in Ministry

Youth Ministry

Encouraging youth to follow Jesus wholeheartedly

Because wholeheartedly following Jesus is our centre focus, we must engage with the community around us. Jesus turns our attention to the world he loves, the world he died for. We know we live in a broken, fractured world. We don’t want to just look out for ourselves but to be part of God’s healing of our world.

Wholeheartedly following Him is the centre focus for our youth ministries. Whatever youth ministry you visit, large or small – we hope you will notice this focus. Young people finding out who they really are in Jesus is one of our main aims. We believe in future generations and in the difference that young people following Jesus can make in our world.

Upcoming events

What’s on for youth, plus trainings for pastors, leaders and teams

Youth Ministry Resources

Discover resources and recommendations to help develop and strengthen your youth ministry

Invisible

Discipleship

Voke App has been designed by Scripture Union to help youth age people engage in their faith at home. It has some great videos available for free.

Kara Powell (from Fuller Youth Institute and co-author of Sticky Faith) talks about the importance of Intergenerational Ministry here.

Ten Ways to Cultivate Youth Leadership is a helpful paper put together by Faith Formation Ministries.

Bulls & Arrows is a video curriculum good for short devotions.

Conferences & Events

Amplify Conference – For Children, Youth and Family Ministry.

Intergenerate – Supporting Intergenerational Faith Communities.

Keep an eye on our Events page for updates on 4D Leadership conference and other training events.

Baptist Youth Gathering (BYG) is held twice yearly, usually in May and September, at local churches throughout Adelaide. It’s an opportunity to gather in community for discipleship and fun! 

Renewal Retreats

Renewal Retreats are groups of 8-9 ministry practitioners, covenanting to meet together in a particular way.

The retreats are built on a commitment over a two-year cycle. The cycle begins with a three-day retreat followed by two further, similar retreats, 12 months apart. These annual retreats are interspersed with two 24-hour mini retreats, each one roughly halfway between the annual gatherings.

The ‘cycle’ is as follows:

  1. July Year 1 – Phase 1 – three day retreat
  2. Feb Year 2 – 24 hour retreat
  3. July Year 2 – Phase 2 – three day retreat
  4. Feb Year 3 – 24 hour retreat
  5. July Year 3 – Phase 3 – three day retreat

The “philosophy” behind these retreats is “being there for the sake of others.”
The goal is to provide a safe place where the realities of life and ministry can be openly shared, and where renewal can be experienced in a holistic way.

It involves a commitment to journey with one another as pastors through a substantial but finite period, to share our story and encourage one another in ministry.

To be involved means giving priority to all the gatherings in the whole cycle – commitment means priority, with no scope for partial participation. The nature of the group process requires that.

Facilitation of the groups is done by pastors who have been involved in at least one Retreat cycle.

Part of phase 3 is to affirm and appoint facilitators from among the retreat participants. Another aspect of phase 3 is to divide and multiply so that others can be invited into a new Retreat cycle.

Recommended Reading

For Leaders, Pastors, and Parents:

How Young People Understand and Experience God and the Influences on Their Thinking Report (2019)

The Glue – Relationship as the Connection for Effective Youth Ministry (Mike Stevens)
** If you are involved in Youth Ministry here in Adelaide, contact the office and we’ll do our best to provide you with this book.

Sticky Faith Teen Curriculum – 10 Lessons to Nurture Faith Beyond High School (Kara Powell and Brad M. Griffin)

Growing Young – Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church (Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, Brad Griffin)

Hello Gen Z – Engaging the Generation of Post Millennials (Claire Madden)

Fruit that will Last – how you can design your Youth Ministry so that it will have lasting impact on the lives of your young people (Tim Hawkins)

You Lost Me – Why Young Christians are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith (David Kinnaman and Aly Hawkins)

unChristian – What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…And Why It Matters (David Kinnaman)

Faith for Exiles – 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon (David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock)

Generation Z – A great website with lots of great research around the emerging generations.

For Young People… or Anyone!

Weird, Crude, Funny & Nude – The Bible Exposed and A Dozen Disapointing Disciples – How to Do Stupid Stuff and Still Change the World (Tom French)

Beyond This Moment – 17 Inescapable Moments Every Teen Will Face and How to Get Through Them (Nathan ‘Dubsy’ Want)

Mission & Culture

Youth Alpha – a 9 week series that makes it easy for you to create a space where youth will be excited to engage in conversations about faith.

Mustard – a movement of young people changing the world for His Kingdom’s sake.

Generation Z – a collection of resources and information of the emerging generations from McCrindle Research.

NUA Film Series – encourages questions, acknowledges doubt, and offers and engaging perspective on the Christian faith.

Baptist Mission Australia have some great resources here and ideas for engaging young people in prayer for mission here.

Games & Activities

Youth Games with Purpose – Making the Most of Every Gospel Opportunity (Leah Dyason)

Youth Group Games has so many awesome game ideas. Check it out!

The Source For Youth Ministry has a bunch of games and free resources.

50 No-Prep Youth Games are great for when you need games in a hurry!

If you need help with putting together risk assessments, we have access to a fantastic Safety Plan Builder put together by one of our local pastors. 

COVID-19 Ideas/Tips

e-safety recommendations for parents during COVID-19.

The Bible Project has produced a great small group resource complete with discussion questions and weekly videos from Tim Mackie.

For some helpful ways to use online resources from Pastor Skar click here.

Youth Alive Workshop on ministy ideas during this season.

For an example parent letter and permission slip for online activities click here.

20 Zoom Games and Activities from the Youth Ministry Institute.

Zoom Games from Christ in Youth

Downloadable instructions for a Zoom Storytelling Game

Online Youth Alpha

COVID-19 Emerging Generations Report: A great read to help understand the impact of COVID-19 on the emerging generations. Brought to you by McCrindle Research.

Baptist Care SA have put out some resources around parenting through the pandemic. Click here.

Parenting

Child and Adolescent Psychologist Kirrilee Smout comes  highly recommended. Click here.

Additional Needs

Baptist Care SA have some great resources around inclusion. For more information click here.

Baptism

Taking the Plunge – This book walks through with people what it means and looks like to entrust their whole lives to Christ, and how the act of baptism encapsulates this (Andrew Turner)

Crossway Baptist (Victoria) have a short, online course that helps individuals to prepare for baptism.

Appointment Guide

A number of our Youth Pastors have affirmed a guideline to assist Churches in the process of appointing youth staff. We hope to strengthen processes which will enable effective, sustainable, and long-term youth ministry.

Download the appointment guide here

Can’t find a resource?

Join one of our Facebook groups and ask our network of Next Generations leaders!