“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

2026 Children’s Ministry Conference

Join us as we celebrate 30 years of our Children’s Ministry Conference. Experience a day of learning, growth, and encouragement for you and your team!

Saturday, October 3rd, 2026

Hosted at New York Pure Presbyterian Church 142-08 32nd Ave, Flushing, NY, 11354

Find lots of conference details below!

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Workshop options

Every child of every generation must have the opportunity to hear the Word of God, process the truth presented, and then respond. It is not God’s will that one child should perish (Matt. 18:14). But cultural changes have affected the communication methods needed to reach the current generation with the Gospel. In the past, most children, even unchurched children, knew something about God and His Word. That is no longer the case. It is essential for those who minister to children and young teens to deepen their awareness of the current culture and adapt their teaching resources and methodologies to provide clear, culturally relevant explanations. This workshop will provide an overview of God’s generational plan and information to help you minister to the current generation.
What happens with the children who “age out” of our Good News Club® ministry? Far too often, these preteens slip through the cracks. The Junior Youth Challenge® ministry can bridge that gap and provide the encouragement and discipleship these 11- 14-year-olds desperately need. Let’s map the course forward for these young people to continue their walk with the Lord! Let’s challenge them to grow strong in the faith, share the Gospel with others, develop a concern for the world around them, and invest their lives in things that will yield eternal benefits. This workshop will provide you with an overview of the JYC™ program and materials, helping you to see how JYC clubs can help grow your ministry.
God is a God of order, peace, and intentional design, not confusion. When we establish clear, loving boundaries and predictable routines in our classrooms, we create an environment where children feel safe, known, and ready to learn. This structural peace allows children—especially those who are easily overwhelmed, anxious, or easily distracted—to lower their guards, engage with others, and receive the Gospel.
In this workshop, we’ll move beyond simply reacting to difficult behaviors and discover proactive strategies that help prevent chaos before it begins.
You’ll gain practical tools to help teams confidently lead their classrooms while building relationships that communicate both grace and truth.
Because classroom management is about more than controlling behavior. It’s about creating an environment where children can encounter Jesus. Come discover how a little intentional structure can create a lot more space for ministry.
Every child is created in the image of God and deserves to be known, loved, and discipled. But sometimes children with special needs require us to rethink how we teach, communicate, and build relationships in our ministry environments.
This workshop will help children’s ministry leaders and volunteers better understand and serve children with special needs. We’ll explore practical ways to create welcoming environments, adapt teaching and activities, communicate effectively, and partner with families so that every child has an opportunity to hear the Gospel and grow in their relationship with Jesus.
Come ready to gain practical tools, grow in compassion and confidence, and discover ways your ministry can move beyond simply including children with special needs to intentionally loving and discipling them.
What happens to a student’s faith when youth group ends, they leave for college, enter the workforce, or begin life on their own?
Discipleship cannot simply prepare students for the next youth event—it must prepare them for a lifetime of following Jesus. This workshop will challenge leaders to think beyond attendance, programming, and graduation milestones and consider how we are equipping students to own their faith, think biblically, navigate a changing culture, and live faithfully when the structures of home and church change.
Whether your students are headed to college, the workplace, or somewhere else entirely, they need more than a faith that works at church. They need a faith that works in everyday life.
Come ready to serve, lead, and prepare the next generation to follow Jesus long after they graduate.
Kids don’t stay the same—and neither should our approach to ministry.
A preschooler, an elementary student, and a teenager all need to know the same biblical truth, but they don’t necessarily understand it, experience it, or apply it in the same way. Effective discipleship begins with knowing the child in front of us and understanding how they are growing physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
In this workshop, we’ll explore the unique characteristics and discipleship needs of children and students at different stages of development. We’ll consider how biblical concepts can be communicated in age-appropriate ways while keeping the goal the same: helping kids know God, understand His Word, love Jesus, and grow in their faith.
Whether you serve preschoolers, elementary kids, preteens, or students, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of how children develop and practical ideas for teaching and discipling them at every stage.
What if your church could take the Gospel beyond its walls and bring it directly into your community? Party Clubs provide a fun, flexible, and engaging way to reach children and families who may never walk through the doors of your church.
In this workshop, you’ll discover how to plan and host a CEF Party Club outreach in your neighborhood, school, community, or other setting. We’ll explore the essential elements of a Party Club—including a Gospel-centered Bible lesson, songs, games, memory verses, and activities—and how to involve volunteers from across your church in reaching children with the Good News.
Whether you’re planning your first Party Club or looking for ways to strengthen an existing outreach, you’ll leave with practical ideas and a clear path toward using Party Clubs to build relationships, share the Gospel, and reach your community for Christ.
The gospel is for everyone, and it’s for every believer to share! How do we equip our church members to confidently share the gospel, and create more opportunities for those conversations to happen? If you can share the gospel on a child’s level, you can share it with anyone. This workshop will equip you to teach children and have gospel conversations with any age. We’ll talk about practical ways to share the message of salvation with anyone and help create a church-wide culture of gospel outreach.
This workshop equips teachers to confidently and clearly extend God’s invitation to children following a Bible lesson or Gospel presentation. Participants will learn the biblical principles and practical steps for giving a clear, age-appropriate invitation, while understanding the importance of allowing each child the opportunity to respond to God’s message.
Student engagement is the heartbeat of the learning process. It drives academic success, deepens memory retention, and builds critical thinking skills. Learning engagement is the combination of curiosity, interest, and active participation that students bring to the educational process. The goal of this workshop is to equip kids ministry teachers with practical, inclusive, and engaging strategies that increase student participation, attention, motivation, collaboration, and ownership of their own learning process.

Workshop Leaders

FAITH DUGAN

Leadership Training Instructor at the Children’s Ministries Institute® and the Director of CMI Online™
Faith began full-time ministry with Child Evangelism Fellowship® in 1989. She first served as the Brooklyn Ministries Coordinator and then as the Director of Training for CEF® of Greater New York City. She moved from Brooklyn, NY, to Warrenton, MO, and began working full-time at the CEF International Headquarters in 2016. Faith serves as a Leadership Training Instructor at the Children’s Ministries Institute® and the Director of CMI Online™ (the CEF online training site). Faith has a passion for reaching the middle school age group and teaches a Junior Youth Challenge® club at Black Hawk Middle School in Warrenton. Faith leads the global JYC™ Task Force.
Doctorate in Educational Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; MA in Counseling from Biblical Theological Seminary; Undergraduate studies at Bryan College, Tennessee Temple University & WV State College
DR. LOUISE ROSE

Kids Ministry Coordinator - First Church of the United Brethren in Christ & Childhood Education Professional & Instructor
Dr. Louise Lawrence-Rose is an Instructional Leader, author, ministry leader and Child Evangelism Fellowship volunteer, with over two decades of experience spanning curriculum development, special education, and children’s ministry. Professionally, Louise has served the Ministry of Education Jamaica for approximately 20 years. Louise currently works as a supervisor for Moshulu Montefiore Pelham Cornerstone. Louise is married to Pastor Robert Rose and they have the joy of raising Jahvier ( 8) a budding astronaut, and Jahdae (6) a future dance minister.
Garrett Raburn

Lead Pastor - Mission City Church - Brooklyn, NY
After rediscovering his faith in college, Garrett began full-time service to the local church in 2012. For six years he worked with Watermark Community Church’s young adult’s ministry called The Porch before moving to New York City to start Mission City Church in 2019. Garrett holds doctoral and master’s degrees in Christian education from accredited seminaries. He and his wife Gabi live in Brooklyn with their two daughters. Garrett also serves as a member of Mission City’s elder team, and heads up the LeadNow events for Send NYC, investing in high school and college aged leaders.
Josiah Maddox

Lead Pastor - Salem Church - Staten Island, NY & CEF Staff Member
Josiah serves as Lead Pastor at Salem Church’s Clove Lakes location on Staten Island, where he is passionate about following Jesus and bringing others along on the journey. He has been serving in New York City for over 16 years, through roles at Salem Church and Child Evangelism Fellowship, dedicating his life to equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. Josiah has degrees from Liberty University (B.S. in Biblical Studies) and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.A. in Ministry Leadership). He is married to his wife, Josie, and together they are raising four children: Thomas, Kasey, Cameron, and Emma.
Monica Winter

Speech Language Pathologist & Good News Club Teacher
Monica Winter is a Speech-Language Pathologist and longtime Good News Club teacher in New York City. She is passionate about helping children understand and respond to God’s Word and equipping others to communicate the Gospel clearly and effectively. Through her experience in both speech-language development and children’s ministry, Monica brings a unique perspective to teaching children and making biblical truth accessible to them. She has also served as an instructor in Child Evangelism Fellowship training, helping equip teachers and volunteers to reach children with the Gospel. Monica loves seeing children engage with Scripture, discover their need for a Savior, and grow in their understanding of God’s Word.
DOT GUERRIERO

Academic Career & Essential Skills (ACES) Teacher for Special Needs Students - McKee Career & Technical High School - Staten Island, NY
Dot Guerriero brings a lifetime of experience investing in children and students through education, athletics, and ministry. A former college basketball player at St. Francis College, Dot went on to coach girls’ varsity basketball, where she led her teams to championship-level success. She has also served for many years in children’s ministry through Salem Church’s Upward Basketball program, helping create opportunities for children and families to grow in faith and community. Dot has a particular passion for loving, discipling, and including children with special needs, and she brings a unique combination of coaching experience, ministry experience, and a genuine love for children to her teaching.
BETSY MADDOX

Metro Director - CEF of Greater New York City
Betsy Maddox serves as the Metro Director for Child Evangelism Fellowship of Greater New York City. With over 40 years of experience in children’s ministry, evangelism, and discipleship, Betsy is passionate about helping churches reach children with the Gospel and equip leaders to faithfully teach God’s Word. She has served alongside churches and ministry leaders throughout New York City, training volunteers, encouraging teachers, and developing creative opportunities to share Jesus with children in their communities. Betsy brings a wealth of practical ministry experience and a deep love for children, the local church, and the Gospel.
HAVER CROSLEY

Minister - Kingdom Life Worship Center
Dr. Haver Crosley is a veteran educator for more than 40 years, with vast expeience teaching at the middle- and high-school age levels. She has also taught in University and College environments as well, and is eager to share her experience and expertise with us at this year’s conference. She serves alongside her husband at Kingdom Life Worship Center in Long Island.
TANYA VELARDO

Children's Ministry Director, Renaissance Church NYC
Tanya Velardo serves as the Children’s Ministry Director at Renaissance Church in Harlem, where she is passionate about helping children and families know and follow Jesus. She holds a B.A. in Bible with a Missions emphasis from Lancaster Bible College and is a graduate of Child Evangelism Fellowship’s Children’s Ministry Institute. Tanya has served with CEF in a variety of ministry and development roles, including on the overseas mission field, and currently also serves as faculty with the New York School of the Bible, teaching courses in family ministry, Bible teaching, and children’s ministry. With years of experience serving children and families in New York City, Tanya brings a deep passion for the local church and a wealth of practical experience in discipling the next generation.