When Australia first went into lockdown, there was a flurry of activity to transition church into the digital space. It was an exciting adventure and one that challenged and inspired many people. We had some great content for beginners, kindy and primary that was fun, engaging and spiritual. But it soon emerged that there was a gap at the Junior/Teen age. This was where God planted the idea for a middle-school aged worship experience. But then restrictions started to ease, and it looked like we would be able to meet together in the near future.
Well… obviously that didn’t happen! As the pandemic began to worsen the idea began to form into something more concrete soon ‘Reset’ was born.
‘Reset’ is a digital devotional designed for 10-14 year olds. Posted weekly to YouTube, each session contains a message, a worship song and some interactive activities for the family. The first four sessions explored faith and next up is a series about how to live on mission. While developed for juniors and teens in Victoria, the series has been shared across Australia and has been a blessing to many. One viewer said, “It’s not just the kids that love it, it’s great for the whole family!”
There have been many people who have contributed to making ‘Reset’ happen. Simon Hutton, chaplain at NCC, has been introducing each week and making it fun! Kaelan Woodward, a teen from Lilydale, has been behind the scenes doing all the editing. Local churches and pastors have shared the links with their Juniors and Teens. And then there are the speakers who have willingly agreed to provide challenging and thought-provoking messages. I have always had a lot of respect for pastors, but as I’ve rung around asking for pastors to contribute, not one of them have said that they were too busy. All have jumped on the opportunity to be a blessing to this ‘middle school’ age group.
It has been great to see people watching each session! We have loved the feedback that’s been shared and are looking forward to more and more people taking up the ‘Minute to Win it’ challenge!
If you have any ideas, music or anything else that you would like to contribute, we would love to hear from you. Send your thoughts and Minute to Win it attempts to [email protected]!
Julie Catton
Children’s Ministries