- Anglican Youthworks
Anglican Youthworks , otherwise known simply asYouthworks , is the youth and education department of theAnglican Diocese of Sydney ,Australia . It exists to preach theGospel ofJesus Christ to the young people ofSydney and beyond in partnership with thechurches andschools of thediocese .It is one of the largest resources for
youth ministry andchildrens ministry outside of theU.S.A. and employs close to 200 staff in its three main areas of publishing, training and outdoor centres with operations overseen by CEO, Zachary Veron.History
The Anglican Department of Youth and Education was established in 1919, separate from the Anglican Board of Education. The Anglican Board of Education changed names in 1994 to become the Anglican Education Commission shortly before it combined with the Anglican Youth Department and the Anglican Education Commission to become Anglican Youthworks.
The Anglican Youth Department focus had been in
youth ministry andChristian camping , while the Anglican Education Commission’s key activities werepublishing religious education materials,advocacy to the government, children’s and adult education.The new organisation brought together ministries to children and youth in different contexts – church,
school and at camp. Anglican Youthworks is a major division of the Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney. The charter and framework was set out in a document known as an Ordinance.Publishing
It produces a range of school scripture (SRE) material called Connect, Sunday School material called Kids at Church as well as commentaries and evangelism material. Its published resources has grown since 2004 when the popular John Dickson books,
A Spectators Guide to World Religions and aA Spectators Guide to Jesus , were produced.Ken Moser , now at St Johns Shaughnessy inVancouver ,Canada and Dr Paul Barnett have also published books through Youthworks.Training
Its training division equips people to teach the
Bible through training courses and through Certificate and Diploma courses atYouthworks Training College . They also run numerous annual conferences similar in nature toKatoomba Christian Convention such asTWIST Music Conference ,Youth Ministry Conference andLeaders in Training . They also runSafe ministry courses for youth and children’s workers throughout the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. As well as youth and children's ministry advisors Youthworks recruits Christians into the profession of teaching, runs a Year 13 program as an alternative to aGap year and trains people for ministry onTAFE and school campuses. Youth ministry and children's ministry intensive courses are also run atYouthworks Training College that focus on core skills and philosophy for ministry to children and young people.Outdoor Centres
Horizon Education school camps are run at Youthworks conference centres across
New South Wales including the flagship site Waterslea on theShoalhaven River andPort Hacking Conference Centre (Chaldercot, Deer Park, Telford and Rathane) on thePort Hacking River, at Warumbul. Other services include the Challenge program for youth at risk, Youthworks Holiday Camps (formerly Camp Howard) and HSC Study Conferences.References
*Establishment of Anglican Youthworks http://www.sydney.anglican.asn.au/synod/ords/organord/o72-0016.html
*Role of Youthworks http://www.youthworks.net/index.php?s=&w=2&a=83&r=Y
*Level of courses at Youthworks College http://www.act.org.au/colleges.htmExternal links
* [http://www.youthworks.net:Anglican Youthworks]
* [http://www.sydneyanglicans.net:Sydney Anglican Diocese]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.