What if leading a large parish youth ministry didn’t feel this heavy?

Large parishes come with unique advantages—resources, reach, staffing—but they also bring challenges that don’t exist anywhere else:

Hundreds of teen but wildly uneven engagement.

A small group is deeply connected, while most teens cycle in and out unnoticed.

Systems that grew fast but not always intentionally.

Programs scaled quickly, but the underlying systems never fully caught up.

A calendar full of activity, but lingering questions about fruit.

The ministry is busy year-round, but it’s hard to tell what’s actually forming disciples.

Volunteer teams that are large, but inconsistent or siloed.

You have a lot of volunteers, but alignment, ownership, and consistency are hard to sustain.

Pressure from parents, pastors, schools, and the diocese all at once.

You’re navigating competing expectations from every direction, often with no clear priority.

Multiple ministries moving fast but not in the same direction

Strong teams are doing good work, but without a shared strategy tying it together.

You’re not struggling because you’re doing it wrong but because scale exposes everything.

Think Tanks are all about...

COLLABORATION

You’ll work alongside other youth ministers leading large, complex ministries—people who don’t need context explained and won’t default to small-parish solutions.

CLARITY

Together, we’ll surface patterns, diagnose root issues, and name what’s actually holding your ministry back—structurally, culturally, and systemically.

STRATEGY

You’ll leave with real decisions made: what to simplify, what to rebuild, what to stop doing, and what needs to change next.

PERSPECTIVE

When you’re leading at scale, it’s hard to see what’s actually working—and what’s just loud.Think Tanks create space to step back, get honest peer feedback, and see your ministry more clearly.

This Think Tank will focus on the questions you want answered...

How do we build discipleship pathways that work for hundreds of teens not dozens?

Most discipleship models assume small numbers and high-touch relationships. Large parishes need pathways that preserve depth without relying on unsustainable levels of staff or volunteer involvement.

How do we align staff, volunteers, parents, and pastors around the same vision?

When different groups operate with different assumptions, momentum stalls. Shared language and priorities are essential for building trust and moving together.

How do we measure fruit beyond attendance and sacramental completion?

Big numbers are easy to count, but they don’t always tell the whole story. Leaders need metrics that reflect spiritual growth, engagement, and long-term formation.

Where does our ministry actually scale and where is it quietly breaking down?

Some systems thrive as numbers grow, while others strain under the weight. This question helps surface what’s truly working—and what’s being propped up by heroic effort.

What systems need structure and where are we over-engineering?

Too little structure creates chaos. Too much creates drag. Large ministries must discern where clarity helps and where flexibility actually leads to better outcomes.

What does sustainable leadership look like when the ministry never slows down?

Large parish ministry rarely has an off-season. Without intentional rhythms and boundaries, even effective leaders burn out faster than the ministry can replace them.

We don't set the agenda for the week, the participants decide what we talk about.

Is this for me?

If you're a paid youth ministry leader at a parish with 3,000+ families or 150+ active teenagers, this event was designed for you.

Are you managing staff, interns,
or large volunteer teams?

Are you feeling the tension
between growth and depth?

Have parts of your ministry outgrown
the systems you built early on?

Are you responsible for aligning multiple programs not just one a week?

Are you trying to lead at scale without
burning yourself (or others) out?

Are you ready to stop reacting to growth
and start leading it intentionally?

Registration is now open!
Limited Spaces Available

Philadephia

January 7-10, 2025

Hosted by the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia

SOLD OUT

DALLAS

January 20-23, 2025

Hosted by the
Diocese of Dallas

SOLD OUT

Milwaukee

January 27-30, 2025

Hosted by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Diocese of Green Bay

SOLD OUT

Archdiocese of Atlanta

Diocese of Baton Rouge

Diocese of Davenport

Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Diocese of
Jackson

Diocese of Knoxville

Archdiocese of Louisville

Diocese of Memphis

Archdiocese of New York

Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Diocese of
Raleigh

Diocese of Sacramento

Diocese of San Bernardino

Diocese of Steubenville

Get on the waitlist for our 2026 session.

$1200

Total Cost per Person

Three Payment Options:

Pay in full today and receive a 5% discount.

Make four monthly payments of $300 each.

Pay $100 deposit today, and we'll send you an invoice to pay the rest by check*.

*Check payments must be received within two weeks of registration.

SPECIAL PRICE FOR THE
ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE
DIOCESE OF GREEN BAY
DIOCESE OF DALLAS

$800

Normally $1,200 per Person

Three Payment Options:

Pay in full today and receive a 5% discount.

Make four monthly payments of $200 each.

Pay $100 deposit today, and we'll send you an invoice to pay the rest by check*.

*Check payments must be received within two weeks of registration.