It seems like there have been a bunch of new youth ministry conferences popping up recently, and I wanted to alert you to another one you may not have heard about: Rooted. Anything that bills itself as a “theology conference for student ministry” is worth looking into a bit deeper. I think we have needed some really theologically grounded get-togethers for a while now. Perhaps Rooted will fill part of that void.

Here’s how the conference is described on its website:

Many conferences focus on the “how to” of student ministry; Rooted focuses on the substance: the message of the crucified Christ. What we do is driven by what we believe, or, in other words, our theology informs our methodology. Formulas work in chemistry, but when it comes to the many variables of life, formulas have a hard time keeping up. That’s why ministry done in one place does not always work in another. So, while many conferences focus on how to do different aspects of ministry, this conference follows one singular train of thought: the Gospel.

Be advised, there are no “big name” theologians presenting at this conference. The speakers appear to have solid credentials, but I am simply unfamiliar with all of them, so I can’t make any judgment one way or another (if anyone has any experience with any of the speakers, leave a comment below). But I think that’s okay. We need to hear from new people. We’ve all ready books by Root and Brueggemann and Hauerwas. We kind of know what they are going to say when they get up to speak. As long as the speakers are quality thinkers with fair insight into youth ministry, then I’m okay with that. There are lots of great thinkers out there that no one has ever heard of. Don’t let that deter you from going. If nothing else, you will be going with a bunch of youth ministry and theology geeks. How cool will that be?

Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to attend. I really would like to, because the conference sounds interesting, but all of my spare money for continuing education (not to mention quite a bit out of my pocket) is being spent on finishing my M.A. If you end up going, please report back what you think. I’m sure it will be a quality event.

Are there other conferences like this flying under the radar that more people should know about?