Sitting in it!: Faithfully sitting in & dealing with the stuff that is ministry - Brian Kuhn - PM 2 day (Thurs/Fri)
There is a lot of "stuff" that happens in ministry that makes us uncomfortable, scares us, touches on our vulnerabilities, and makes us feel incapable of the ministry to which we have been called. And that is just the stuff that is happening to other people! How do we better prepare for the most challenging moments so that instead of wishing them away, we give ourselves and others the time, space, love, and hope they require? How do we care for ourselves when ministry leaves us empty, doubting, and done? In this two day class, we will dive into these questions and much more. Bring your own "stuff" to this space and let's work through it together. Bring those moments when you "failed" and help us all learn from it. Bring those fears and let's validate them, and then work on how we can keep them from controlling us. This is a class about the "stuff" that happens in ministry and how we prepare, deal with, and recover from it,
Brian has over 20 years of youth and family ministry experience. Adolescents, families, mental health, and faithfulness are his passions in life, and he works hard to continually bring all of those elements together no matter what he is doing. Brian became the Executive Director of the Presbyterian Youth Workers Association is 2020 and brings the same excitement and belief to this ministry as he has to youth ministry. He frequently teaches workshops and speaks to groups about topics like the adolescent brain, sex and sexuality, suicide, and building a youth ministry and congregation that is not afraid to address and embrace the challenges of adolescence, parenting, and being a community.
Brian has a Master of Arts in Profession Counseling and is a Licensed Profession Counselor in the State of Missouri. The combination of his ministry and clinical work has given him a unique view of today’s adolescent, the challenges they face, the needs of the adults who are in their lives, and how the church can and should be a sanctuary for youth and their families.
In addition to his work with PYWA, Brian also services as a professional consultant and coach. He is also a creator and presenter of Soul Shop for which faithfully educates churches, youth ministries, campus ministries, and communities about suicide and suicide prevention.
