01/12/05

Golden Beach Mission, Report

The coordinators report is available online here

@CTIV8ED

Over the weekend of November 26-28 Gippsland Youth Ministries ran the inaugural @CTIV8 discipleship course for 18-25’s at A’ Becket Park. 

The course, written and run by Capt. Jon Bennett (CA) Youth Minister Traralgon, was aimed at equipping young adults who had made a commitment to Christ for the continuation of their spiritual journey.  Activities over the weekend included workshops on prayer & bible study, the nature and practice of worship, sharing the Gospel, and an afternoon of silence. Rev David Jones, Chaplain at Gippsland Grammar, offered spiritual direction over the weekend and Caroline Bennett completed our ministry team.

The highlight of the weekend became the Saturday night formal dinner at which candidates shared something from the journal they had kept during the session of silence that afternoon.  For many this was their first experience of this discipline and the benefits became obvious as they shared how they had powerfully encountered God in this time.  Both male and female were seen reaching for the tissue box! 

The course attracted a total of 7 candidates from across the diocese, which was a good number for our first run.  The feedback from those in attendance was also pleasing and a review of the course is soon to be completed.  

 Special thanks go to Arch Deacon Russell MacQueen and Rev John White who waited on us at the evening meal.  Also to David Chambers who provided what can only be described as sumptuous fare over the weekend.

Poll Results

Youth leaders are an interesting species.  It seems from our poll that they are rare, and to some extent untrained.  Do we need them?  Well, some parishes may say no because they have no youth attending. Doesn't that mean they need them even more?

                  Don't forget the diocesan youth service at the St Paul's Cathedral Sale on January 29 3pm

             Daniel Lowe

             Jon Bennett