Make Plans to Attend Perkins School of Youth Ministry, Jan. 11-14, 2016

The conference, which will take place at Highland Park United Methodist Church, is a training and networking opportunity for youth ministry pastors, practitioners and volunteers who are passionate about youth ministry.

DALLAS (SMU) – Rev. Rudy Rasmus, pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, headlines a dynamic group of speakers and workshop leaders at the upcoming Perkins School of Youth Ministry, scheduled for Jan. 11-14, 2016.

The conference, which will take place at Highland Park United Methodist Church, is a training and networking opportunity for youth ministry pastors, practitioners and volunteers who are passionate about youth ministry. At PSYM, youth ministry workers will study with respected scholars in the field of theological education and various leaders in Christian ministry to understand the theory and practice of youth ministry; build relationships and network with their peers; refine their skills and vision for youth ministry; and renew their calling through prayer, discernment, worship and fellowship. 

The theme for PSYM 2016 is "Make the Connections," focusing on helping youth ministry workers make the connections between ministry training, experience and practice.

Rev. Rasmus will deliver the keynote address at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 11. He is a pastor, author, and global humanitarian with a passion for outreach to the world’s poorest citizens. Rev. Rasmus co-pastors with his wife, Juanita, at St. John’s United Methodist Church – which has grown to more than 9,000 members (30 percent of whom were formerly homeless.) In the 21 years under Rev. Rasmus’ leadership, the church has become one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country where every week people of every social and economic background and ethnicity share the same pew.

He attributes the success of the church to a compassionate group of people who have embraced the vision of tearing down the walls of classism, sexism, and racism and building bridges of unconditional love, universal recovery, and unprecedented hope. A recent in-house poll revealed the number one reason people attend St. John’s is because they can “feel the love” from the parking lot to the pew.

Also available as part of PSYM is the Foundations class, which offers new youth ministry workers or volunteers an extensive course on foundational material for youth ministry. It focuses on important topics that are essential for leaders in youth ministry. This course is offered during all four periods each day. Foundations participants will also be mentored by experienced, veteran youth workers in the year between their course work to give extra support as they learn to practically apply the Foundations material to their own local church ministry.

For more information on speakers, workshop schedule, registration and pricing:

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, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of . Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music (June 2016) as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The at SMU’s of Humanities and Sciences.