The Effective Ministry Podcast

New Creation Kids: A Principle-Led, Bible-Centered Children’s Ministry Curriculum Meaghan Turner chats with Youthworks children’s ministry advisors Annemarie Rivers and Cam Harte about New Creation Kids, a new three-year, subscription-based curriculum. It’s been intentionally created to align with Youthworks 7 principles for effective youth and children's ministry with the key focus being on Bible...

Al James speaks with Katie Stringer, a high school SRE teacher and Inner West coordinator, about why SRE matters and how to grow it across schools and year groups. Katie describes coordinating a diverse volunteer team to provide SRE classes, seminars, and lunchtime groups, driven by a conviction that every student should have access to the stories of Jesus and the Bible within the curriculum. They...

In this post–House Conference Q&A episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, Al James reunites paper presenters Mike Dicker (Fit for Purpose: Contextualization in Children's and Youth Ministry) and Derek Brotherson (How Far is Too Far? Contextualization versus Syncretism in Youth and Children's Ministry) to revisit unanswered conference questions on contextualization. They discuss conference h...

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 tho...

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 “supermod...

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 des...

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 sexua...

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. https...

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 k...

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 Faith/Youthw...

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 knowle...

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...

Rev. Polly Butterworth, a Sydney high school chaplain, shares about her new role as Schools Ministry Development Officer for the Sydney Anglican Diocese, created to better support Anglican school ministry workers. She outlines five aims: pastoral support and mentoring networks for chaplains, strengthening partnerships between schools and churches, improving training and recruitment pathways for ch...

Episode Description This episode is a little different! We're sharing a recording of a Theology Think Tank on the topic of belonging , facilitated by Dr. Louise Gosbell in collaboration with YouthWorks College and the Ministry Support Team. You'll hear Louise's teaching, live Q&A, and group discussion — all focused on what it means to create spaces of belonging for children and young people in...

We’re thinking about how to make the most of when kids are in the room for church gatherings. In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast , Meaghan Gates, Adam Joliffe, and Al James share some simple, practical “low-hanging fruit” to help include children and young people meaningfully. We start with a core conviction: kids aren’t the “future church”—they’re full members of the body of Christ...

Kicking off the 2026 Effective Ministry podcast, Al James and Annemarie Rivers discuss how ecclesiology (the theology of the church) shapes youth and children’s ministry, asking whether youth group, kids’ church, and afterschool clubs are “church.” Drawing on Chase Kuhn’s work (including discussion of Donald Robinson, Broughton Knox, Kevin Giles, and Graham Cole), they explore church as the gather...

Welcome to our Summer Re-Release series 2025/26 This week, we are re-releasing episode 091 - Under 5's Ministry with Meagan Ho and Eliza Batten. Intentional Under Fives Ministry: Insights and Strategies In this episode, Meagan and Eliza discuss their extensive experience and passion for ministry to children under five. They share practical insights and examples from their own work including the im...

Welcome to our Summer Re-Release series 2025/26 This week, we are re-releasing episode 101 - Youth Ministry and the Social Media Ban with Chris Jones. Navigating Social Media Ban for Under 16s: Implications for Youth Ministry In this episode, Al chats with Chris Jones, a colleague on the Ministry Support Team at Youthworks. They discuss the upcoming social media ban for individuals under 16 in Aus...

Welcome to our Summer Re-Release series 2025/26 This week, we are re-releasing episode 98 - House Conference Follow up Q and A with Dr Viv Cheung and Dr Graham Stanton. This episode continues the HOUSE Conference 2025 series from Youthworks. Earlier, we released a pre-conference lead-up series including: Ep 92 - House Conference Special | Audio Reading of Paper by Viv Cheung | The Cost and Joy of...

Welcome to our Summer Re-Release series 2025/26 This week, we are re-releasing episode 090 - Public High School Ministry with Katie Stringer. In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, host Josh, a Youth and High School Ministry Advisor with YouthWorks in Sydney, speaks with Katie Stringer about Special Religious Education (SRE) in public high schools in New South Wales, Australia. Katie,...

Welcome to our Summer Re-Release series 2025/26 This week, we are re-releasing episode 97 - ADHD and discipleship in children and youth ministry. In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, host Meaghan Gates is joined by Di Lucas from Youthworks Ministry Support Team and Luke Graham, a children's minister in Canterbury. The discussion focuses on the significant challenges and rewarding exp...

Welcome to our Summer Re-Release series 2025/26 This week, we are re-releasing episode 82 with Rev Dr Graham Stanton. This week we talk with Revd Dr Graham Stanton,  Founding Principal of Youthworks College . Graham is currently Director of the Centre for Children's and Youth Ministry and Lecturer in Practical Theology at Ridley College in Melbourne. He is also founder and director of Youth Minist...

In this episode of the Effective Ministry Podcast, Josh chats with Marty Robinson about the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) within youth and children's ministry. Marty provides a theological framework encompassing creation, the fall, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, examining how each element relates to A.I. usage in ministry. They address both the benefits and caveats of A.I., such as enhancin...

Navigating Social Media Ban for Under 16s: Implications for Youth Ministry In this episode, Al chats with Chris Jones, a colleague on the Ministry Support Team at Youthworks. They discuss the upcoming social media ban for individuals under 16 in Australia, taking effect on December 10. They explore the practical and pastoral implications of this ban on youth ministry, including how to adapt commun...