Sarah finds so much joy in teaching SRE. Her journey of becoming an SRE teacher started when she was a helper in the classroom 10 years ago. She says:
“I became a ‘helper’ about 10 years ago because there was a need...I was comfortable being a helper and occasionally took a class when the need arose. For about 6 of those years, I was helping with Year 1. Last year I taught Year 6 alone, which I really enjoyed.”
Sarah believes SRE is a great opportunity for children to explore God’s word for themselves. She says:
“SRE is very important for young people…It may be their only access to exploring the Good News and opening up God’s Word.”
And while SRE is important for young people, it has also made a lasting impact on the faith journey of her whole family. Sarah explains:
“SRE impacted our lives about 18 years ago. Our son, Michael, came home from school one day after SRE and told us he wanted to go to church to learn more about Jesus! We’ve been going ever since! We are still friends with his SRE teachers…”
And now as an SRE teacher, Sarah still experiences SRE impacting her faith journey. She says:
“…I learn something new most weeks from my lesson prep which is brilliant! I sometimes learn things from the students too!”.
Thank you for your generous support in enabling teachers, like Sarah, to help young people build biblical foundations, and see families connected into their local church, making a lasting impact on their faith journey for life.
Representative image used to protect privacy.
Oct / 2023
Your support for SRE is helping to nurture the faith of children and their families!
Oct / 2023
Youthworks Council Chairman, Archdeacon
Simon Flinders
In the July edition of The Works, we announced the appointment of the new Youthworks Council Chairman, Archdeacon Simon Flinders. We are delighted to share about how he has been settling into his new role. He says:
“I’ve loved it! A highlight has been recruiting four excellent new Council members to join the team and it’s been great spending time with each of the senior leaders on the staff of Youthworks and getting to hear about their ministry.”
And… “I’ve been very grateful for the ministry of Youthworks for many years. My hope is that I can lead the Council team to provide clear direction, rigorous accountability, and warm encouragement to the Youthworks’ staff as they serve.
Simon’s key priorities for the short-term future are to ensure Youthworks has a strong financial base.
He says: “A key short-term priority is ensuring Youthworks has a really strong financial base for the years ahead. In particular we’d like to see more churches and individuals supporting the ministry. Without an army of gospel partners in the background, our effort to grow effective ministries in the churches will be hampered. We need churches to be both “givers” and “receivers” in their relationship with Youthworks.”
Could you please pray for Simon and the Council team?
Pray that the Council would be marked by careful diligence, adventurous faith, and deep dependence on God.
Pray Simon will lead the Council well in these ways.
Pray too that Simon will be a great help and support to Craig, our CEO.
House Conference
Praise God for how He worked at House Conference in August! House Conference creates opportunities for theological reflection for best practice in youth and children’s ministry within a community of youth and children’s ministers.
to share the good news of Jesus!
Gemma Flinders, current Year 13 student, has been growing in her discipleship skills since joining the program. At the start of July, Gemma served in Fiji for three weeks with the rest of her cohort. Gemma learnt so much while staying in a village called Namelimeli. She says:
“It was amazing to get a taste of life in a village as we were so welcomed into the community. There were great opportunities to share the gospel through hospital visits, doorknocking, and kids’ clubs. I was stretched beyond my comfort zone as God sustained me and reminded me that we can be completely satisfied in Him.”
While serving in the village, Gemma and few other students decided to go the extra mile and help the youth grow in the understanding of God by adding another session with them every afternoon. She says:
“Every afternoon a few Year 13 students would meet with the youth on the pastor’s verandah, devour a block of chocolate, play a card game, read a passage from the beginning of Luke and discuss it together. We really wanted to make it a simple, Bible-focussed time of fellowship so that the youth could continue meeting after we left. On the last afternoon one of the Fijian youth led the group and they were all really keen to continue meeting into the future.”
Overall, Year 13 has helped Gemma enjoy spending time with God and appreciate the wonderful opportunity to serve him and see others grow in their relationship with him.
“Year 13 has helped me to delight more genuinely in spending time with God through Bible reading and prayer and grown my conviction that there is nothing more important than serving our good God. It has been incredible to see how God has worked in the lives of my brothers and sisters…. through these opportunities God has grown my appreciation for His sovereignty and care for all His children, including me.”
Praise God for the way He is working in young lives, like Gemma. Please continue to pray that more young people will consider joining Year 13 and take the opportunity to spend a year to grow in their love, knowledge and service of God.
13 students are stepping out of their comfort zone
Pray for Year 13
Scan the QR code to find out more about Year 13.
Gemma (centre) pictured with students from Fiji
GAFCON: Discipling more workers for the harvest!
By
Youthworks CEO Craig
Roberts
A small but exciting aspect of my role is leading GAFCON’s global Youth & Children’s Ministry Network, where we aim to raise up a generation of mature, life-long disciple-making disciples of Jesus. In April I was privileged to attend GAFCON 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, and en-route to spend time in Cairo and northern Tanzania meeting with church leaders. I discerned a significant shift in the attitude of majority world Anglican leaders toward ministry to young people. Five years ago, I was told I needed Youthworks to run rallies for 5,00010,000 young people – that was the way to grow youth ministry. This year, I was inundated (194 one-on-one and small group conversations over 5 days to be precise) with interest in equipping local pastors with Youthworks’ youth and children’s discipleship resources.
There was agreement that big youth rallies are wonderful (I attended a few and I am more convinced than ever that I can neither sing nor dance!), but they are little more than spiritual sugar hits unless they emerge from the soil of local intergenerational discipleship of young people.
The need for equipping churches for effective youth and children’s ministry in Africa is enormous - 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25 – and training and resourcing is scarce. Over the next 18 months, as generous donations permit, Youthworks will look to train church leaders and Bible College faculty in effective youth and children’s ministry in about 25 countries, in addition to the work we are already resourcing in 7 countries. I have plans to connect local churches here with whole dioceses there, to share what we have in Sydney with the world.
The harvest is truly plentiful. Please pray with me that the Lord of the harvest will raise up workers, and bless Youthworks with the resources to equip those workers to disciple young people in the majority world to maturity in Christ.
Square One camp is helping local churches disciple their kids
Joel Moroney, Families Minister, Willoughby Park Anglican Church, brought his church kids along to Square One camp in June. He believes Square One is a great opportunity to help kids in their discipleship. He says:
“A lot of our kids go to different schools and don’t see each other outside of Sunday mornings. So, this was a great opportunity for them to bond and encourage each other. And then in the weeks later to hear them refer to moments from the campsongs and teaching moments in particular, has shown that Square One has had an impact.”
And…“We are a small church and there’s no way we could pull off a kids camp on our own. This year we brought 3 kids to Square One. That might feel like a small number, but the impact on those kids lives will be massive.”
Praise God for the way He is working through the local church capacity-building ministry of Square One! the ministry of Square One!
Dates for your diary
You can register your kids now for Square One Spring happening on 3-5 November!
LiT Summer (24-28 Jan at Port Hacking + 25-29 at Shoalhaven)
(02) 8268 3325
info@youthworks.net youthworks.net
Scan the QR code to register.
