Dear friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I will be stepping down as Executive Director of Outdoors next week.

They say it’s often a bad idea to make career choices over Christmas, but during our five weeks of holidays in January, Mandy and I prayerfully came to the decision that we would love to return soon to Word ministry in a parish setting.

Two weeks ago I informed the CEO of my intentions to leave Youthworks sometime before the end of this year to become a rector or perhaps an associate minister in a church team.

In the days after that discussion, we both came to the conclusion that it would be in the best interests of our ministry if I chose to vacate my position sooner rather than later, so that Outdoors can have the strongest, most focused leadership possible right now.

With this in mind, I accepted an invitation from Zac to work with him on some special projects and to also do some writing and study whilst I prepare for the move back to parish in the year ahead.

The past two years have been hard for our team as we have seen a drop in the number of guests and as we have felt the impact of decisions that were made that have been painful. These are the challenges of leadership in a ministry like ours which has such a great heritage of Word ministry to children, youth and families.

I have sought to help our team face the future with optimism as the world around us changes. Navigating these changes has been difficult but important, and I know that under God there is still much more for us to do to help build on our foundation of Word ministry as we approach this challenging future.

Nonetheless, over the last few weeks I heard three things that gave me encouragement about the future of Youthworks Outdoors.

Firstly, I spoke to a teacher who has been bringing camps here for seven years, and he told me that in recent years he’s noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the Word ministry of our outdoor ministers.

Secondly, I found out that for January and February our Division has had 17% more guest nights than the same time last year, which is a great start to the year. Having said that, it’s early days for 2012, and too early to call, but it’s a promising start and, I pray, a sign of good things to come.

Thirdly, I heard from the Principal of one of our biggest partner schools who said the reason he keeps bringing the hundreds of students away with us each year is because our staff believe in Jesus and model that to his students.

This is my tenth year at Youthworks and my fifth year at Outdoors, and I’m thankful to God for allowing me to be used by him to bring him glory, both through my strengths and often despite my failings.

I would ask that you would pray for me and my family that God would provide us with a church in which we might serve him with the gifts he’s given us. Please also pray for me that I would adjust well to a very different role within Youthworks, and that I would serve with energy and faithfulness.

At this time, I will be praying that the whole team of Outdoors will come together stronger than ever as brothers and sisters who are united with Christ by his death, and who share in the urgent and important mission to see children, youth and families be raised up as missional disciples to the glory of God,

Jodie.

Please pray for me and my family as we prepare for the next exciting chapter in the story of our lives that the Lord is revealing day by day.

For this reason, I want to TWIST the arm of the congregational leaders in our churches. I want to TWIST the arm of the rectors, assistant ministers, wardens, and anyone who has a key role in our churches.

I want to TWIST your arm to encourage your church musicians to be a part of one of the TWIST (‘The Word in Song Together’) music events this year run by Emu Music and Youthworks.

To read the full sydneyanglicans.net article, click here.

For more details about TWIST, click here!

Should we run some sort of wilderness experience where we get fathers and sons to learn about manhood and to mark the occasion of a boy turning into a man?

Read the article (and join in the controversial comments) by visiting http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/ministry/modernministry/rites_of_passage/

We’re looking for:

Assistant Director of Programs

Groundsperson at Port Hacking

Hospitality Assistant at Port Hacking

Second Chef at Port Hacking

I’d love you to join me and my great team, or to let anyone you know who might be suitable. Click on the links for details!

As we put together the various hands-on training seminars, I’ve been trying to reflect on what the various issues are that our everyday, garden-variety church bands need to grow in.

Have a read of my sydneyanglicans.net article to see my list, and feel free to add any suggestions in the comments, or email me directly.

Here’s the link: http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/ministry/modernministry/the_bare_essentials_of_church_music/

Plus, if you’re keen to find out more about the conference, then visit www.twistconference.com for the details. It will be a great weekend of encouragement plus practical training in music ministry.

A special welcome, too, to Andrew Nixon in his new role heading up this ministry. I’m praying it’s a great year of ministry with his awesome team.

If you, or someone you know, is thinking about Year 13 this year, then there’s still time to enrol. Don’t miss out on a year that changes lives forever.

In my presentation I made that point that our church houseparties (as we commonly refer to them) are often considered to be events that primarily develop community, rather than outreach.

Yet, thinking that defines an activity of the church as achieving only evangelism or discipleship is unnecessarily narrow.

Read my full thoughts in my latest article at www.sydneyanglicans.net

I, like many of my ministry colleagues, was aware of the school camps that were run by organisations like Crusaders, Teen Ranch and Youthworks. I knew these ministries had contact with thousands of school students each year.

But I didn’t understand the two major benefits of outdoor ministry.

Firstly, outdoor ministry is of great benefit for the school students.

Secondly, outdoor ministry is of great benefit to the outdoor minister.

Do you know anyone who loves Jesus, the outdoors, and youth ministry? Might that person be you? Don’t bypass this opportunity to connect with thousands of kids in this Word ministry, whilst enjoying cutting-edge training in theology and outdoor recreation… whilst getting paid to train!

And don’t forget that applications close this Friday for our 2011 intake of the MTS Outdoor Ministry Apprenticeship! Details here.

Read the full article at sydneyanglicans.net

Firstly, whilst directing an HSC Study Conference last week, I was overwhelmed with the popularity of gap years for students finishing their Year 12 study.

Secondly, an article in yesterday morning’s Australian Financial Review made the observation that the gap year concept “is taking hold” in Australia, and that “research suggests students who take a gap year come back better prepared for study.” (p. 27)

Thirdly, and what was the primary motivation for me to write on this topic, was the recognition by our Archbishop during last night’s Presidential Address of the importance of our own Sydney Diocesan gap year program.

Read my full article at www.sydneyanglicans.net.

I’d consider the idea of creating a purpose-built laser skirmish battlefield at Youthworks Outdoors with the latest simulation weapons for those who might like to take advantage of it, and to offer an alternative activity for groups whose leaders or teachers find this unappealing.

But, would it be grossly unpopular and potentially offensive to the majority? Would you let your school or youth group dress up in camouflage and play war games in the bush? Or would you find the very notion to be antisocial and insensitive?

Read the full article at sydneyanglicans.net and get on board with the comments!