“This event sets the bar high: it’s got passion, purpose, and a line-up of theological luminaries who rarely share the same stage. What brings it all together is a shared core conviction: if we’re going to be the church Christ calls us to be, we’re going to need to take young people as seriously as Jesus does.”
—Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary
“I’m asked to speak at far more conferences and gatherings than I can say yes to. But this is the kind of gathering I would want to attend as an attendee. I’ve been saying again and again that we need a creative revolution in spiritual formation and Christian education for children and youth, and this is the gathering that I think will bring the right people together. (Especially if you come!) I’m eager not only to engage in important dialogue at the event, but also to meet the kinds of people who can carry on needed creative collaboration in the years ahead.”
—Brian McLaren, author, speaker, activist
“Looking for something fresh and thought provoking in children’s and youth ministry? Then this conference should be your top priority.”
—Ivy Beckwith, Director for Educational Ministries, Rutgers Presbyterian Church
“What I like about Faith Forward is that the fine folks throwing this party are trying to figure out how we approach spirituality with young people in a post-flannelgraph-Sunday-School world.”
—Shane Claiborne, activist, author, and founding member of The Simple Way
“A new generation needs to emerge that has a passionate vision for making the Kingdom of God a reality in this world. Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity is a major attempt to foster that generation. It promises to give hope to a church and a world that need renewal.”
—Tony Campolo, PhD, Eastern University, St. Davids , Pennsylvania
“The exciting ministry provided by Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity embodies the teaching of Jesus Christ in a new and refreshing way. The next generation is encouraged to see, appreciate and embrace other children of God as equals—all made in the image of God. One of the most exciting aspects of the CYNKC ministry is its incarnated truth that being different does not mean being deficient! God makes every person different—just as God makes every snowflake different. All are precious in God’s sight.”
—Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., Pastor Emeritus, Trinity United Church of Christ