Your story – A visionary Australian research project
Your Story is a visionary research project featuring stories from over 400 Australian young people. The project explores questions around who and what has, and is, shaping their faith in their childhood, adolescence, and the present, by listening to young people narrate their faith story.
Here are four key findings from this research, and their implications for ministry.
Five Strategies to Cultivate a Culture of Church-Parent Partnership
The childhood years are foundational for a young person’s spiritual development. Yet children’s ministry is too often carried out in isolation from the families to whom these children belong.
When the church and home are aligned in purpose, vision, and strategy the discipleship and spiritual formation of children flourish. So, what does meaningful partnership between the church and the home look like—both theologically and practically?
Too comfortable for Christ
When life feels full and comfortable, why would anyone think they need Jesus? The “I’m fine, thanks” fallacy is one I’ve encountered time and time again. Young people often don’t perceive their need for Jesus because life feels good, and they don’t see themselves as "bad people."
Here are three approaches to help young people see their need for Jesus, even when they don’t feel it.
Fostering a sense of belonging in kids ministry
Low and irregular attendance at church is a concerning trend for leaders today. As someone particularly concerned with the discipleship of children, sporadic attendance is discouraging, so we can’t ignore the impact this will have on children.
Here’s one area I think children’s ministry leaders need to consider - fostering in our young people a sense of belonging at church.
How to elevate your church website to welcome people with disability
Church websites are a very helpful tool to share with your local community about your ministries and gatherings. For a visitor to your church who has disability or is neurodivergent, up-to-date information on your website about accessibility, what happens during a service, and what to expect is essential.
Here are three tips for enhancing your church website to help all people find out more about your church, so they feel included and welcome.
Two ways to get quiet discussion groups talking
Think of a time where you’ve asked a question in a discussion and everyone falls silent… is it the good kind of silence, or the not-so-good kind?
One kind of silence is productive, while the other is detrimental to forming a good group culture. One kind of silence promotes discussion, the other hampers it.
Here are two simple tools that will help you create a platform for the types of discussion where you get the good kind of silence.
SRE Good News - May 2025
Check out all the SRE Good News from the May edition of our SRE Impact Newsletter.
SRE classroom tips for supporting students with ADHD
It can be hard to know how to support young people who have ADHD, whether you are aware of the diagnosis or not. Getting to know each student, especially those with diverse needs, is going to be most helpful. But this can be difficult, if not impossible, with such limited time and a whole class of kids.
Here are four tips to make your SRE class beneficial for all students.
Shaping classes for student success: Making the right thing to do the easiest thing to do
When doing the right thing is also the easiest thing, students build good habits—and we spend less time managing behaviour. Here are my four top tips for classroom management.
Why routine is a kids ministry leader’s best friend
Routine isn’t boring; in fact, it makes kids’ ministry engaging and effective. From familiar games to visual schedules, predictability helps children feel confident, cooperate, and absorb new lessons without overwhelm. Leaders love it too—less stress, smoother transitions, and more time to plan and prepare for lessons!
Self-care through the seasons of life
Being a ministry worker brings with it joys and challenges, and everything in between. It is a profound privilege to journey alongside people through the varying seasons of life.
Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s stewardship, and a necessity for sustainable, healthy and resilient ministry. Making space for rest, spiritual renewal, and personal boundaries allows ministry workers to continue serving with joy, resilience, and integrity.
Tips for a disability-inclusive Easter at your church
The Easter season usually brings about a change in routines and often brings in visitors to church. This could be particularly challenging for children with disability or who are neurodivergent. Because of this, it’s worth thinking through ways to enable inclusive practices to help all people, whether regular, new, or visiting.
A first time for everything
Whether you’re starting out again teaching SRE to the same year group as previous years, teaching SRE for the first time or somewhere in between, be encouraged that the privilege of SRE is that we have the opportunity to be alongside young people as they engage with the Bible.
Creation was never perfect
“In the beginning God made the world and everything perfect” is what I often hear people say when they recount the story of creation through salvation history. The problem with calling God’s creation perfect is that it invites us to think of God’s creation as pristine and static, as if it was completed and, well…perfect. But that is not what God made. God makes a creation that needs to be completed and fulfilled.
Small group tips: ‘The rule of thirds”
Does facilitating Friday night youth group discussion time feel like you’re trying to push a boulder up a hill? Many youth group leaders have fallen into the trap of focusing too much on one aspect of the group time. If this is you, then adopting the Rule of Thirds can be a significant help.
Artificial intelligence and ministry to young people
In the context of ministry, there’s almost no limit to the ways in which we might employ AI tools to assist us in our tasks. Yet this is an arena in which we need to do some thinking before we blindly use the tools at hand. So how do we wisely discern what is beneficial for us and for those we are ministering to when it comes to faithfully using AI for ministry purposes?
Should we add a new gospel bead?
Have you taught your kids how to share the good news with gospel beads? It’s a great way to equip young people to share their faith. It’s simple, memorable… and wearable.
In his new book, The Child in God’s Church (2025)Tim Beilharz makes the point that we are missing a bead.
Hannah More and radical discipleship
What does a radical disciple of Jesus look like? I think it looks like Hannah More, a woman who trusted in God’s providence, used her gifts, cared for the poor, taught children and fought for justice.
Fresh ideas for kids spots
With the start of a new year, here are some fresh ideas for kids spots in church gatherings. I encourage you to evaluate their suitability for your context based on your convictions about the purpose of that time.
Going the distance in youth ministry: Longevity, role and personal life.
Wondering how you might be able to keep going the distance in youth ministry? This is what Andy Stevenson has found helpful to keep him going for over 25 years in youth ministry!