10 Reasons to Attend the Orange Conference

Many years ago, I was introduced to the XP3 student ministry curriculum from Orange. I didn’t know much about the whole Orange thing at that time, but I did hear they had an annual conference. So, in 2010, I attended my first Orange Conference. I was somewhat overwhelmed, but I had a great time and learned so much! Since then, I have attended six more times, and I am planning to attend again in 2019.

OC19 will be May 1-3, 2019, in Atlanta, GA. In fact, you can save $90 if you sign up when registration goes live on October 18.

But you may be asking yourself, “Why should I attend the Orange Conference?” Great question! Here are 10 reasons why I think you should be at OC19:

10. You have a really good chance of getting some free stuff. Venders give out stuff all the time, and many others win prizes during main sessions and workshops.

9. You get to hang out with others like you. In fact, there is usually some sort of additional fun hang out time for all the youth ministers during the week.

8. You get to meet ministry leaders from all over the world. At past conferences, I’ve met people who lead in churches in Europe, Africa, and Australia.

7. You can learn more about your area of ministry. There are workshop tracks that are designed for specific areas of ministry, which tend to build upon one another.

6. You can learn more about other areas of ministry. Not only could you attend a workshop for another area of ministry, you have many opportunities to connect with others who serve in various capacities within the church. This might help you, or it could help you know if your church really should hire a Next Gen Pastor, for example.

5. You get to take a break from your daily routine. Let’s face it. Even though we love ministry, it’s always nice to get away for a bit and do something new.

4. You will learn more about the Orange philosophy of ministry straight from the ones who developed it. Even though the basics are fairly simple, the ins and outs can get somewhat overwhelming at time. The conference is a great place to get all your questions answered.

3. There is something for everyone on your ministry staff team. Not only are there workshops for every major area of ministry, there is even a sister-conference going on for senior leaders called Re-Think Leadership Conference. So you can even bring your senior pastor with you!

2. You get to spend time in worship without worrying about planning anything. We can easily get overwhelmed in the organization of ministry programs. In fact, many of you might not get a chance to actually attend church worship on a regular basis, because you’re always leading something. This is a great time to sit back and just take it in for a change.

1. You can become a better ministry leader. And don’t we all want to make ourselves better? This is a great opportunity. From the great speakers to the interaction with other great leaders to the connections you can make within Orange and other organizations, you will grow from this experience. And your ministry will reap the benefits.

Yes, there are several conferences out there, and many of them are fantastic. However, if you have not attended a conference recently, I highly encourage you to check out the Orange Conference. In fact, bring your whole staff and/or team.

If all of these reasons didn’t yet convince you, check out this video.

October 15 begins Orange Blogger Week. Be sure to check out Orange’s own blog about the conference, but also do yourself a favor and visit the rest of the Orange bloggers’ listed below: