VicYouth has had many opportunities over the past four years to lead young people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as train them for roles in leadership and in service. It has supported many in their personal walk with God through its different ministry areas. There is a focus on Christ-centred living evident in all VicYouth’s programs. Discipleship and evangelism are also important features, and at every opportunity, VicYouth promotes healthy, nurturing relationships and compassion for others.
Adventurers has recently undergone a makeover and rebranding, with Jesus and family central to this ministry. Clubs are flourishing and the ministry is providing a bridge to their communities for the eighteen churches involved.
The Avondale Campus tours, which commenced in 2018, enable our young adults who do not attend church school and would otherwise miss out on an opportunity to visit Avondale, to broaden their horizons in education and training for mission and ministry.
Big Camp builds the faith of our youth and young people and offers a chance to share that faith as they invite their friends along. Opportunities are provided for fun activities, socializing, worshipping and commitment, with inspiring presenters empowering attendees to go home and live up to their God-given potential in their own spheres of influence.
VicYouth recognises the importance of the spiritual development, accountability and sense of belonging that a life group provides. At each VicYouth event, the importance of belonging to a life group is shared through workshops, testimonies or preaching and offering options for people to connect with a local church life group. During the physical isolation of 2020, Sabbath School and life groups pivoted into the online space, giving rise to an increased collaboration across local churches, including with others interstate and even overseas. VicYouth will however, continue to place an emphasis on local church life group involvement.
Through Pathfinders, our youth, club volunteers and leaders grow in their sense of community, develop life skills and are encouraged in their spiritual journeys. The program is also evangelistic – many members were invited by friends and clubs often have children from the community join. The Pathfinders’ schedule is a full one, and it wouldn’t be the ministry it is without the many committed volunteers involved.
2019 saw the first Australia-wide Camporee held in Victoria in 28 years, with about 15% of Australian Pathfinders in attendance. Events such as this play a pivotal role in the spiritual development and growth of our young people. The same year, VicYouth held its largest Expedition on record too, reflecting the growth of this ministry in our Conference.
Most of our Pathfinder clubs persisted through the uncertainty of 2020, adopting the COVID-friendly curriculum released by the Australian Union.
VicYouth would like to acknowledge the resilience, adaptability and positivity of our Pathfinder leaders and volunteers through a very challenging year.
Summer Camps serve to develop leaders, provide mentorship, foster healthy relationships, reinforce putting Christ at the centre and providing outreach opportunities. In 2020 they operated with the uncertainty of the bushfires, and GAP camp was not held as the camp was deemed to be in a high risk area. And in 2021, it was unclear until quite late in 2020, whether or not the camps could go ahead. But regardless of any difficulties faced, there has been a baptism at Summer camp each year for the last ten years and commitments for further Bible study and baptism are made by campers, year after year.
Winter Recharge continues to grow. In 2020, VicYouth facilitated Winter e-Charge, online – a live discussion where viewers could interact with the hosts and presenters, fostering a sense of community.
Important events on the VicYouth calendar each year are the youth rallies, with an attendance of around 4-500, including many young people who no longer attend church. In 2018 a Friday evening program was added to the Sabbath morning and afternoon programs and this worked well with the Friday evening and Sabbath afternoon having a discipleship and evangelistic focus. As well as these larger rallies, VicYouth liaises with and supports youth leaders in regional areas to run rallies for their local youth.
Another regular event is the Leadership Weekend, providing valuable training for our leaders across different ministries. In 2017 it was held at Camp Howqua but was subsequently shifted to Nunawading Christian College and we noted an increase in attendees. Last year, the weekend was postponed to allow for the Growing Together Summit and many of our leaders attended that instead.
There are a number of other regular events that have become an integral and collaborative part of VicYouth’s programs.
Every four years the South Pacific Division runs a leadership development intensive, which has been well supported by VicYouth. At the last Move with the Power held at Stuarts Point in 2017, VicYouth had 70 delegates (more than any other Conference) attend for training in youth and young adults ministry, Pathfinders, Adventurers and Children’s Ministry.
The General Conference provides resources for Youth Week of Prayer and e-Week of Pray and VicYouth promotes these, encouraging youth groups and individuals across the state to engage.
Converge is an annual young adults (18-30) conference run by the Australian Union and supported by Youth Departments across Australia. The first was held in 2016, and in 2018-2020 the praise and worship team consisted of 15 young people from a cross section of churches in Victoria. These conferences have been a special time where attendees can nourish their relationship with Jesus and each other.
Across Australia, nearly 100 churches are participating in a program that teaches church leaders how to position their churches to engage younger generations in a way that breathes vitality, life and energy into the whole church. This journey began for VicYouth, in early 2018 with the Youth Engagement Summit where local church leaders and youth discussed how to better engage and retain our young people. A year later, key leaders across Victoria attended the first Growing Together Summit in Brisbane. In March 2020, VicYouth held the a Growing Together Summit here in Victoria, entirely online, with fifteen churches from across Victoria participating. The second summit was in October, and this two year journey will continue into 2021.
VicYouth first participated in Share Him in 2015 and continues to see the value these trips provide to participants, who step out of their comfort zone to present a full evangelistic series at a local church, as well as for the region where the program takes place. Working closely with organisers in the United States to ensure the best match of our speakers with the local church, the VicYouth teams have been to Botswana in 2017 and Philippines in 2019. 2020’s trip was postponed, but it is hoped this ministry will resume in the future. More immediate possibilities are being explored for running a series in outback Western Australia.
Every year, local churches use their own initiative or team up with ADRA and participate in the General Conference’s Global Youth Day, where young people focus on being the sermon. This is heavily promoted across VicYouth platforms and VicYouth helps support their initiatives. In these last four years some of the projects include organising worship programs in nursing homes, handing out food and other essential items and collecting donations for the less fortunate.
StormCo is another community service focused program our young people can be involved in. It is best described as an affordable short term mission trip, led by local church youth leaders. These trips serve local communities during school holidays, with kids clubs and other community based needs, but as with other ministries, COVID curbed plans for StormCo in 2020.
In conclusion, VicYouth would like to take this opportunity to thank two past team members. Bruce Moss retired at the end of 2018 after giving more than three decades of outstanding service and leadership to Pathfinders as a District Director. Jody Lawson also hung up her boots after many years serving as a Club and District Director. They are both sorely missed.
Our culture is undergoing rapid shift. VicYouth is committed to cultivating durable faith in the lives of our young people by journeying with them as they find their purpose in the world. VicYouth is committed to building the leaders of today for a world of tomorrow through relevant training and resourcing. “As we lift Jesus Christ in all that we do and in who we are,” says Director, Phil Hyland, “we pray that those we minister to may come to know Him more.”
Phil Hyland
Youth Director