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YPS no circle

Chicago, IL

April 14 - 15, 2025

$15 per person registration fee

Artists & Speakers

Dr. Robert Smith

Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity, Beeson School of Divinity

Eugene Cho

President of Bread for the World/Visionary of One Day's Wages

Dr. Kathy Koch

Founder Celebrate Kids

Shane Pruitt

National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board (NAMB)

Jeff Wallace, Ph.D.

Chief Strategic Officer of SLU

Drew Worsham

Mentalist, Illusionist

Julie Mullins

Co-Senior Pastor at Christ Fellowship Church

Dr. Jay Strack

President & Founder of SLU

Ryan McDermott

Teaching Pastor & Executive Director of Family Ministry at Christ Fellowship Church

Bethany Barr Phillips

Worship Leader

Shama Mrema

Comedian

Zac Workun

Student Ministry Specialist for Lifeway / Co-Found Youth Ministry Booster

Chuck Peters

Director of Lifeway NextGen

Doug Holliday

President, Sonlife

More YPS Speakers Announced Soon!

Youth Pastor Summit is conference designed to motivate, inspire, and equip every leader who invest in the lives of the next generation. YPS is a unique experience where there is an intentionality towards creating and cultivating an environment that fosters collaboration, community, and soul-care. YPS is a great opportunity for leaders to be refueled, recharged, and refreshed!

Join us in the greater Chicago area, as hundreds of youth pastors and educators from across the region gather together for incredible worship, main stage sessions, breakout sessions, and tons of free resources. This year, we are honored to host YPS Chicago in partnership with Lifeway Students and celebrate over 25 years of serving student ministry leaders, youth ministry teams and educators.

Resources

Contact Event Reps

Contact YPS

(407) 248-0300 ext.20

Partner

Sponsors

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should attend YPS?

The Youth Pastor Summit is geared towards all Youth Pastors and Key Youth Leaders (staff or volunteers) and Christian school educators. All attendees must be 18 years or older. 

Is the event really just $15?

Through the generosity of Lifeway Students and other sponsors, this event valued at over $300 is being provided at just a $15 admin fee to all attendees who register in advance, $20 at the door (if the event still has space).  Lunch is provided, but you are on your own the rest of your meals as well as lodging if needed.

Please note that the $15 administrative fee has been added to ensure we can effectively manage the continuous growth of YPS. Youth Pastor Summit is still a gift from us to you; however, this administration fee will allow us to continue serving you with excellence as we manage a larger number of registrations.

Also, note that the administrative registration fee for YPS is non-refundable and is due at the time of registration to secure your spot for the event.  We are unable to refund this administrative fee if you are unable to attend this event (regardless of the reason for cancellation).

Do I have to register in advance for this event?

We strongly recommend that you register early for YPS as some events do fill up within hours or days.   Yet, we will keep registration open until we are full.   And if there is space available, we do allow walk-ups.   The registration fee for advanced registration is $15 and advanced registration closes the Friday before the event at 5 PM for our Spring events.   Walk-up registrations are handled onsite and the onsite registration fee is $20.  We only accept cash and exact change for Walk-up registrations.

How can I register for YPS?

Scroll up to the top of the page and click the “Register Now” button once registration opens on January 9, 2025.

There are two options for registration:

Individual Registration: Individual registration is for single attendees, who will need to sign up through his or her own registration account as the system will not allow duplicate email addresses.

Group Registration Option: This will allow you to register members of your team and/or family under one account and pay at one time. All members must have a unique email address. You will need to know each team member’s email address and date of birth (must be 18 at the time of registration) to register them. If a member of your group already has an SLU account with their email address but is currently not a member of your group account online, you will need email us at [email protected] so we can add them.

Can I register my whole group under one account?

This event does allow you to register as a group.   Accounts should be set up under your ministry’s primary contact and from there you can add your entire team.

Can my spouse attend?

Of course! We love when couples do ministry together. Make sure you register them so they are guaranteed a spot. Each attendee of YPS must be registered for the event and each attendee must register with their unique email address.

I have a small child, can they attend with me?

We think families are great, and time together is important.  Yet, this event is only for those who are 18 and older and who have graduated high school. We want everyone to have the best experience possible at this event, so please make arrangements to leave your children at home or arrange childcare for outside of the conference.

Can I transfer my ticket to someone else?

If you are registered as a group, we will do a one-time transfer of any of your participants, without penalty. Transfers are not available on individual registrations. This one-time transfer must occur a minimum of ten business days before the event. To make a transfer on your account, email us at [email protected] from your group leader’s email indicating the individual(s) you are canceling and the name, email, and DOB of the new registration(s). We will only make a transfer(s) on each group registration one time, and once you have made a transfer, your group is then finalized.

What meals are provided?

Through the generosity of our Event Sponsors, lunch is being provided on the second day.

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