Children’s Ministry Conference
at your Church

SUGGESTED SCHEDULE

(To be adjusted according to number of workshops, special speakers, etc. All conferences will need to be scheduled for a Saturday):

8:15-8:45 a.m. Registration
8:45-9:30 a.m. Opening Session
9:40-Noon Two Workshop sessions with an intermediate break
Noon-12:45 p.m. Lunch
12:45-1:45 p.m. Workshop
2:00-2:30 Closing Session–Report Backs and CDM staff will give a 15-minute Challenge of the Day

INFORMATION NEEDED NOW FROM CHURCHES: Please provide us with the following information

Hotel accommodations in the area for speakers and those who may attend from out of town.
Any special directions to the church for those coming from out of town.
Often speakers will want to have handouts available for their workshops. If possible, it is easiest if the speakers provide them electronically to your church if you have the ability to print them out for the participants. To whom should we have the speakers send the handouts to be copied?

MEETING SPACES: We will need:

One large group area (for approximately 100-125 people)
An area for lunch for the same number
Five to Seven break-out rooms for approximately 15-20 people each

AUDIO/VISUAL:

We will contact each speaker and will give you a list of what you will need to provide in each break-out room (projectors, screens or white walls, white boards, etc.). Some of the speakers may provide their own projectors.

FOOD: As the host church, please provide:

Coffee/Tea and possibly some refreshments when people arrive in the morning
Lunch for all attendees (this should be an easy and quick meal; we have allowed 45 minutes in our schedule for lunch).
We will keep in touch with you in the weeks prior so you know how many have registered for food counts.
Some churches contribute the cost of the refreshments and lunch. However, if you need to be reimbursed, CDM will reimburse expenses up to $8/attendee.

REGISTRATION AND SIGNAGE:

CDM will host online registration for your event. The link will be: www.pcacdm.org/(your event)
CDM sponsored one-day training events range in cost, contact Kathy Wargo for more info (includes lunch, general sessions, workshops, and materials)
Please have a few volunteers available to welcome attendees as they arrive and give them their name tags, materials, and register those who did not sign up in advance.
We will provide the name tags and materials for attendees (Equip Magazine, GCP Catalog, and other handouts)
Church should copy the schedule from the website and add room locations for each session to be given to each attendee.
Please make signs with directional arrows so that participants know where to find the various workshop rooms.

PUBLICITY:

We will provide postcards that are more general in nature, giving the date, location, and broad topics. They will also direct people to the website.
Please put more specific information in your church bulletin (with workshop titles and speakers), and send a bulletin announcement to the churches in your area.
Please provide us with any specific information that would be important for our website (hotel accommodations, directions to your church, etc.)

SPEAKERS:

Please send names, short bios, workshop titles/descriptions, and contact information for local people you have invited to lead workshops or speak in the plenary session. We will want to contact them concerning the day’s schedule and their specific needs (A/V needs, recommended books, etc.).
Often the out-of-town speakers arrive late Friday afternoon and they would be happy to meet with someone from the church staff for dinner on Friday evening. Let us know if you would like to arrange a dinner. Some speakers may be available to preach in local churches on Sunday morning. We can provide you with their contact information.

BOOKSTORE

If your church would like to set up a bookstore the day of the conference, please let us know and we will work with the PCA bookstore to provide books for you. You will need to have someone on site to administrate the book sales. Two 6’ or 8’ tables will be needed.

GREAT COMMISSION PUBLICATIONS

Will have an exhibit at your conference. Someone from GCP will set this up and choose the best space when he arrives for the conference. He may be in touch with your church concerning the receiving of a shipment the week prior to the conference. They will need two tables for their display.