Equip Conference 2025
Equipping you to teach the next generation
Why not join us for EQUIP 25? A conference that will ignite and inspire all of us! A day to meet with others and hear from those who have the same heart and vision for this generation!
Come and join us as we equip ourselves to equip a generation of children and young people who will effectively engage with the world around them!
Saturday 17th May
9.45am-3.30pm
The Riasc Centre, Swords, Co. Dublin
Children (age 4-10) & Teens (age 11-14) programme (free) also available!
Seminars:
Reflecting His image in a digital world with children
Deborah Webster
Spending time on digital devices and screens is a significant part of children’s lives today. While much of what they view on their screens might be fun and educational, they are also exposed to harmful and inappropriate content as well as being influenced by influencers on YouTube and other apps. In this seminar we will consider how children can be influenced negatively by screentime which can impact how they relate to others and how they relate to God. We will explore ways in which we can help them to think about their interactions online, how they portray themselves and how they can reflect His image when spending time on digital devices.
Accepting your image
Colin Hylands
The increase in issues surrounding gender identity among young people has raised concerns in the approach churches and youth organisations may adopt. This seminar will provide a foundation for the subject by observing the impact on society, reflecting on the worldview underpinning many of the challenges, before analysing the biblical teaching on gender.
From this basis we will look at the practical outworking of how we may deal with challenges encountered within the church and ministry.
More than words: Cultivating creative prayer in the hearts of our families, schools and communities
Emma Thompson
We are made in the image of a creative God who made the heavens and the earth, and each of us. Join Emma as she explores the power creativity can have in the prayer lives of children and young people as they learn new ways to talk to God. You’ll experience a prayer space for yourself, hear some stories and be equipped to pray in new, creative ways that help us all to engage with the Creator of the world.
Preschoolers – Made in His image – Made to worship
Johanna Austin & Jayne Gibson
How can we help young children to worship their Creator? Come along to this seminar if you want ideas and practical suggestions for encouraging the ‘little ones’ in meaningful worship.
Reflecting His image in a digital world with teens
Deborah Webster
Social media is an integral part of the lives of young people today. They are exposed to so much online that can have both positive and negative impacts on their wellbeing. As Christians, we are to be reflectors of God’s image, but this can be challenging to do on online platforms. In this seminar we will consider how young people can be influenced negatively by spending time on social media; how they portray themselves online and how we can help them to reflect God’s image when they are connected virtually.
Parenting that connects
Colin Creighton
This seminar explores the honour of what it is to shape the hearts of the next generation. Fifty minutes of your time well spent, let’s get the conversation started! ‘Parenting that connects’ focuses on the importance of connection, grounded in the belief that we were created by a God who has designed us for relational connection. You can find out more about Colin and his ministry at www.soulstory.ie
Speakers:
Pastor David O’Gorman
David was born in Dublin and raised in a traditional Catholic home. He married Valerie in 1980 they were both born again in 1986. After finishing Bible college in 1992, David was called to Pastor Lifegate Baptist Church in Tallaght. They have enjoyed a blessed ministry over the past 33 years. They have four children and 14 grandchildren.
Davids’s passion is to see people come to know Jesus as Saviour and to help them learn to have an intimate abiding walk with Him.
Deborah Webster
Deborah is passionate about helping children and young people navigate the digital space. She is an advocate for digital wellbeing, regularly writing, speaking and coaching individuals and groups in how to become more digitally aware, wise and resilient. Based in Northern Ireland, Deborah founded Thrive Academy in 2021, a social enterprise which seeks to educate children, equip parents and educate teachers and youth workers about both the positives and the negatives about the online world. She gained her PhD from Queens University, Belfast. Her research explores the relationship between social media and the wellbeing of young people. You can find out more about Deborah and her work at www.drdeborahwebster.com and www.thriveac.org
Emma Thompson
Originally from England, Emma Thompson now lives in Dublin with her husband, two children and Arthur the pug. As a mum she has seen the impact creative prayer can have on faith in the family and through her work has supported Prayer Spaces in Schools across Ireland for the past nine years. She is passionate about equipping the local church to host really good prayer spaces in their local schools, communities and churches, and supporting families to find new ways to pray together in their homes.
Colin Creighton
Colin Creighton is pastor of Carrickmacross Baptist Church. He also helps mentor Christian leaders as a tutor for Crosslands Training and he spent his early career as a secondary school Maths teacher.
He has completed an MTh in Theology. His study was focused on the doctrine of people, particularly within the Augustinian Tradition and he is currently training as a psychotherapist. Colin has one wife, three daughters and a cat. The cat is odd, the daughters are fabulous and the wife is lovely.
Colin is passionate about seeing lives shaped by God’s Word. With a desire to inspire people to love wisely, live meaningfully and be shaped biblically—all for God’s glory—Soul Story is born.
Johanna Austin
Johanna serves in the Education Department of CEF. She grew up in a Christian home in the Republic of Ireland and came to Christ as a child. She first became involved in CEF as a teenager and attended the Summer Outreach Training Course in Sligo when she was 18. In 2002 God called her into full-time ministry with CEF, leaving her teaching job in a Special Needs School in Wexford. In 2020, God called Johanna into the Education Department of CEF. In this role, she seeks opportunities to serve local churches and believers in the Republic of Ireland through our training courses.
Colin Hylands
Colin is married to Victoria and they have two children, Nathan (20) and Kezia (17). He has worked with CEF for 14 years and is the team leader for CEF Youth Challenge in Ireland and is involved in helping develop other Youth Challenge ministries internationally. Colin has recently completed a Masters at the Irish Baptist College where his final thesis focused on developing a framework for handling issues related to gender identity among young people.
Jayne Gibson
Jayne serves as a local CEF worker in Co. Cavan. She is married to Simon and they have three girls, Jessica, Robyn and Bronwyn. They moved to Cavan in 2016 to begin serving the Lord full-time with CEF. As a family, they have been building relationships in their local community, schools and churches.
Equip Village:
You’ll also be able to browse the CEF ministry resource shop and some other organisations will also be joining on the day with. (See the logos below) Tea, coffee, and treats are provided, but do bring a lunch.
