{"id":12179,"date":"2023-05-16T14:34:56","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T21:34:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/high-school\/go-to-the-campus\/?p=12179"},"modified":"2024-05-03T22:35:28","modified_gmt":"2024-05-04T05:35:28","slug":"9-ways-to-encourage-students-to-attend-a-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/high-school\/go-to-the-campus\/9-ways-to-encourage-students-to-attend-a-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways to Encourage Students to Attend a Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A conference offers an environment and opportunities that often cannot be duplicated in a local or typical setting. The ministry we do accomplishes many things and there are some things that happen at a conference that we deeply value in a student’s life. Here are some ways to help them consider how this could be a great use of their time and resources.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Know the Purpose of the Conference Clearly<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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If you do not know the purpose of the conference, you will have a hard time convincing a student to go (or their parents to let them go). Is it an evangelistic retreat, a leadership conference, or a conference for growth and training?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Sow Broadly with Students<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Promote the conference widely. Get your leadership students involved early. Train them how to explain the conference and keep track of those you challenge. Have the students write down 5-10 friends they want to invite. Use creative skits, announcements at meetings, mailings, registration giveaways, and testimonies of those who have attended before. Early registration deadlines are often a help to get a core of students registered early.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Pray<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The Lord desires students\u2019 growth more than they or we do. Ask Him to bring the students to the conference He wants there. Ask Him to help provide the finances, free up the schedules, and move in the hearts of their parents.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Challenge Each Student Individually<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Every student is unique so we need to ask each student uniquely. A great announcement in a big meeting is not enough to get students to a conference. Instead, make a list of students you want to invite and begin talking personally to them about the conference. Tell them how you think the conference would help them personally and help them work through any barriers that might stand in the way of them attending the event.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Get Student Leaders Signed Up Early<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Students come because their friends are going. Months before the event, tell your student leaders about it and get them on board. Get them all signed up far in advance so that when you make your first main announcement to the group, your student leader can say, “You should come with me,” rather than, “I don’t know if I am going, but you should go.”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\tA conference offers an environment and opportunities that often cannot be duplicated in a local or typical setting.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Deal with Barriers<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Validate students’ concerns for any of the barriers. Discuss the practical solutions to each problem. Be aware that sometimes students have issues that block them from going but may be afraid to tell you because they do not want to disappoint you. Let them know you will think no less of them if they do not go, but that you want their best. Also, be prepared to work through the solutions to their problems in going.<\/p>

There are four barriers that often come up:<\/p>