Join the Youthworks Ministry Support Team as they discuss how to have an effective youth and children’s ministry in every church in conversation with local ministry workers as well as national and international voices. Get in touch - effectiveministrypodcast@youthworks.net www.youthworks.net
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In this House Conference 2026 lead-up episode on the theme “anchored and adaptable,” a Youthworks host interviews Sydney-area practitioners Toby, Sarah, and Luke about first impressions of two conference papers by Mike and Derek on a theology of contextualization in children’s and youth ministry. They emphasize there is no “silver bullet,” that context is always changing, and that leaders must…
House Conference Paper Reading 2026 - How Far Is Too Far? Contextualization vs. Syncretism in Youth and Children’s Ministry by Derek Brotherson This House Conference 2026 lead-up episode is an audio reading of Derek Brotherson’s paper, “How Far Is Too Far? Distinguishing Contextualization from Syncretism. Drawing on missionary experience in a Muslim-majority Southeast Asian context, Brotherson…
Fit for Purpose: Contextualization in Children’s and Youth Ministry This House Conference 2026 lead-up episode introduces the “Anchored and Adaptable” series on a theology of contextualization in youth and children’s ministry and features an audio reading of Rev Mike Dicker’s paper, “Fit for Purpose: Contextual Children’s and Youth Ministry,”. Dicker critiques the search for reproducible…
The Story of Us: Helping Teenagers Navigate Gender, Sexuality, and the Gospel’s Goodness Al James interviews Simon Swadling about his new five-week youth video resource, The Story of Us, developed over three years from Moore College research on identity and theological anthropology, to help teenagers think deeply about what it means to be human and how the Bible’s story applies to gender and…
In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, Josh hosts Cam Harte and Chris Jones from Youthworks Ministry Support Team to discuss ministry effectiveness using Youthworks’ Effective Ministry Tool (EMT). The EMT is a self-reported survey completed by senior, kids, and youth ministry leaders to assess the health of kids and youth ministries against the 7 Principles of Effective Ministry.…
Winter Holiday Check-In Meaghan and Al from Youthworks’ Effective Ministry Podcast reflect during the winter holidays on topics they’ve been thinking about, including questions around using AI in youth ministry and how AI raises deeper issues of autonomy, authorship, authentic connection, and Christian anthropology. Meaghan shares her current focus on under fives, offering practical tips such as…
Parenting in God's Family Vol. 2 | A Resource for Families & Ministry Leaders What does it look like to raise children who are anchored in Christ — and how can youth and children's ministry leaders partner with parents to make it happen? In this crossover episode with the Timeless Parenting Podcast (hosted by Ann Cunningham and Harriet Connor from Mothers' Union Sydney and Growing…
Al James and Annemarie Rivers discuss moving from “principle (theology/belief) to practice” in youth and children’s ministry, arguing against copying what’s always been done or what merely “works” and instead letting biblical and theological convictions guide intentional, reflective decisions. They outline their "thinking framework": start with a biblical/theological framework, bring in new…
In today's episode, we're going to listen to a conversation between Annemarie Rivers and Al James on Adolescent development. It is a fascinating conversation about the biology and sociology of adolescent development and how they intersect with ministry to young people. This conversation was originally recorded as an introduction to this topic, as it is taught at Youthworks College. If you enjoyed…
Preaching and Youth Ministry: Why the Preached Word Still Matters In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, host Josh interviews The Rev Dr Tom Habib, a Moore Theological College lecturer and coordinator of the John Chapman Preaching Initiative. They trace preaching through Scripture: Deuteronomy as Moses’ covenant sermon; the prophets’ role in proclaiming the written word; Jesus as the…
