03/16/2026
It is so important to have partners in youth ministry from whom you can collaborate, learn from, sharpen and be sharpened by, and walk with through the challenges and joys. It’s so good to be around others in youth ministry who understand what you are going through and who can speak into our lives and encourage us and remind us why we do what we do.
One of the places many of us have found that encouragement and community has been through the Youth Leader Summit events. Our Florida Regional Director Keith Yarborough and his wife Susan recently attended this event and had some things he wanted to highlight from their experience:
For the third year PACT has been represented at the Youth Leader Summit at Lake Yale Conference Center in Leesburg, Florida. We were challenged by Heather Flies to love kids where they are and by Doug Franklin, Leader Treks Founder, on intentional discipleship of students and adult leaders.
Susan and I spoke to numerous youth leaders about the heart of PACT, spending one on one face to face coaching with youth leaders. These conversations were with individuals from all over the USA. We were able to point some to PACT coaches in their area, but many we could not. It highlghted our continued need to pursue having coaches avaliable to all who might want one...even in South Dakota.
It was also great to be around numerous PACT coaches who were at the event. One of PACT's supporters, Steve Hooper of "Sunday Cool", served a firepit-side barbeque and smores on Tuesday night of the conference to celebrate youth leaders. Youth Leader Summit is becoming a go to event for youth leaders and a wonderful place for PACT to step into making a difference.
