but we did. The goat was sick and couldn’t make it, and the llama wasn’t really going to be the best idea for us to haul through the front lobby. I’d like to keep my job. Anyway–we had a blast–there was a little bit of fire, and the chicken did poop in the middle of the hallway at Group–but it’s all ok. No one can tell.  This video might out-do last year’s stuff!