Winter Holiday Check-In

Meaghan and Al from Youthworks’ Effective Ministry Podcast reflect during the winter holidays on topics they’ve been thinking about, including questions around using AI in youth ministry and how AI raises deeper issues of autonomy, authorship, authentic connection, and Christian anthropology. Meaghan shares her current focus on under fives, offering practical tips such as keeping teaching simple, attending to a child’s emotional state so they feel safe, heard, and secure, and physically getting down to a child’s level to reduce power dynamics. They acknowledge that the long 11-week winter term in New South Wales has left many kids and youth ministers tired, with some resting and others running holiday clubs or camps. The hosts invite listeners to email prayer points and Q&A questions to effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net, announce a short podcast break, and say the show returns on 22 July.

00:00 Winter Holiday Catch Up
00:37 AI And Being Human
03:22 Under Fives Ministry Tips
07:12 Why This Episode
07:29 Holiday Season Realities
09:06 Pls Send Prayer Points!
09:49 Podcast Break And Return Date

Parenting in God's Family Vol. 2 | A Resource for Families & Ministry Leaders

What does it look like to raise children who are anchored in Christ — and how can youth and children's ministry leaders partner with parents to make it happen?

In this crossover episode with the Timeless Parenting Podcast (hosted by Ann Cunningham and Harriet Connor from Mothers' Union Sydney and Growing Faith/Youthworks), Al James sits down to explore the newly released Parenting in God's Family Volume 2 — a multi-author resource that's as relevant for ministry workers as it is for parents.

In this episode:

• The biblical-theological framework behind Christ-anchored parenting — creation, fallenness, responsibility in Christ, the church, the changing world, and eternity
• Why parents are the primary disciplers of their children — and why youth/kids ministers are vital partners (not substitutes)
• What the research says about children who stick with faith into adulthood
• How to have grace-filled conversations about culture, mental health, AI, and a changing world
• Why intergenerational discipleship in the local church matters more than ever
• The danger of outsourcing your child's faith formation — and how ministry leaders can bridge the gap with families

Whether you're a parent, a youth pastor, a kids' ministry leader, or a church worker thinking about how to better equip families — this conversation is for you.

Parenting in God's Family Volume 2
You can find Parenting in God's Family Volume 2 for purchase at Youthworks Media

Register For House - Anchored and Adaptable
House Conference is happening the 25-27th August 2026 and will be on a Theology of Contextualisation with Mike Dicker (Principal at Youthworks College) and Derek Brotherson (Principal at Sydney Missionary and Bible College)

Register here: youthworks.net/house

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
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You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
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You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
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We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net

Al James and Annemarie Rivers discuss moving from “principle (theology/belief) to practice” in youth and children’s ministry, arguing against copying what’s always been done or what merely “works” and instead letting biblical and theological convictions guide intentional, reflective decisions. They outline their "thinking framework": start with a biblical/theological framework, bring in new knowledge (e.g., research, development, culture) in dialogue with Scripture, then assess context, current practice, and move toward “better practice” (the best fit for a particular context rather than universal “best practice”). They explain how using this framework over time forms a ministry philosophy—articulated principles that justify and shape ministry choices—highlighting Youthworks’ seven principles and offering tests for writing good principles (truth-statement form, not too broad/narrow, risk-aware, applicable, avoiding “should” language).

Register For House - Anchored and Adaptable
House Conference is happening the 25-27th August 2026 and will be on a Theology of Contextualisation with Mike Dicker (Principal at Youthworks College) and Derek Brotherson (Principal at Sydney Missionary and Bible College)

Register here: youthworks.net/house

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
.
You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
.
You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
.
We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net

00:00 Why Best Practice Fails

00:28 Principle to Practice Intro

01:51 House Conference Contextualization

03:16 Meet Emory and The West

04:11 Course Sneak Peek Setup

04:53 Why Theology Drives Choices

05:27 Avoiding Habit and Hype

07:34 Reflective Practice Link

08:08 The Thinking Framework

08:37 Biblical Framework First

09:58 Adding New Knowledge

11:29 Dialogue Between Both

13:23 Context Shapes Ministry

15:37 Current to Better Practice

19:27 Building a Ministry Philosophy

21:02 Articulating Your Why

23:01 Shared Principles Across Churches

23:57 Seven Ministry Principles

25:54 Principles Versus Theology

27:07 From High Level to Specific

27:33 Identity Example in Practice

29:33 Building Truth Statements

32:00 Keeping Principle and Practice Separate

32:30 Testing Your Principles

38:54 Avoiding Should Language

42:24 Final Takeaway Theology to Practice

In today's episode, we're going to listen to a conversation between Annemarie Rivers and Al James on Adolescent development. It is a fascinating conversation about the biology and sociology of adolescent development and how they intersect with ministry to young people.

This conversation was originally recorded as an introduction to this topic, as it is taught at Youthworks College. If you enjoyed this conversation and want to dig deeper, Youthworks College just might be the place for you. You can enrol, hear conversations like this, and look deeply at these sorts of topics each week.

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
.
You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
.
You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
.
We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net

Preaching and Youth Ministry: Why the Preached Word Still Matters

In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, host Josh interviews The Rev Dr Tom Habib, a Moore Theological College lecturer and coordinator of the John Chapman Preaching Initiative. They trace preaching through Scripture: Deuteronomy as Moses’ covenant sermon; the prophets’ role in proclaiming the written word; Jesus as the promised prophet and preacher; and the apostolic pattern, culminating in Timothy being commanded to “preach the word.” They discuss preaching versus teaching, the need for both reading and preaching, the strengths and weaknesses of talks and Bible studies in youth groups, and practical models combining a short talk with discussion.

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
.
You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
.
You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
.
We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net

Rev. Polly Butterworth, a Sydney high school chaplain, shares about her new role as Schools Ministry Development Officer for the Sydney Anglican Diocese, created to better support Anglican school ministry workers. She outlines five aims: pastoral support and mentoring networks for chaplains, strengthening partnerships between schools and churches, improving training and recruitment pathways for chaplains and Christian studies teachers, sharing resources across schools, and supporting professional development through the Sydney Anglican Schools Ministry Association.

Polly explains why school–church partnership matters for long-term discipleship beyond school and discusses key barriers (especially time, mismatched schedules, and lack of ideas). She offers practical partnership ideas such as sharing speakers, prayer support and prayer points, church involvement in lunchtime groups and Bible studies, shared events, and cross-promotion, encouraging perseverance and patient, prayerful support.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:05 Polly’s New Diocese Role

02:52 Five Goals for Chaplain Support

04:32 Sharing Resources and PD Network

08:27 How the Role Came About

13:26 Polly’s Path into Chaplaincy

16:58 Vision for School Church Partnerships

21:20 Schools as a Temporary Faith Community

22:46 Church Discipleship Depth

23:43 Why Partnership Matters

24:41 Survey Shows Willingness

25:47 Time And Scheduling Barriers

27:04 Making Space For Partnership

28:45 Idea Fatigue And Brainstorming

30:53 Practical Partnership Ideas

35:28 Shared Events And Promotion

37:01 When Efforts Stall

41:54 How Churches Can Support

45:00 Contact And Wrap Up

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
.
You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
.
You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
.
We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net

Episode Description

This episode is a little different! We're sharing a recording of a Theology Think Tank on the topic of belonging, facilitated by Dr. Louise Gosbell in collaboration with YouthWorks College and the Ministry Support Team. You'll hear Louise's teaching, live Q&A, and group discussion — all focused on what it means to create spaces of belonging for children and young people in your local church context.

Guest - Dr. Louise Gosbell — Academic and ministry practitioner with a long background in disability inclusion ministry. Former voluntary coordinator for the Sydney region of CBM Australia's disability inclusion program. Louise teaches at YouthWorks College and writes academically on belonging, disability, and the body of Christ.

In This Episode

• A theological framework for belonging from 1 Corinthians 12 — Paul's image of the body of Christ
• What researchers say belonging actually feels like
• John Swinton on belonging: "To belong, you need to be missed"
• The mental, emotional, and physical health benefits of belonging
• How Australia's Belonging, Being and Becoming framework reflects the importance of belonging in early childhood education
• Introduction to Eric Carter's Dimensions of Belonging Framework — and group discussion on how it applies to children's and youth ministry
• Practical, low-cost strategies for fostering belonging in your programs

Article link; https://courageous-omelet-90c.notion.site/GOSBELL-Creating-Communities-of-Belonging-for-Children-and-Young-People-Youthworks-Think-Tank-30be772d74bd80b0ba50cd8a29f2de0e?source=copy_link

Louise's email; lgosbell@aut.edu.au

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
.
You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
.
You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
.
We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net

We’re thinking about how to make the most of when kids are in the room for church gatherings. In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, Meaghan Gates, Adam Joliffe, and Al James share some simple, practical “low-hanging fruit” to help include children and young people meaningfully.

We start with a core conviction: kids aren’t the “future church”—they’re full members of the body of Christ right now. From there, we reflect on how we can unintentionally “other” children, especially through the way we speak, and how small shifts in language can make a big difference.

We talk about using accessible (simple, not simplistic) language, speaking directly to children rather than about them, and giving equal weight to both the main gathering and kids’ programs when children are dismissed. We also highlight the importance of celebrating children’s contributions as genuine ministry, not performance.

When it comes to preaching, we share a range of practical ideas to help engage all ages—things like creating multiple entry points through sermon sheets, using clear prompts and simple challenges tied to the big idea, incorporating visuals, building in short discussion moments, and intentionally resetting attention throughout the sermon.

If you’re planning for Easter—or any all-age gathering—these are ideas you can pick up and put into practice straight away.

Timestamps
00:00 — Easter and all-age services
01:35 — Meet the hosts
02:27 — Why kids belong in the church now
03:41 — How language shapes culture
06:35 — A story of preacher anxiety
08:07 — Simple, not simplistic
11:13 — Speaking directly to children
13:51 — Valuing kids’ church alongside the main gathering
15:09 — Celebrating ministry, not performance
18:18 — Praise as ministry
18:45 — Building momentum for kids serving
20:48 — Preaching: low-hanging fruit
22:48 — Sermon sheets and access points
25:22 — Using a simple “challenge” hook
27:38 — Visuals and interaction
30:13 — Re-engaging attention
33:09 — Building a culture of welcome over time
34:27 — Key takeaways and wrap-up

Connect with Youthworks
Click through to discover more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youthworks Ministry Support Team ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and how Youthworks can help you have an effective youth and children's ministry in your local church, or check out our Facebook Page
.
You can connect with the broader Youthworks family by clicking here
.
You can partner in the ministry of Youthworks by donating here
.
We would love to hear from you! Send your thoughts, comments, and suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net