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A conference that started life as a little idea between friends is fast growing into a musical Mecca for evangelical churches.

Organisers say TWIST (The Word In Song Together) has taken everyone by surprise.

Philip Percival, director of EMU Music, remembers his original planning discussion with Cat Reimer, then coordinator of Youthworks Holiday Camps.

“Cat suggested we run a simple music camp – and three years later it’s grown to become the most important event on the Australian evangelical music calendar,” he says.

Cat and Philip joined forces with Jodie McNeill (Youthworks youth ministry trainer) and Edwina Soh to create the TWIST Conference, a joint venture of Anglican Youthworks and EMU Music.

The growth of the conference has caused exciting problems.

“In our first year”, Edwina reflects, “we filled Blue Gum Lodge at Springwood with 150 people.

“Last year we grew to nearly 400, filling the whole Youthworks Port Hacking conference site.”

Continued growth means moving this year’s conference to a new location.

“To solve the problem, we’ve moved to Trinity Grammar School,” Cat explains.

“We will miss the residential nature, but we simply need more seats!” she says.

This year’s keynote speaker is Bryson Smith, minister at Dubbo Presbyterian, and lyricist of well-loved songs such as Consider Christ and Nothing Can I boast In.

Mr McNeil says one of conference’s greatest strengths is the ministry training focus.

“It is great to join together to think theologically about the place of music in the gathering of God’s people,” he says.

“Not only can people attend practical workshops to improve their song leading or their playing, but they can also be trained in how to use music in youth or children’s ministry, and how to correctly understand the Bible’s teaching on church and worship.”

A highlight of the conference will be the Saturday night live recording of the new EMU Music album.

Full details can be found at the TWIST website or by phoning 02 9692 9944 or 1800 688 874.

This article originally appeared in www.sydneyanglicans.net.

February has seen the kick-off of Youthworks College for 2005. I taught the first week of the Youth Ministry 1 intensive course, and then the second week of the Youth Minsitry 2 intensive course.

This week I began to teach the Youthworks College Ministry Skills Certificate, a weekly course designed to help students learn practical skills in youth ministry. The subjects include financial management, OH&S, small group techniques, public speaking and more!

For details of Youthworks College, visit http://www.college.youthworks.net

Over two weeks in January I again had the privilege of training around 500 people in the foundations of youth ministry. This training took place during two fine conferences, KYLC (Katoomba Youth Leadership Conference) and LIT (Leaders in Training).

At KYLC I delivered two training sessions to the Strand One delegates, on the topic “Essentials of Evangelical Youth Ministry”, which covered the basics of ministry, and a presentation of my ‘Dual Action’ youth ministry strategy.

At LIT I delivered similar material in two different sessions, the first at the first timers, and a longer two-hour session for those coming for the second year.

I can think of no better way to train up your future and current church leaders than these two great conferences. LIT is aimed especially at upper-high school aged students (years 10 to 12), and KYLC is aimed more at students who have completed their years at school.

Further details of these great conferences can be found at http://kylc.kcc.org.au and http://www.conferences.youthworks.net

In this month’s ‘The Briefing’ you can read a snapshot of my life! Titled, ‘Diary of a roving youth minister’, it records a month’s worth of the blessings and travails of daily Christian service, in which I demonstrate my theology in action.

Click here to read the article.

If you have any comments or thoughts on the article, I’d love you to drop me an email.

Enjoy!

P.S. In case you’re wondering, it’s not me holding the surfboard…!

P.P.S. Reproduced with permission (c) Matthias Media 2005. You can purchase this edition of The Briefing online at the Matthias Media website for only a few dollars.

Click here to read the article.

Reproduced with permission (c) Matthias Media 2005. You can purchase this edition of The Briefing online at the Matthias Media website for only a few dollars.