Resources: 'The Next Generation' videoette.

This is a short, endearing, yet challenging three minute video that highlights the importance and urgency of Children's ministry. In it Australian children speak of their needs, dreams and desires. It raises issues for discussion among those who shape strategies and programs for children.

You can use this to inspire your team, or better still, your whole church.

To make the most of it do not just show it and leave it without comment or opportunity for further action. You might try some of the following:
* Make it part of a children's service in which children play a major role.
* Include some specific requests and examples of how people can get involved in Children's ministry.
* Follow it with some specific points of prayer about your church's children's ministry.
* Incorporate it in at a congregational meeting to highlight the role of children's ministry.
* Use it in a small group followed by questions for discussion.
* Use it in a commissioning service for children's ministry.
* Have everyone involved in Children's ministry stand up or come to the front for prayer.

You can download it from here...

Training: A Ministry in prayer

This is the first of our 'Stand Alone units' of training. The aim is to use these units to develop and train your team either at regular team meetings or on special training days.

We begin with prayer. It's vital isn't it? How is your ministry founded and supported by prayer? How do you teach and lead children in the consistent discipline of prayer?
The answers will vary in each ministry. Yet we all know that God works wonderfully in answer to prayer. Through prayer lives and ministries are transformed by His Spirit. What small or big steps might your team take to focus and improve the way you pray?

A Ministry in Prayer is a practical workshop designed help you develop prayer in four key areas: as leaders, as teams, in children and in the church.

As you go through this workshop as a team you will reflect, brainstorm and take action to build a ministry rooted and built up in prayer.

You can download it here

Where does Faith Begin?

This is a very important question for those of us who aim to shape the faith of children. The answer we give has implications for how we teach, involve and minister to children.

In a new book, 'Shaped by God' (edited by R. J. Keeley) Don C Richter writes,

"For almost everyone, faith begins in practice rather than belief."

What does this mean? Richter quotes Miroslav Volf to explain further,

People come to believe either because they find themselves already engaged in Christian practices (say, by being raised in a Christian home) or because they are attracted to them. In most cases, Christian practices come first and Christian beliefs follow - or rather, beliefs are already entailed in practice, or that their explicit espousing becomes a matter of bringing to consciousness what is implicit in the engagement of the practices themselves.

Faith is formed when beliefs are lived out in the 'practice' of the christian life. We fan the flame of faith when we "notice, name and nurture practice connections with Scripture."

Our ministries to children then, as much as possible, ought to provide them with the opportunity to engage in the disciplines of the Christian life in response to God's Word.

For example, we not only provide opportunities for children to hear the stories of Scripture but for them to become story tellers. Not only do we pray for them, but we help them to pray for each other. How do our ministries lead them to give, serve, lead worship, teach, profess faith and care in ways appropriate to their age?

All of this is reflected in Jesus command, "make disciples... teaching them to obey..." The challenge and privilege is to apply this to children whose faith we are shaping.

(The book, Shaped by God' can be ordered by request from the Resource Centre.)

We need your support for Chaplains in State Schools

The question that we are being ask frequently since the political manoeuvrings of a few weeks back is what difference will the change of Prime Minister make to the continuation of chaplaincy funding. Our response is that it will most likely be determined by how well we (i.e. us, you and other supporters of chaplaincy) across the country let the Prime Minister and Labor members of Federal Parliament know of the benefit that the chaplaincy service and chaplains are within the school and broader community. To this end the National School chaplaincy Association (NSCA) have set up a web based lobbying strategy, similar to what was done last year so that we can start writing to our local members and the Prime Minister.

Please log on to support.schoolchaplaincy.org.au to register your support for chaplaincy. Please pass this link onto your networks and others who will get behind this campaign.

With the impending election it is the right time for the government to appreciate that chaplaincy is important to the community and its continued funding will be valued.

Welcome to the Blog

My name is Ray Rus. Recently I was appointed to the denominational position of Children's Work Coordinator.

I'm the husband of Wendy, father of six children and two grandchildren (seen in the picture below)

I'd like to pray for you, hear your stories, share resources, learn from what you know and give you the opportunity to do the same from others.

It's exciting to know that there are many of you who feel the same way and Iook forward to partnering with you in the vital work of nurturing God's covenant children and building the church of the future.

From my experience children's ministry is underrated and undervalued. My aim, therefore, will be to do what I can to develop a community of children's workers within the denomination who inspire, resource and encourage each other.
I'd like to pray for you, hear your stories, share resources, learn from what you know and give you the opportunity to do the same from others.

Therefore, my work will focus on these four things:.
* To advance the cause of children's ministry generally in the churches.
* To promote child safe practices.
* To develop effective leaders.
* To provide accessible resources.

I will be visiting most states over the year and I look forward to seeing you.
Back to blog

Join the dots

What means a dot? Perhaps not a lot. Or maybe more than you think. Recently, at the ministers and wives', conference Toby, Helen, Maggie and Ron from Cadets and Gems asked ministers to stick dots on a large sheet of paper which they had hung on the wall. We were to choose the age bracket in which we had turned to the Lord. The results looked like

Why we like Childsafe

Redlands has implemented Child Safe for a number of years. Through experience they have discovered the benefits of running child Safe. I asked Margaret Nugent, the coordinator to give three reasons why they are sold on Child Safe. She writes,