Issue 06 May 2013 FACING THE TOUGH ISSUES OF YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY. WE NEED TO TALK p.13 ABOUT PORNOGRAPHY Craig Gross | Founder | XXXChurch WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA p.11 Brad Chilcott Founder | Welcome to Australia OUR UNTOLD STORY p.3 Dale Stephenson Crossway Baptist Church THE BABES PROJECT p.6 Helen Parker Founder | The Babes Project MINISTERING IN p.17 TOUGH PLACES Jon Owen | UNOH contributors from the editor Dale Rowan Helen It could be argued that the state of our young people is the best indicator KEY YOUTH VISION DATES of the health of our society. Within our young people lies our potential, Stephenson Lewis Parker dreams, joy and future. However within this group we also see the a clear State Youth Games picture of our problems. Our teens seem to be the place where our collective June 7-10 Dale Stephenson has been Senior Rowan is the Lecturer in Youth Helen is the Founder and Director of disfunction and insecurity manifest. It is where we see the consequences of Pastor of Crossway Baptist Studies at Tabor College Victoria The Babes Project, a Not-for-Profit what the generation before them have wrongly valued, permitted or swept Quench - Western Region Church, a multi-ethnic and multi- where he has been a part of Year Organisation committed to walking under the rug. Youth Ministers Gathering generational body of worshippers, in the Son as well as training alongside women facing crisis July 19-20 in Melbourne, Australia since community based youth workers pregnancy, promoting adoption and As youth and young adult ministers we are directly exposed to the best and January 2008. Known as an for the last 8 years. Rowan is parenting as positive alternatives to worst of youth culture. The phenomenal potential, growth, and stories of YV Connect Breakfast innovative and positive leader, committed to the tradition of abortion. The Babes Project opened hope and beauty. But also the immense turmoil, trauma, pain and disfunction August 31 Dale is always looking to place the spiritual formation in young their first Pregnancy Support Centre that affects young people. Church to become more relevant people, which is the focus of his in February of last year. and engaged within the local PhD study. He is married to Kirra It’s tough. Illuminate Camp community. He is married to Edi and has three energetic children. September 23-27 and has 4 children. Being on the front line, bearing the brunt of what can at times be immense pain from the young people we lead, can be a lonely and heavy place. National Youth Ministry Convention QLD Brad Craig Jon In this edition of the we have deliberately tackled some of the tough October 23-26 Chilcott Gross Owen stuff. These are not the issues you probably choose to bring up regularly in your leaders meetings, they might not even be things you’re thinking about. Brad is the founder of ‘Welcome to Craig is an author, speaker, and Jon has been a part of UNOH, an But the nature of youth ministry would suggest that if you are not thinking Australia’, a national organisation pastor residing in Los Angeles. incarnational order serving the about these issues now you will need to in the future. designed to encourage everyday In 2002 he founded the website poor, since 1997. He currently So think of our nine contributors as mentors who are not afraid to sit you Australians to cultivate a culture of XXXchurch.com which has lives with his wife Lisa in one of down and talk about hard topics. welcome in their local communities gone on to have over 70 million Australia’s largest public housing and nation. Prime Minister Julia visitors. Craig also spearheaded estates in Western Sydney, It is our hope that this collection of articles will bolster you as you face some Gillard appointed Brad as a People the development of X3watch, an ministering to the urban poor of of this tough stuff. That it will help you feel more equipped and less alone. of Australia Ambassador in 2012. Internet accountability system that Mt. Druitt along with their three He is married to Rachel and the is used by over 1 million people. girls, Kshama, Kiera and Jazmin, — Amy Stephenson father of three beautiful children. Craig is the author of nine books. who keep him human. He is husband to Jeanette and father to Nolan and Elise. Note | We have faced a number of tough topics head on, meaning that this magazine contains content that may be confronting, upsetting or even offensive Jessica Jamie Kylie to some readers. We have decided not to shy away from the nasty and the graphic in the hope that by looking the awful things in the face we might be Killeen Haith Butler better equipped and motivated to deal with them. These issues dramatically affect all of us and we encourage you to respond to them in your own context in Jess Killeen is a Registered Social Jamie has been on staff at Holy Kylie is the Emerging Leadership an appropriate and constructive manner. Worker with 20 years experience Trinity Brompton in London, Facilitator at the Baptist Union in supporting young people in England for the last 20 years and has Victoria and author of Milk to Please be mindful of this as you distribute this magazine – especially schools and training volunteers helped to develop the Alpha Course Meat, a 60 day devotional helping if it is distributed in a way that young people could access it. and professionals. She is currently worldwide. Along with his wife people get into the Bible. She is employed as a School Counsellor Andy and four young children he has a Leadership Coach, focused on working with children, teenagers recently moved to the USA to lead transitions and breakthrough. Kylie and families. Jess approaches Holy Trinity Church in Virginia. is married to Adam, they have two children and young people with a beautiful children, Toby and Lily. genuine curiosity and is constantly learning from the wisdom they have A 1st Floor, 582 Heidelburg Rd. about their own lives. Fairfield VIC 3078 Youth Vision is the youth and young adult ministry arm of Mission and Ministry Inc, a P 03 9488 8800 partner department of the Conference of Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania. W vic.youthvision.org.au Designed by Oak & Ink Creative The Youth Vision team consists of Brenton Killeen, Jason Sawyer, Kat Deith oakandink.com & Amy Stephenson. E [email protected] contributors from the editor Dale Rowan Helen It could be argued that the state of our young people is the best indicator KEY YOUTH VISION DATES of the health of our society. Within our young people lies our potential, Stephenson Lewis Parker dreams, joy and future. However within this group we also see the a clear State Youth Games picture of our problems. Our teens seem to be the place where our collective June 7-10 Dale Stephenson has been Senior Rowan is the Lecturer in Youth Helen is the Founder and Director of disfunction and insecurity manifest. It is where we see the consequences of Pastor of Crossway Baptist Studies at Tabor College Victoria The Babes Project, a Not-for-Profit what the generation before them have wrongly valued, permitted or swept Quench - Western Region Church, a multi-ethnic and multi- where he has been a part of Year Organisation committed to walking under the rug. Youth Ministers Gathering generational body of worshippers, in the Son as well as training alongside women facing crisis July 19-20 in Melbourne, Australia since community based youth workers pregnancy, promoting adoption and As youth and young adult ministers we are directly exposed to the best and January 2008. Known as an for the last 8 years. Rowan is parenting as positive alternatives to worst of youth culture. The phenomenal potential, growth, and stories of YV Connect Breakfast innovative and positive leader, committed to the tradition of abortion. The Babes Project opened hope and beauty. But also the immense turmoil, trauma, pain and disfunction August 31 Dale is always looking to place the spiritual formation in young their first Pregnancy Support Centre that affects young people. Church to become more relevant people, which is the focus of his in February of last year. and engaged within the local PhD study. He is married to Kirra It’s tough. Illuminate Camp community. He is married to Edi and has three energetic children. September 23-27 and has 4 children. Being on the front line, bearing the brunt of what can at times be immense pain from the young people we lead, can be a lonely and heavy place. National Youth Ministry Convention QLD Brad Craig Jon In this edition of the we have deliberately tackled some of the tough October 23-26 Chilcott Gross Owen stuff. These are not the issues you probably choose to bring up regularly in your leaders meetings, they might not even be things you’re thinking about. Brad is the founder of ‘Welcome to Craig is an author, speaker, and Jon has been a part of UNOH, an But the nature of youth ministry would suggest that if you are not thinking Australia’, a national organisation pastor residing in Los Angeles. incarnational order serving the about these issues now you will need to in the future. designed to encourage everyday In 2002 he founded the website poor, since 1997. He currently So think of our nine contributors as mentors who are not afraid to sit you Australians to cultivate a culture of XXXchurch.com which has lives with his wife Lisa in one of down and talk about hard topics.