Building on the success of last year's inaugural event, Awana--a global leader in child and youth discipleship--recently announced its second Child Discipleship Forum, to be held September 22-23 in the Nashville area. With both in-person and online attendance options, the conference is set to bring together pastors, children's ministry leaders, and parents for two days of keynote presentations, seminars, and crucial conversations impacting the future of the Church.
 
Designed to equip participants with tools for building strong foundations of faith in children, the conference will feature 15 renowned ministry experts, as well as the findings of a combined Barna Group and Awana research project--the largest of its kind in two decades. The study interprets how cultural changes are rapidly affecting the local church and children's ministry.  
 
Conference speakers are slated to include Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman; Awana president and CEO Matt Markins; New York Times bestselling author and pastor John Mark Comer; author, speaker, and apologetics and culture expert Rebecca McLaughlin; Andy Crouch, a partner for theology and culture at Praxis and former editor of Christianity Today; Derwin Gray, founding and lead pastor of Charlotte, North Carolina's Transformation Church; acclaimed author, pastor and apologist Sam Allberry; and Moody Publishers acquisitions editor and popular author Trillia Newbell, among other leading children's ministry experts. The Child Discipleship Forum will also feature music and a keynote presentation from bestselling singer/songwriter, author, and Rabbit Room founder Andrew Peterson. 
 
"Even in the midst of increased anxieties there's tremendously hopeful news: child disciple-making forms lasting faith regardless of the context," shares Awana president and CEO Matt Markins. "While the culture around us is changing at breakneck speeds, child discipleship is timeless, constant, sure, and fruitful."
 
"As churches and parents seek to navigate this new world we are living in, the Child Discipleship Forum is a gathering where we can come together in unity," Markins adds. "What do all churches have in common? Our kids. Our children are the fearless future of the Church." 
 
"It's been said that it's not a matter of, 'Are our kids being discipled?' But rather, 'What exactly is it that's discipling our kids?'" explains Markins. "In this cultural moment, there are three words we are now learning a lot more about. Transhumanism, metaverse, and transgenderism. Church leaders and parents have a steep learning curve as we prepare this generation to not only navigate the rapidly shifting cultural landscape but to thrive in their faith while doing so. Let's not do it alone. That's what the Child Discipleship Forum community is all about."  
 
Registration is now open for the 2022 Child Discipleship Forum, with early bird discounts available through March 31.