The 2016 National Youth Workers Convention has come and gone, fortunately for me I have some pictures that will remind me of some special moments for years to come! Here are a few of those moments and what they represent.
Time with future youth leaders!
A group of students from Colorado Christian University 
reached out before the conference to inquire about doing a lunch together. In addition to a great Fajita Salad Elisabeth and I were able to answer the fantastic questions these soon-to-be Youth Pastors asked. The depth and variety of questions gave me great hope for the churches that will someday call these men and women.
The YS 101 Track—Ministry Essentials!
Josh Griffin and me at his 101 seminar
I was able to curate and lead a new track at NYWC this year, title YS 101. The idea came directly out of our YS Coaching appointments (shout out to our awesome YS Coaches) the last two years. Youth leaders are hungry to get back to the basics of youth ministry. We
offered six different 101 seminars (one at each seminar block) and each one was well-attended. Doug Fields, Sean Meade, Heather Flies, Duffy Robbins, Josh Griffin and I each facilitated one of these seminars. What excites me even more is that the 101 Track at NYWC is only the launching point of something much larger happening through YS, a 101 initiative that will offer 101 Training all-year! I got to share about this on Saturday in the Big Room, and I can’t wait to get the word about the 101 Collaborative.
Celebrating My Wife’s Birthday with Friends and Rend Collective!
One of my favorite
text messages came on Sunday afternoon when Elisabeth was at the airport waiting to fly home one-day ahead of me, “I love that we got to do NYWC together; I really like your friends and love that they are becoming my friends too!” Saturday was her birthday 
and we got to celebrate it in style– by hanging out with Rend Collective and enjoying the way the led nearly 3000 people in worship! Earlier in the day I was honored to do an Idea Lab interview with Chris and Gareth from Rend as well! Most of all I loved, loved, loved having my birthday-bride with me at NYWC!
There are so many other things that stood out– like Heather’s message on Sunday, an Idea Lab and hangout time with Tic, time with our coaches, my pre-convention and post-convention time with Fred and of course all the other people I get to hang out with during NYWC! Okay.. I’ll stop… until next year! Thanks for the memories NYWC!
BRIAN AABY is the director of YS SEARCH & YS COACHING, assisting churches with personnel placement and provides coaching guidance for youth leaders. Brian served for 17 years as a youth pastor and then founded and led Youthmark since 2008. Brian speaks nationally at churches, camps, conference, and events. He and his wife, Elisabeth, have three children and reside near Seattle.
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