One of the events I was really looking forward to attending this year was the National Youth Workers Convention. I have attended the last two years and have loved hanging out, learning, and having fun with many of my fellow youth workers. I’ve also enjoyed attending Orange Tour. Unfortunately, this is 2020, so just like the Orange Conference earlier this year and like many of us, Youth Specialties and Orange (again) had to pivot. So now we have Youth Ministry Exchange on October 22-23.
A few years ago, Orange, Download Youth Ministry, and Fuller Youth Institute put on an event called Youth Ministry Leadership Exchange. I was a big fan of this experimental event, and I kept wondering if they would ever bring it back. It seems like YMX will be the evolution of YMLX, and they are even adding a Kids Ministry Exchange two days before.
If you want to hear more about the thought behind YMX, check out episode 59 of The Student Ministry Podcast, where I interview Crystal Chiang all about her role at Orange and YMX.
The theme of YMX will be “Here to Play.” Check out this quick video from Reggie Joiner, CEO of Orange, explaining the theme.
YMX will have speakers like Doug Fields, Trey McKnight, Kara Powell, Gerald Fadayomi, Jo Saxton, Ryan Leak, Reggie Joiner, Virginia Ward, Josh Griffin, and many more. They will also have breakouts led by some of the top minds in youth ministry. And maybe most important, they will have discussion groups via Zoom to help us connect with each other.
Similar to OC and NYWC, I will be blogging during and after the two-day event. I will try to cover as much as I can, so stay tuned to my Twitter (@stevecullum) and also right here on my blog. If you want me to cover anything specific, please let me know. You can also find me in the Orange Students group on Facebook, along with their other social media accounts, interacting with other YMX attendees.
If you haven’t registered for YMX yet, do so right away! Just click the button below to use my affiliate link. And be sure to use the code Steve to save $25 off your ticket price!
Steve Cullum 
One thought on “Youth Ministry Exchange is October 22-23, 2020”