Register today for the Child Discipleship Forum!
Register Now
Mark Sayers
Pastor & Author
Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin
Author & Speaker
Sean McDowell
Apologist & Professor
Blair Linne
Author & Speaker
Sandra McCracken
Prolific Songwriter
Modern-day Hymn Writer
and Record Producer
George Barna
Researcher & Professor
Jay Kim
Pastor & Author
Justin Whitmel Earley
Author & Speaker
Stephen Maphosah
Awana Global VP
Africa
Rachelle Starr
Scarlet Hope Founder & President
Diane Comer
Founder
Intentional Parents International
Trevin Wax
VP of Research and Resource Development at NAMB
Elizabeth Mitchell
Ministry Leader
Sean Sweet
Community Director at FourFiveSix
Glenn Packiam
Pastor & Author
Matt Markins
Awana President & CEO
We have 13 critical years to meet kids where they are – to show up in the hard places, equip parents and biblically lead children together –so they unmistakably recognize Jesus and hold fast to Him in every situation. Kids are asking important questions and seeking answers that are forming who they become. But are those answers coming from the Bible? Are they coming from Gospel-centered leaders? It’s vitally important, as a community of children’s ministry and next-gen ministry leaders, to mold young believers into devoted followers of Jesus, capable of living out the Gospel in a world marked by hostility and compromise. Child discipleship is the most important work on the planet.
The Child Discipleship ForumTM is an annual event hosted by Awana. For two days, children’s ministry teams and church leaders gather to learn from biblical experts and each other about the most pressing challenges and opportunities in our children’s faith formation — and how we can address those together to anchor our kids to Jesus for life.
Whether you participate in the Child Discipleship Forum in person or online, you will have live access to all resources, every presentation and opportunities for dialogue and collaboration.
Nashville is widely known as Music City – and for good reason. Nashville, TN is the hometown of country music and the birthplace of bluegrass, with roots in R&B, and a thriving pop and rock scene. The city offers exciting experiences for all ages and interests. Visitors come from all over the world to listen to live music, see the famous recording studios on Music Row, try Nashville’s famous hot chicken or simply plan a fun vacation in the city.
The Child Discipleship Forum will be held at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, TN. We have blocks of rooms available at the hotels below. Mention code “CDF” when booking.
“CDF made it even more clear how much our children's ministry has got to step it up right now. Time is of the essence to reach these students and families.”
“It’s really an eye-opener. It allows us to grasp the urgency of child discipleship and leads us to the next steps of ‘What are we doing with discipleship?’ Because if we’re not, something else will.”
“Absolutely life-changing. I've gone from feeling hopeless in the light of our current culture to feeling encouraged and empowered. I've already made it a priority to spend time with our children's ministry team to explore how we can be doing better at discipling whole families.”
“At some conferences, the majority of the speakers were … motivational … but this conference was thought-provoking. The depth of content helps lay a foundation for why we minister to children and families, how to truly disciple people and form a solid strategy for the church to reach the next generation.”
The Child Discipleship Forum has been organized by Awana. From its roots in mid-week children's ministry, Awana has become a leader in global child and youth discipleship, providing curriculum and leader equipping in 135 countries. Awana partners with ministries like Compassion International, World Vision, and numerous denominations in over 78,000 churches, engaging more than 6.4 million children and students weekly.