One of the things I’m looking the most forward to at this year’s Orange Conference is the MarriedPeople Network Gathering on Thursday night. People have to sign up for the Gatherings, so we have the advantage of knowing who’s coming.

I actually googled all our attendees to see what role they play at their church. Of the thirty or so who have signed up for the Marriage Ministry Gathering, how many do you think are paid full- or part-time by their church to focus on marriage? As of now, zero. That’s right, the MarriedPeople Gathering will be attended by senior pastors, executive pastors, small group pastors, children’s pastors, volunteer coordinators and everyone in between, not a marriage pastor in site.

It used to frustrate me when I found out that the marriage offerings at The Orange Conference were attended by people who weren’t paid to focus on marriage. Now, I love it. Why? Because I’ve found over the years that most of the people who attend marriage offerings at conferences are there because they are passionate about helping marriages. This may sound like a dreamer statement, but I believe it’s true: I feel we are on the cusp of marriage ministry taking ahold in churches all over the world. And I love the idea that it is being started by people who don’t have marriage ministry in their job description, who already have too much to do, and/or who feel unqualified. I love the idea that some of the people at The Orange Conference will be brave enough to go home and shake things up a bit in order to make marriage ministry a priority. I love the idea that some of them will ask for their job descriptions to be changed in whole or in part to make marriage ministry a priority. I love the idea that some of them will leave their church to be a part of a church that makes marriage ministry a priority.

I imagine youth ministry—that didn’t exist that long ago—started, in part, the same way. I imagine some of these leaders were at conferences and gatherings that didn’t have much to do with youth ministry but they somehow found each other and had conversations that frustrated and inspired them to do what they knew God was calling them to do: youth ministry. We’ve been praying this is exactly what will happen for marriage ministry at OC13. So, beware if you are coming to a marriage offering at The Orange Conference simply because you chose the short stick. God just might call you to marriage ministry!

I look forward to finding and seeing my marriage ministry misfits next week at The Orange Conference. Are you coming?

From 2001–2010, Ted Lowe worked as the director of MarriedLife at North Point Community Church. His wife, Nancie, played a huge role in hosting and planning MarriedLife programs at North Point. It was during their time at North Point that they decided they not only wanted to help the married people at North Point, but married people at churches all over the world. So, in partnership with Orange and church leaders everywhere they are working fast and furiously to HELP CHURCHES HELP MARRIAGES. They have three children: Chapman (10), Judson (7), and Teddie (5), and live in Cumming, Georgia. You can follow Ted on Twitter and Facebook.

My name is Ben Fowlkes, I am the pastor of children’s ministry at a large church right outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I have volunteered at The Orange Conference not out of need but out of the desire to grow, learn, network and for pure enjoyment.

I volunteer because I get to spend quality time with many of the speakers, vendors and Orange staff. Even while working behind the scenes to make this exciting week happen, they make time to talk and laugh with you. After many years of volunteering, we take time to catch up from past years.

I volunteer because I stand behind this concept of Family Ministry. I see daily the benefit of families coming together with the church to make a greater impact on children. I want to do whatever I can to see many others grasp this concept and put it into action at their churches.

I volunteer because it is FREE! Yes, let me be the first to admit I like FREE. Not only do I get the chance to surround myself with thousands of people in the same walk of life but I get to help others discover new things! As I serve, I walk away more fulfilled and challenged than if I were to pay for a ticket and participate in every breakout session. Every year, I walk away with a free T-shirt, free knowledge, free friendships and free happiness that I get from serving.

I volunteer because I desire to learn and meet new people. Every year, I leave the conference with new lifelong friends in ministry. I get joy from scanning a tag at a breakout room door, helping someone find a seat or just answering someone’s question.

I volunteer because I believe in Orange as a way of life in both ministry and with my family, and I want to be able to help others implement it in their lives as well.

See you this year at The Orange Conference! I will be volunteering and would love for you to join me!

We are in need of volunteers for OC13, so if you’ve been on the fence about joining up, please jump off the fence and join us! Specific areas needing assistance: Breakouts, Registration and Gallery. Times needing coverage are:

Tuesday, April 23, 4-10 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24, 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24 2-10 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 7, a.m.–3 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 2-10 p.m.
Friday, April 26, 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Ben Fowlkes is pastor of children’s ministry at Church of the Open Door in Elyria, Ohio, and author of the digital children’s book series, “The Adventures of Bed Head Fred.”

Are you a senior leader within your ministry? You might be thinking this will be great for my family ministry team, but I’m not going to go to Orange Conference 2013.

What you might not be aware of is that there’s something in this for you. In fact, here are five ways you as a senior pastor, elder or executive pastor could benefit by attending OC13:

• We have a senior leaders track dedicated to you. Jeanne Stevens, Tom Shefchunas, Jon Acuff, Brian White, Michael Lukaszewski, and I will be bringing you our best insights on helping you make progress as a senior leader.
• Some of the best leadership voices will be speaking. This includes Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner, Perry Noble, Jeff Shinabarger, Kara Powell, Doug Fields, Charles Jenkins, Bob Goff and more—because we are committed to your leadership.
• Network. Network. Network. You are going to be in rooms with ministry leaders who are a doing what you do all week. There is no better time to network than now.
• An aligned team is an effective team. You certainly can’t become an Orange church without having an aligned team. And the truth is you can’t become an effective church without having an aligned team. So, when you come to Orange Conference you’ll be able to process what you’re learning about senior leadership and families with your entire team. As a result, you’ll be able to run faster in the same direction together.
• You speak to families every week. If you think about it, most of the people you speak to on a Sunday morning are part of a family. So, if you still think family ministry isn’t for you, think again. If most of the people you speak to on a Sunday morning are part of a family, and most of the people you seek to reach have some connection with family, why not get better at connecting with families? They’ll thank you for it.

It’s not too late to attend. If you want to register, click here. If you want more information on the senior leaders track click here and select the track from the dropdown menu. And if you’re a senior leader who has been to an Orange event before, leave your comments below.

Click here to see our updated blog post here!

We’d love for everyone to be here in person for OC13, but realize that’s not always an option. So, we’d like to offer you the next best thing: tune in online. You’ll be able to see on and off-stage action, including session streaming, speaker interviews, mayhem and hi-jinx, resource updates and giveaways, and perhaps even win a ticket to OC14!

Sign up to receive additional information and perks. We will not spam you, or sell your info. That’s just rude.

And if you will be on-site with us, you’ll be able to watch the interviews and live stream action in person this year from our YouLead Lounge! (Just follow the aroma of coffee upstairs in the Arena.)

We’ll also update this post with a detailed schedule of what will be showing and when, so stay tuned! But be sure to sign up so you have every little detail your heart desires. And don’t forget to invite you friends to watch with you!

Now The Orange Conference fits in the palm of your hand! This iConference experience will help attendees prepare for their time at conference, equip them on-site and allow them to rate their sessions afterward. Even those not attending the conference can still have hours of fun with the app.

Features include:

• View the full conference schedule, your personal schedule and track schedules.
• Change workshop and breakout sessions.
• Evaluate workshop and breakout sessions.
• Post to Twitter and Facebook to tell the folks back home what you’re up to.
• Read up on conference speakers.
• Access the venue map.
• Watch live feed from the conference.

At this time, The Orange Conference app is only available for the iPhone. Search “Orange Conference” in the App Store and it should pop up as the first choice. Download, explore and enjoy!

There are a lot of awesome opportunities for serious learning at OC13, but we’ve definitely made time for some fun and games. Check out the options below, and plan accordingly!

TUESDAY NIGHT
Room 2, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Please RSVP on the same page that you select your breakouts.
Curriculum partners who arrive to OC13 by Tuesday night are invited to attend our annual Orange Specialists’ Meet and Greet. Starting at 7:00 p.m., this is a special time for you to meet with your Orange Specialist, network with other church leaders and enjoy some refreshments. We’ll provide coffee from Land of a Thousand Hills and live acoustic music from Molly Parden. You provide the your thirsty team and chipper conversation. See you in 20 days!

THURSDAY NIGHT
8:30-9:15 p.m.
We have some really fun opportunities in store for you at OC13. Our Thursday night Gatherings will be the perfect opportunity for you chat with other Orange partners and staff members.

Preschool Ministry Leader Gathering – Room 1
RSVP here
Speed networking! Meet other people just like you and exchange ideas on a variety of topics in a quick, non-threatening way. Every person can walk away with SIXTY ministry ideas by the end of the night. Giveaways and surprises are sure to keep our night exciting, but just being able to hang out together is what’s going to make this the best place to be on Thursday night. See you there!

Children’s Ministry Leader Gathering – Room 2
RSVP here
Have you ever wanted to get into the same room with a bunch of other children’s ministry leaders who Think Orange as much as you do? Well, the time has come. We’re hosting our first ever Children’s Leaders Gathering at the Orange Conference. Come hang out with some of the best Orange Thinkers on the planet! Meet people who may live in your backyard. Make connections that will build ministry partnerships in the future. Discover new ideas to help take your kids’ ministry to the next level. Can’t wait to see you there!

Student Leader Gathering – Room 3
RSVP here
If you’re a student leader attending #OC13, you don’t want to miss our annual gathering of old companions, new compatriots, and all other varieties of student leader citizenry. Should you choose not to partake, it’s entirely possible you’ll regret your decision for at least five minutes. To explain what’s going to happen, we’ve already thought of all the questions (FAQs) you might ask—and answered them:

• Yes, you will have fun and be able to wind down from a long day.
• Yes, you might meet an iconic game-show host (with a skinny microphone).
• Yes, we’ve discovered a time machine.

Alas, if you’re still not convinced, we’ve gained a few coveted celebrity endorsements. Here’s what they have to say:

“The question isn’t ‘What are we going to do,’ the question is ‘What aren’t we going to do?’” – Ferris Bueller
“This is what I call a target-rich environment.” – Pete Mitchell
“In my dreams alone have I imagined such a place.” – Azeem, friend of Robin of Locksley
“Let’s go over the plan again, so eight-thirty where are you going to be?” – Marty McFly

Special Needs Gathering – YouLead Lounge
RSVP here
Come meet other special needs ministry leaders who like you, have a passion to better include kids with special needs. Whether you’re a special needs ministry newbie or a longtime leader, you’ll enjoy networking in this setting. Our team of special needs breakout speakers as well as other seasoned special needs champions will be on hand to connect one-on-one and address questions. We hope you leave our time together having shared a good laugh and having made a new friend or two.

MarriedPeople Gathering – Arena Gallery
RSVP here
We are looking for leaders who are very passionate about marriage, leaders sort of passionate about marriage, leaders with a sweet tooth and everybody in between to join us for the first ever MarriedPeople Gathering. The MarriedPeople team will be on hand, as well as other church leaders from around the country who believe the church is the best place to empower marriages. The goal of this gathering is to have some fun as we learn from each other, meet some other leaders and win some prizes. (BTW, if you have used MarriedPeople resources before, we REALLY want you there!)

GALLERY
Walking through the Arena this year, if you continue to make your way past the booths and around the back, you’ll find one of the main attractions for this year’s event, the Gallery. Our interactive museum will be divided into three main areas—preschool, children’s and students—and reflect our 2013 “Focus” theme. Each section will be completely unique in look and feel, but will use the common thread of wonder, discovery and passion, Orange’s three key concepts and teaching tools. This kinetic museum will also drive home the concepts in Reggie Joiner’s upcoming book, Losing Your Marbles,which stresses the need for parents and leaders to make every week count in the life of a child. Additionally, the Orange Specialists will be hanging around here on Friday to chat and answer questions. The Gallery will be open throughout OC13, and we think you’re gonna like it.

by Garrett Hughes

When trying to think of just the right words that would compel you to drop everything and sign up to volunteer at The Orange Conference. I couldn’t think of any. I don’t know if they even exist. What I do know is that it will change your life. You’ll make friends that will be lifetime friends. You’ll get the chance to serve folks who are at their wit’s end when it comes to ministry and they need just a few days to regroup or be encouraged. You’ll work along an incredible staff of folks who genuinely love to do what they are doing. You’ll be able to connect with other volunteers and hear amazing stories of God working in the lives of folks all over the world. You’ll also meet folks who know things you never thought you’d learn about. (No lie. I’ve met some very cool people from New Zealand and they can give you the ins and outs on all things Peter Jackson.)

Hmm, I guess there are words. However, there is more than just words when you volunteer at The Orange Conference, there is this sense of being part of something that is bigger than yourself. Reggie Joiner often says from the stage each year that The Orange Conference is like a big family reunion, and he is right. I find myself longing to be around the folks I’ve met over the years and to meet those who are attending for their first year to welcome them to the great big family that is Orange.

So, my question is: Is that compelling enough? Go. Sign up. Volunteer. Drop everything. (Unless you are holding a small child or something expensive.) Maybe you can make your own list of reasons to get others to jump in and volunteer next.

We are in need of volunteers for OC13, so if you’ve been on the fence about joining up, please jump off the fence and join us! Specific areas needing assistance: Breakouts, Registration and Gallery. Times needing coverage are:

Tuesday, April 23, 4-10 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24, 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24 2-10 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 7, a.m.–3 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 2-10 p.m.
Friday, April 26, 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

OC13 will be an action-packed three days for both veterans and newbies. If you aren’t careful, you could easily get a little overwhelmed. Here are a few items we suggest thinking through before you arrive so that you can have the best experience possible.

• Put life on pause. As much as you are able, be mentally present and engaged at OC13. You might even say, FOCUS. (Get what we did there?) You’ll get a lot more out of the experience just by tuning in to what you see, hear and do.
• Meet someone. Whether you’re traveling on your own or with your team, a lot of value can be found in meeting others like you from another place. You can call it networking, making small talk before your session, or just grabbing coffee, but learning and exchanging ideas with other ministry leaders very well could lead to one of your best OC take-aways. (By the way, you can also find others utilizing the Orange Strategy near your home with our Orange Church Finder.)
• Gather. A great place to meet someone new will be at one of our gatherings. More info coming soon, but we’ll offer opportunities for preschool, children, student, senior, special needs and marriage ministry leaders. Plus, we’re not letting the cat out of the bag or anything, but at most of these gatherings, we’ll give away prizes!
• Talk a walk. One of the main attractions at this year’s event will be the Arena gallery area. This interactive museum will be divided into three main areas—preschool, children and students—and reflect the FOCUS theme. Each section will be completely unique in look in and feel, but will use the common thread of wonder, discovery and passion, Orange’s three key concepts and teaching tools, to help leaders learn to make every week count in the life of a child.
• Meet your OS. If you are a curriculum partner, we highly (hear bold, underline, italic, star emphasis here) recommend you plan to meet your Orange Specialist. Their role at Orange is to help you brainstorm, vision-cast, generate ideas, obtain guidance, etc., all year long. Keeping an open line of communication with your OS year-round is one of the keys to success with the Orange Strategy. They aren’t solely hired for their good looks; they’re there whenever you need them to help support you as a leader in your important work.
• Seek justice. We’ll have some amazing social justice organizations with us at OC13 that will definitely be worth a few minutes of your time. You may just find a new passion.
• Stock up. We will not only launch a few new resources at OC13, but we’ll also have some great sales on current ones. And yes, back by popular demand, the M.C. Haggis T-shirt will be available! If you’ve got some shopping to do, whether for yourself, your volunteers, your ministry or your staff, it’s a great place to start.
• Plan ahead. If you had a good time and want to attend OC14, plan to purchase your tickets on-site. You’ll find the best prices, and your budget will thank you for it.
• Reflect. In many ways, it is our hope that OC13 will not end on April 26. Our wish would be that you’d continue to think about what you’ve been a part of for days, weeks and maybe years to come. We pray God will do a mighty work in your heart to encourage you as a leader, enhance your ministry team, support your church, revolutionize your community and, most of all, advance His church. None of that comes without strategy and purpose.

We’ll see you soon!

Spring is here. The trees are starting to bud and the scent of new life is in the air. Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. One thing that comes with every spring for me is the little conference I attend every year in Atlanta called Orange Conference. Ha! There’s nothing little about Orange Conference!

This year makes my fifth year to attend this great conference. From time to time, people ask me why I keep going back. “Once you get this whole ‘Orange’ thing, can’t you move on to something new?” For me, Orange Conference has become a part of my annual routine because each year, it’s a totally different experience. I come home with different ideas, have different conversations and each event inspires me in a fresh new way. It’s less about the “event” and more about the people and conversations that accompany the conference (but I must say, the “event” is spectacular). There are very few places where so many people are gathered in the same place for a few days that challenge and inspire me so much within the context of the ministry I’m currently in. Why wouldn’t I make my way to participate each year?

Now, I must say that this year is very unique for me. Something is happening at OC13 that is not happening anywhere else, and I think it is incredible. This year, Orange Conference is hosting a specialized breakout track for NextGen/Family Ministry leaders. Not just people who are responsible for family elements of ministry, but those in the unique staff role of both student and children’s ministry oversight. It’s a very new, but rapidly growing role within the church and there’s so much to learn. Orange has put together some amazing communicators to talk about the things NextGen/Family Ministry leaders are dealing with. These breakouts attempt to define the role and the family ministry team. This track aims to process through the biggest hurdles leaders in this role will face. What I’m even more excited about is gathering and rubbing shoulders with others in this role as we all learn together.

Breakouts include:

• Leading a NextGen Meeting with Kenny Conley
• NextGen/Family Ministry Leadership: Leading 360 Degrees with Michael Bayne
• The Art of Delegation with Powell Grisham
• Family Ministry 101: Defining the NextGen/Family Ministry Team with Darren Kizer
• Leading Through Conflict Resolution with Kenny Conley and Jim Wideman
• Clarify the Win: Narrowing Down What is Most Important in Your Ministry with Jonathan Cliff

So, if you are in this role, or you work with someone in this role, OC13 is the place to be this April.

If you’d like more info about the various tracks at OC13, we’ve added for 2013 are Track Champions and a greater explanation of our tracks. You can read more about the goals of the each track here (http://www.whatisorange.org/orangeconference/2013/new) and watch the videos here (http://vimeo.com/whatisorange) to offer further explanation.

by Dave Truitt

One word can describe my years of volunteering at the Orange Conference—AWESOME

There are SO MANY reasons why it’s AWESOME to be an Orange Conference volunteer! Let me list just a few of the benefits I have discovered over my years of volunteering.

• I get to work beside other people who have a passion for children’s ministry.
• They feed you! And I’m not talking about a tray of cold cuts; I’m talking about REAL food! Plus, you get to eat with the other volunteers and staff. It’s a great opportunity to interact with other volunteers and share ministry ideas.
• I get a behind-the-scenes view of what goes into putting on a large conference.
• I feel like a star because I get to help people in this incredible environment.
• I still get to hear or be a part of a lot of the conference. Sure, as a volunteer you realize you are not going to get to see every part of the conference, but you’d be surprised to realize the large part of the conference you will still get to hear and see.
• I get appreciated! The Orange Team does a fantastic job of appreciating their volunteers and it always gives me ideas on how to appreciate the volunteers in my church.
• They Feed You! I know I’ve said this before, but this is a HUGE cost savings. If you volunteer for the conference, you not only don’t have to pay for the conference, but you also don’t have to pay for your food.
• I get to help be a part of something HUGE. Think of it, without volunteers, the Orange Conference wouldn’t be able to happen. I get to make it happen!

Being an Orange Conference volunteer rocks!

Dave Truitt is an Orange curriculum partner from Mechanicsburg, Penn. He has been at The Orange Conference (and previously Grow-up Conference) every year since 2005.