Coming full circle

From X-Factor hopeful to Youth Pastor at Riverlife Baptist Church and Red Frog Crew Member throughout, Scott McKinnon has been busy since graduating St Peters in 2012.

CASSIE TWEMLOW | Publications officer

After Scott finished his Senior year in 2012, he commenced an Applied Science degree at UQ thinking it might lead him into a career as a Physiotherapist. However, towards the end of 2013, Scott knew this wasn’t the path he wanted to take.

“It was good fun while it lasted, but it wasn’t quite right,” Scott explains.

With nothing specifically in mind of what he did want to pursue, Scott and two other friends (fellow St Peters Old Scholars, Daniel Tucker and Charlie Yeates) took a few months off their studies. During this time, they did a bit of travelling and decided to audition for The X Factor. They were reasonably successful. Landing in the top 50 after their original audition and a subsequent performance, Atlas, the name of their vocal group, was very popular with the crowd, but it wasn’t meant to be.

After the ‘bit of fun’ he had on The X Factor, Scott was keen to jump into something else. The self-confessed jack-of-all-trades ended up at a university Bible College Open Night.

“I was like, yes. This is me,” Scott says.

Having travelled to parts of Asia for churchrelated community mission trips in the past, Scott thought that continuing this kind of work would be perfect. Then, half way through his Ministry degree, he felt like the pull was aimed more locally.

“My wife, Annie (Annelise Peck, 2011), and I were going to help in third world nations but then I thought, ‘how can I change the world over there when there is so much need in my own town?’,” – so, in Brisbane they remained.

Eventually there was an opening at Riverlife Baptist Church (previously known as Kenmore Baptist Church), the same church Scott has been attending for 22 years. After five years on staff, he is now a Youth Pastor.

“I long to see individuals find freedom in Christ, but more than that, to see them step into their calling,” Scott is quoted as saying on the Riverlife website.

... how can I change the world over there when there is so much need in my own town?"

Scott was St Peters' Faith Captain in 2012, so it’s not such a far step from the past that he has wandered. And he also still sings. Most lately with his wife, Annie. With strong ties to the community, it is no wonder Scott also loves his voluntary work with Red Frogs. Red Frogs is a not-for-profit foundation that provides relief, safety and support to young people during Schoolies week.

“We visit high schools and give education talks specific to Red Frogs and Party Safe. Things like how to be safe, how to survive, what to look out for and, you know, how not to come back with too many unwanted situations,” Scott explains.

Up to 45% of high schools are offering these talks prior to the annual Schoolies Week and Riverlife endorses Scott volunteering and attending the week-long event on the Gold Coast to lead his own team. Being a father of two himself, Scott firmly believes in this safeguarding and protection of our youth.

“These guys are our next CEOs, Prime Ministers, doctors and tradies and we really just believe that if we can set them up well, then our whole society, and whole nation will be better off.” Scott goes on to say that the Red Frogs are not there to parent the students, just to help them out in tricky situations and support them – with pancake breakfasts, room clean-ups, walking home safely – where they can before their ‘next big step into freedom’.

This newly found freedom that school-leavers experience after graduation prompted Riverlife and Scott to create Crossover – a course that helps with the transition between school and life as a young adult.

“A lot of ex-students just get a bit lost in those months between high school finishing and uni starting,” Scott explains, adding that some people can’t find jobs and don’t find ‘their’ group of people. “They graduate and all the cohort just dissipates and all of a sudden no one is next to them every lunchtime anymore.”

Crossover is a ten-week life skills video course that discusses probing questions newly graduated students might ask about life ahead and how to manage their new commitments…with no teachers chasing them to draft assignments anymore. It also encourages the participants into maintain connections outside of school and within their faith.

You can find Scott at Riverlife Baptist Church, 47 Jennifer St, Seventeen Mile Rocks or riverlifechurch.org.au.

Pictured (clockwise from top left):Scott, in his role as a Red Frog Crew Member, talking to last year's St Peters Seniors about their upcoming Schoolies Week; In his role as Youth Pastor; QR code - Click to listen; 2012 Year 12 portrait photo; Scott and his wife, Annie.