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While I’m definitely a fan of the group I’m posting about today, I promise they’re not paying me to write any of this! If you’re a college minister, it really is just an organization you need to be familiar with – and an event you should consider.

I got an email yesterday reminding me that Early Registration for the annual Growing Leaders National Leadership Forum is about to come to a close. While it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to go this year, it’s another chance to remind you about this organization (and their great event).

If you’re unfamiliar with Growing Leaders, I encourage you to change that. Tim Elmore (who heads GL) has probably been one of the three most formative individuals in my own understanding of college ministry – and without a doubt the most influential in my understanding of Millennials. Much of what I’ve written here at the blog about how we interact with the Millennial Generation (like my “Jimmy Fallon and Gen Y” series) comes very directly from what I’ve learned from Tim and Growing Leaders.

Tim’s recently put out a book, Generation iY, that not only looks at this present generation but even acknowledges some of the shifts that have taken place within the generation itself.

Meanwhile, his Habitudes series might be the curricula I hear the most about for small group studies in campus ministries.

For those who bring in speakers for conferences, etc., Tim and other members of his staff are excellent and able to speak on a variety of topics – both for training staff members and for speaking to students. I know two of the arenas in which Tim has been particularly well-received are in the enormous Southern Baptist campus ministry family and in the institutional college ministries at various Christian colleges.

Tim’s also had success in secular environments (like with collegiate sports teams). He and many of his materials are pretty good for that sort of thing – for instance, teaching Leadership to groups at your campus in a way that won’t run afoul of the administration. (Habitudes even has faith-based and values-based versions!)

I got to attend the National Leadership Forum a few years ago and really, really enjoyed it. It’s fun to attend something that very much caters to us as college ministers but is also well populated by other kinds of pastors, college administrators, secular businesspeople, and more.

So it’s worth checking out the forum – for this summer or the future – and it’s definitely worth knowing Growing Leaders.