Children’s and Youth Ministry Training Day

Details

16 March 2024

9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Ridley College + Livestream

Ticketing Information

Get Tickets

General Admission: $30
In-Person, Morning Tea and Lunch Included

Online: $30
This ticket is for per screen. Invite your team to watch together!

Group Registration
For large groups bookings, please complete the form by clicking the link below.

Check out seminars

One: One Goal, One Team, One Hope

The Ridley Children’s and Youth Ministry Training Day is coming up on Saturday, 16 March, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.

No one should attempt children’s and youth ministry on their own! Join fellow like-minded individuals who share your mission, collaborate within the same team, and strive for a common hope.

Come together to learn from our keynote speaker, Matt Keller, Director of Next Generation Ministries at City on a Hill. You'll also have the opportunity to select from a range of seminars led by our team of experienced children's and youth ministry experts.

The Children’s and Youth Ministry Training Day is a day of practical training and biblical encouragement to energise and equip anyone doing ministry with children and young people. Bring your entire team and extend the invitation to all those you know involved in children's and youth ministry.

Seminars

Every year, we offer a wide range of seminars you (and or your team) can attend. Here are some of the confirmed seminars. More to be confirmed.

Children's and Family Ministry

Children And The Creative Arts

The title says it all! We’ll be talking about including the creative arts in your ministries with children. Perhaps you’re excited by that; or perhaps in your mind you may also be thinking “CHAOS”! We’ll talk about the why, what, and how to use the creative arts with children and how they can use the arts to minister to the church family in creative ways to bless others.

Helen Petering, GFS/KidsPlus+ Liaison Officer, Music and Creative Arts Minister, St. Alfred’s Blackburn North

Effective use of Christian Camping for Discipleship in Children's and Family Ministry

The positive impact of Christian camping on engaging young people in their faith isn’t just a good idea, it has research to prove it!. In this seminar we’ll be exploring what the research says about the impact of camping, and sharing some stories. We’ll get practical by looking at a day in the life of camp and thinking about the logistics of incorporating Christian camping into your ministry year.

Jules Barnard, Generations Ministry Coordinator, CYC Ministries

Equipping Parents

We all agree that parents are the primary disciple makers of their children, but what does this actually mean and look like in our churches and children's & youth ministries? Prepare to consider what the bible says about the What, Why, Who and How of equipping parents.

Matt Keller, Director of Next Generation Ministries City on a Hill

Mission Minded Children’s Ministry

We know that Global Mission is important, but how do we convey that to children? So often in our children’s ministry we focus on teaching the truths of the Bible, doctrine and making sure our children understand the Gospel. The Gospel is a Global Gospel. How can we focus on teaching children to be mission minded and to be prayer warriors for all nations? Join us to think through how we can do this better and help our Children to be Mission Minded Prayer Warriors.

Alyson Peatman, Children’s and Families Co-Ordinator, CMS Victoria

Playgroups that matter – The bridge to more

What do current church playgroups look like & can they survive? What is unique about playgroups run in/by a church? How can connection to playgroup families be extended past the playgroup age? In this seminar we’ll talk about experiences & share how Playgroup ministry can still be sustainable, forming a bridge to the community, serving many, but focused on finding the few who want more.

Anthony Wheaton, Children & Families minister, Glen Waverley Anglican Church

Puppetry 101

Ever wondered what it’s like on the other side of the curtain? Well, here’s your chance to learn a new skill that will enhance your bible teaching, improve engagement with the young and old alike, and bring some good laughs to your ministry. In this workshop you’ll learn the how-tos of puppetry, begin to create your own character, and maybe even have a go in the theatre! BYO long sock if you plan to come along! (We’ll also have some puppets on loan to have a play with).

Amy Brown, Mt Eliza Anglican Parish

Reaching Non-church Children & Families

Ever wondered where to start, if you’re on the right track? Perhaps you’re in a bit of a funk and your ministry has plateaued? Or maybe you’ve got some ideas you want to troubleshoot or share? Then this workshop is for you! We’ll chat through the whys and hows of reaching children & families in your local community. We’ll focus on developing an outreach mindset rather than a one-size-fits-all ‘silver bullet’ approach, and you’ll get a chance to workshop some next steps for your context.

Amy Brown, Mt Eliza Anglican Parish

Theological Decision-making for Children’s Ministry

How does your theology of children’s ministry impact decision-making? If your answer is, ‘not much’, or ‘how would I know!?’, then this is the seminar for you. Designed for children’s ministry team leaders, we’ll explore the theological foundations of children’s ministry, which will help equip you in things like how to pick a curriculum, what events to run, and so many other of the decisions making aspects of ministry life.

Karen Winsemius, Children’s Ministry Consultant, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Using Published Teaching Resources Well In Children's Ministry

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by how to choose resources for teaching the children in your ministry? Or maybe you’ve felt underwhelmed by what you’ve got to choose from! In this seminar we’ll think about the best ways to used published curriculum in children’s ministry. Finding resources and deciding if they are age appropriate, engaging or a complete waste of time is exhausting! Come ready to think about and share your best tools and ideas with other children’s ministry workers so we can create children’s ministries that are engaging and fun and help children grow in faith in Jesus.

Rachel Gijsbers-Hayman, Children and Families Coordinator, St Thomas’ Burwood

Welcome to Children’s Ministry! Getting started in ministry with children

Working with children might just be the best investment of your time and talents. If you’re new to this ministry area this workshop is for you! We’ll cover some basic, but vital, skills, values and hacks for children’s ministry that will get you started and be useful for a lifetime of ministry.

Karen Winsemius, Children’s Ministry Consultant, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Youth Ministry

Curating A Leadership Development Ecosystem

The church needs more leaders. Across our churches are many vacancies, many ministry needs that are unfilled. The landscape is dry and sparse. In this seminar we will consider ways to provide opportunities for leadership development among young people and within youth leadership teams. We’ll share some simple strategies for growing healthy leaders to turn the leadership environment from its current landscape into a vibrant, sustainable ecosystem.

Kristina Kettleton, Project Officer, Reimagining the Future, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Digital Discipleship (Online Only)

What does it mean to nurture spiritual growth among youth and children online who are far more well versed in online culture than we are whilst being aware of the dark side of distraction, misinformation, and detachment. Discover how to navigate these pitfalls and harness the digital landscape as a tool for authentic connection, profound learning, and lasting faith.

Jimmy Young, Assistant Minister, Cranbourne Anglican Church

Directional Discipleship

What direction are you pointing the young people in your ministry towards? How do you help young people go from meeting Jesus, to knowing Jesus, to living for Jesus? In this seminar we’ll think about how to structure a youth ministry, and the kinds of ministry skills required, to disciple young people with direction.

Andrew Wort, Youth Minister, Bundoora Presbyterian Church

Introduction to youth ministry skills

Delve into the art of cultivating meaningful connections and fostering impactful conversations with today's youth. Gain practical insights and valuable skills to navigate the complexities of building genuine relationships, making a lasting impact in the vital sphere of youth ministry.

Brian Holden, Youth Ministry Consultant, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Games With A Purpose (Onsite Only)

An interactive game filled seminar about running purpose-driven youth group games that transcend mere entertainment. Explore how to infuse meaning, cultivate a positive culture, and foster discipleship through engaging activities that go beyond fun, shaping a transformative experience for the youth community.

Brian Holden, Youth Ministry Consultant, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

How To Connect With Non-church Young People (Online Only)

What's going on for the average Australian young person, and how could you start a conversation to help them explore God's story? This seminar introduces the xp film series, a new resource to help leaders start authentic conversations with young Australians about life and faith.

James Baker, Founder, xp

Introduction To Youth Ministry Skills

Brian Holden, Youth Ministry Consultant, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Motivating Young People for Mission

Schools are a primary mission field for most of our youth. This seminar will explore how you can help your youth live out their faith at school. Each youth has a different experience of being a Christian at school, whether they are fearful, bold or somewhere in between. How can you encourage them to step into God’s role for them at school?

Lara Ruddle, CEO and Alex Sheely, Student Support Coordinator of Mustard Schools Ministry

Navigating Youth Culture CANCELLED

Youth culture seems to be a mysterious, inaccessible terrain - difficult to describe for those who are in it, and difficult to understand for those who are not. But as we embark on the adventure of crossing cultures to serve young people with the gospel… is there anything we can know for sure that might help us navigate this strange land? Dave thinks so. Or at least, he hopes so, because that’s the premise of the seminar. So come along, and let’s help one another find our bearings as we explore some of the key forces shaping the teens of today.

Dave Chiswell, Youth Minister, City on a Hill, Geelong

Opening The Bible With Teens, So Anyone Gets It! (Onsite Only)

"The bible speaks to me, is relevant and relatable" Explore strategies and tools that help this be what young people - Christian and not - can find to be true. Check out key principles and approaches that help make vital connections with young peoples' everyday lives, challenges and passions.

Naomi Swindon, Camping and Missions Specialist, SU Australia

Planning A 5 Year Curriculum For Youth Ministry

Any youth program will have teenagers for a limited time. What do youth ministries want to do with that time? Come and explore the concept of a curriculum for youth ministry. We will both take time to reflect on how we make such decisions, and play with a possible curriculum ourselves.

Joshua Millard, Youth Minister, St Thomas’ Burwood

Position vs Posture: Knowing Your Role and Leading Young People in God, Sex and Relationships (Onsite Only)

A workshop on maintaining your integrity while holding pastoral care at the forefront when discussing God, sex, and relationships. What if you disagree with the actions of a young person? What if you disagree with culture?

Lauren Foster, Big Kids’ Table

Talks that Don’t Suck

ATalking to teenagers about the Bible can be terrifying. In this seminar will look at how to write and give a Bible talk for teenagers that is engaging, relevant, and helps young people grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Tom French, Author and Youth Minister, Inner North Youth Group

Why five youth is enough to start a youth group

Starting and running small youth groups are hard, but they are worthwhile, and can still make a real difference to the youth that attend. It doesn't matter how many young people are part of your church - how ever many there are, even if only a few, those youth need to be supported in their faith journey. Come along to unpack why you should invest in youth ministry in smaller churches, even when there may be days that no one turns up.

Alex Sheely, Youth Team leader at Darebin Presbyterian Church

Childrens', Youth, and Family Ministry

All-age Worship IRL, with Director's commentary (Onsite Only)

All-age worship often fails not because it's not worth doing but because it's too hard to accomplish. In this seminar we'll watch a video of a real life all-age worship service so we can see what this could look like in practice, and where we can talk about what worked well and what could be done better.

Graham Stanton, Director, Ridley Centre for Children’s and Youth Ministry

From Surviving to Thriving: Tools for sustainable Long-term ministry

Children’s and Youth ministry is often messy, relentless and demanding, leaving leaders feeling unappreciated and unable or unwilling to continue for the long term. In this seminar we'll engage in a series of hands-on activities of reflective practice that can help you be a ‘living sacrifice’, rather than a burnt up one.

Kate Beer, Professional Pastoral Supervision Program Lead, Ridley College

Integration Rather Than Segregation

Our churches are often radically age segregated. The young people have their Friday nights. The children are whisked away 10mins into the service on a Sunday morning. Yet what if the greatest indicator for young people remaining connected to the church was their level of integration? How can we encourage children and youth participation in our church family while catering to their developmental and cognitive needs?

Louisa Pfitzner, Acting Children’s and Families Minister, St Alfred’s Blackburn North

Is There A Moral In This Story? Understanding And Teaching Biblical Narrative

Large parts of the bible are narrative texts full of awful events, flawed characters, and sometimes rather surprising perspectives. Trying to find something positive to teach to children and young people we often try to turn flawed characters into moral heroes, looking for lessons and examples. But who really is the hero of the bible's stories? How can we teach complex biblical narratives in a way that is faithful to the text but also accessible to children and teenagers? This seminar will offer some training on understanding and teaching biblical narrative.

Hannah Craven, Associate Lecturer in Christian Thought, Ridley College

Leading Churches so children’s and youth ministry can flourish

Online

Church leaders are enormously influential on the health and flourishing of children’s and youth ministries in a local church. This seminar is for vicars, senior ministers, priests in charge, lead pastors – whatever the label, we’ll talk together about what you can do to help (or hinder) effective ministry among children and young people.

Graham Stanton, Director, Ridley Centre for Children’s and Youth Ministry

Mental Health in a Mental World

Online

This seminar will will focus on unpacking what mental health is, the nature and prevalence of mental health difficulties amongst young people in Australia, and share a preventative framework for mental wellbeing and practical strategies to support the mental health and wellbeing of the children and young people in our care and communities.

Emylee Ephraums, Child and Adolescent Psychologist

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Main Speaker

Matt Keller

Director of Next Generation Ministries, City on a Hill

Matt Keller often remarks he has the greatest job in the world because he gets to bring together his two great loves: children and Jesus.  Matt currently works at City on a Hill as the national Director of Next Generation ministries.  He is approaching thirty years in ministry and, when the day is done, returns home to his wife Emilie where any spare moments are spent wrangling eight kids (at the time of writing).  

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	*Session 1 (10:00-11:15)*	*Session 2 (11:45-1:00)*	*Session 3 (13:45-15:00)*
Children's And Family Ministry	Effective Use Of Christian Camping In Children's And Family Ministry (Jules Barnard)	Using Published Teaching Resources Well In Children's Ministry (Rachel Gijsbers-Hayman)	Reaching Non-Church Children And Families (Amy Brown)
	Playgroups That Matter – The Bridge To More (Anthony Wheaton)	Equipping Parents (Matt Keller)	Children & The Creative Arts (Helen Petering)
	Welcome To Children’s Ministry! (Karen Winsemius)	Puppetry 101 (Amy Brown)	Theology Of Children's Ministry (Karen Winsemius)
	Mission Minded Children’s Ministry (Alyson Peatman)
Youth Ministry	Navigating Youth Culture CANCELLED (Dave Chiswell)	Talks That Don't Suck (Tom French)	Opening The Bible With Teens, So Anyone Gets It! (Naomi Swindon)
	Position Vs Posture (Big Kids Table)	Directional Discipleship (Andrew Wort)	Games With A Purpose (Brian Holden)
	Introduction To Youth Ministry Skills (Brian Holden)	Curating a Leadership Development Ecosystem (Kristina Kettleton)	Why Five Youth Is Enough To Start A Youth Group (Alex Sheely)
	Motivating Young People For Mission (Lara Ruddle, Alex Sheely)	Planning A 5-Year Curriculum For Youth Ministry (Joshua Millard)
	How To Connect With Non-Church Young People (James Baker) [ONLINE]
	Digital Discipleship (Jimmy Young) [ONLINE]
Children's, Youth and Family Ministry	From Surviving To Thriving: Tools For Sustainable Long-Term Ministry (Kate Beer)	All-Age Worship IRL, With Director's Commentary (Graham Stanton)	Integrating Children And Young People In The Whole Church (Louisa Pfitzner)
	Leading Churches So Children’s And Youth Ministry Can Flourish (Graham Stanton) [ONLINE]	Mental Health In A Mental World (Emylee Ephraums) [ONLINE]	Is There A Moral In This Story? (Hannah Craven)

	Session 1 (10:00-11:15)	Session 2 (11:45-1:00)	Session 3 (13:45-15:00)
Children's And Family Ministry	Reaching Non-Church Children And Families (Amy Brown)	Effective Use Of Christian Camping In Children's And Family Ministry (Jules Barnard)	Using Published Teaching Resources Well In Children's Ministry (Rachel Gijsbers-Hayman)
	Children & The Creative Arts (Helen Petering)	Welcome To Children’s Ministry! (Karen Winsemius)	Equipping Parents (Matt Keller)
		Mission Minded Children’s Ministry (Alyson Peatman)	Playgroups That Matter – The Bridge To More (Anthony Wheaton)
Youth Ministry	How To Connect With Non-Church Young People (James Baker)	Introduction To Youth Ministry Skills (Brian Holden)	Curating a Leadership Development Ecosystem (Kristina Kettleton)
	Talks That Don't Suck (Tom French)	Motivating Young People For Mission (Lara Ruddle, Alex Sheely)	Planning A 5 Year Curriculum For Youth Ministry (Joshua Millard)
	Digital Discipleship (Jimmy Young)		Directional Discipleship (Andrew Wort)
Children's, Youth and Family Ministry	Leading Churches So Children’s And Youth Ministry Can Flourish (Graham Stanton)	Mental Health In A Mental World (Emylee Ephraums)
	Integrating Children And Young People In The Whole Church (Louisa Pfitzner)	Is There A Moral In This Story? (Hannah Craven)

Details

16 March 2024

9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Ridley College + Livestream

Ticketing Information

General Admission: $30 In-Person, Morning Tea and Lunch Included

Online: $30 This ticket is for per screen. Invite your team to watch together!

Group Registration For large groups bookings, please complete the form by clicking the link below.

One: One Goal, One Team, One Hope

Seminars

Children's and Family Ministry

Youth Ministry

Childrens', Youth, and Family Ministry

Seminar Schedule: Onsite Program

Seminar Schedule: Online Program

Main Speaker

Matt Keller

Get Tickets

General Admission: $30
In-Person, Morning Tea and Lunch Included

Online: $30
This ticket is for per screen. Invite your team to watch together!

Group Registration
For large groups bookings, please complete the form by clicking the link below.