More than 200 youth leaders will be gathering in Rotorua this weekend for Connect 2012

The annual Presbyterian Youth Leader's conference with the theme '˜Dream Big' is being held at Rotorua Keswick Christian Camp from tomorrow 6 July until Sunday 8 July.

The national Youth Ministry leader, Dr Carlton Johnstone, says youths dreaming big is not only about making poverty history or making a difference in the community.

'It also involves the small things like seeing a young person's life transformed.'

He says that Connect has been growing in numbers for the last three years in response to the quality and range of training now offered for youth workers, from those just starting out to ones who have had over 10 years experience.

There are 33 workshops throughout the weekend and an impressive line-up of speakers like Lloyd Martin, the founder of Praxis which is a network of practitioner educators in youth development operating in the New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific.

Other keynote speakers include the national Principal of Laidlaw College, Dr Rod Thomson and the president for the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services Ruby Duncan.

Note to Reporter: The Presbyterian Church is the third largest denomination in Aotearoa New Zealand, with more than 400,000 people identifying as Presbyterian in the 2001 Census, and 30,000 regular church attendees.

ENDS

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