Archive for 2007


Breakfree on Australia Day

Filed Under: Youth Ministry, Youthworks by Jodie — Leave a comment
2 February, 2007

At the Breakfree Stall at Cronulla Beach on Australia Day

If you happened to drop into South Cronulla Beach on Australia Day, you might have seen me and my girls selling merchandise at one of the stalls.

We were helping raise fund for the Kids Breakfree charity, which helps at-risk teenagers.

One of the programs consists of a week-long wilderness experiences for the high-school aged students, during which time they learn about themselves, and also hear about Jesus. The camps are run by Youthworks as part of the Challenge Program.

For more about Breakfree visit http://www.breakfree.org.au/ You can also make on-line donations at this site to support this work.

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FM 103.2 Interview Monday 5th Feb

Filed Under: Media, Music, Music Ministry, TWIST by Jodie — Leave a comment
2 February, 2007

If on Monday 5th Feb you’re around a radio in Sydney (or a web browser anywhere) at around 10.30AM, have a listen to my interview with Joanne Traeger on FM 103.2. It will be streamed on the web from the FM 103.2 stream.

She’s going to chat with me specifically about the TWIST Music Conference in August, and the DVD we made from last year.

If you haven’t seen the DVD, here’s a sneak peak of the song ‘Never Alone’:

Buy the full DVD at www.twistconference.com. 

Check here after the interview for an update on how it went.

[PS. Sorry if you tuned in two Mondays ago and didn’t hear me… the original interview was delayed.  But fingers crossed for Monday!]

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Kite Live from Sydney

Filed Under: Music, Theology by Jodie — Leave a comment
21 January, 2007

As I sit at my desk, early on Sunday morning, putting the final touches on today’s sermon, I have just been taken back to an amazing night in November of last year. I just noticed on iTunes a new U2 track ‘Kite Live from Sydney’, and I immediately bought it because (amongst other reasons) it was recorded in Sydney on 11 November–the very night I heard it live with Mandy.

It brings memories back to me of an amazing night… an amazing experience! I’ve been a crazy U2 fan since my mate Dave Maegraith dragged me along to the movies to see ‘Rattle and Hum’ in 1988. I saw them live in the ‘Love comes to Town’ tour that followed in 1989.

Without taking anything away from the talent of Bono, The Edge, Larry and Adam, it reminds me that the euphoria many people experience in religious contexts is not necessarily of divine origin. I’m not ruling it out, but I’m not saying that a powerful sense of emotion is guaranteed to be from God. I felt amazing that night in Nov 11, but it was from U2, not God. Although, God certainly did create Bono’s amazing voice and The Edge’s incredible guitar interpretation, and the driving bass of Adam, and the solid and powerful drums of Larry.

What a night! What a single. Grab it for yourselves from iTunes. And listen out for the tribute to Cate Blanchett… and the amazing digeridoo in the background…

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Year 13 Growing and Growing!

Filed Under: Year 13 by Jodie — 4 Comments
19 January, 2007

 

When people ask me how Year 13 is going, I nearly always try and talk about the amazing growth in the course.

The greatest growth was seen in lives of the sixteen 2006 students. I’ve witnessed the ways in which they have grown in their knowledge of God and of his word. I’ve been astounded in the ways they have grown in their maturity, both as young adults and as Christian men and women. I’ve rejoiced in the growth of the Gospel as the students have proclaimed Christ as they served God in their many contexts, both locally and in Africa. And I’ve marvelled at the way in which the group has grown together in love and unity.

But 2007 is also about growth. We have grown in our number of students. At the time of writing, we expect to double in the number of students, with an estimated 30 enrolments. We have also grown in our number of staff. We welcome Trinette Armitt and Pete Gunning to our team, bringing our number to four.

Please pray that Year 13 2007 is a great year of growth in the lives of the students and staff, as together we serve God and grow in love for him and each other.

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KYLC Training

Filed Under: KCC, Youth Ministry by Jodie — Leave a comment
15 January, 2007

Training Workshop at KYLC

Today I trekked up the mountain again to Katoomba for another big afternoon of youth ministry training at KYLC.

As has been the pattern of my Januaries since 2001, I took the 200 plus first-time delegates through a 90 minute summary of my ‘Dual Action’ material, under the headings of Foundations, Fun, Focus and Fishing. And as always, I found it difficult to squeeze it down to 90 mins…but I came close!

It is exciting to know that the content of my material is now starting to stabilise. Although there have been a few tweaks, the heart of the training is very similar to that of last year, and to a large extent, the year before. Hopefully this means I should be able to finally start writing that book on youth ministry in 2007.

More training will happen next week with a repeat performance at KYLC, and then down to LiT the next day for more workshops on Youth Ministry.

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