Jodie McNeill lives in Jamberoo, NSW, Australia, and is the Senior Minister at Jamberoo Anglican.
Home: 20 Tate Place, Jamberoo NSW 2533 Australia. Email: jodie@jodiemcneill.com Phone: +61 425 222 338
Generation Y is the so-called ‘options’ generation. They are renowned for their lack of long-term commitment and last-minute attitude to life. So how do you recruit and manage volunteers from people whose every commitment is flexible?
Read my answer in my latest monthly article at your.sydneyanglicans.net.
It is difficult to argue with C. S. Lewis’ famous sentiment that “pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf worldâ€. But what do you do when your nation is characterized by health and prosperity? How can God’s message be heard above the deafening sound of materialism?
Read the answer in the full article at your.sydneyanglicans.net.
Immunisation is great when the disease is life-threatening. But immunisation can be an issue when the foreign object is life-saving. This kind of problem can occur when we give people a tiny taste of the gospel without a full exposure to the implications or fruit of the message. If we are not careful, we can lead people to end up hardened against Jesus, not softened to his promises.
Read the full article at your.sydneyanglicans.net.
It is remarkable to reflect on the way in which God chose to create his universe. Everywhere we turn there is evidence of his lavish love and creativity; the boldness of a sunset… the beauty of a tulip… the brightness of the sun.
One particular area in which we see his creativity is in music. Music has the power to move people in a way that words fail to achieve. It can lift us to new heights, and take us on a journey to places unexpected.
At the 2004 TWIST Music Conference, Mike Raiter spoke of the power of the song. In referring to the wonderful Colin Buchanan concert the night before, he said that because of his gift of music, Colin could have taken our crowd anywhere. “But”, he observed, “aren’t we thankful that he took us to God!”
We know the power of music. We use it every week to proclaim God’s praises. Yet, we want to make sure we use this powerful tool to achieve the best possible outcomes.
That’s why it’s important our musicians are well trained. That’s why the TWIST Music Conference is such an important event for our musicians.
Registrations close Monday night, and the conference begins the Saturday after. Don’t miss out on stimulating teaching from Mike Raiter, terrific congregational music from some of Australia’s most gifted musos, and invaluable hands-on training in many great workshops.
Full details at www.twist.org.au. Don’t miss out!
The PM’s gap year push for the Australian Defense Force is a good idea. Read an article on my view at your.sydneyanglicans.net and see my media release from earlier today:
ANGLICAN CHURCH, DIOCESE OF SYDNEY
MEDIA RELEASE – FROM ANGLICAN YOUTHWORKS
9th August, 2007Gap year is good policy from the PM, says Anglican Youth Leader
“It would be easy to cynically dismiss the Prime Minister’s push for defence force gap year recruits as a quick fix for dwindling numbers of ADF staff. However, Howard has rightly identified the benefits of taking a ‘year off’ to help school-leavers make wise decisions about their future,†said Jodie McNeill, Director of Anglican Youthworks Year 13 Gap Year.
“For the student, it offers a break from thirteen years of study. It provides an opportunity to carefully consider the appropriate career choices, and to make sure that students make wise decisions about tertiary and vocational training,†he said “Too many people waste their time and money commencing unsuitable courses.
“This also puts an unnecessary stress on our universities and colleges. When students pull out of courses mid-year, they rob others of the opportunity to learn, and deprive the institutions of much-needed income.
“It also places a drain upon the taxpayer. Many of these drop-outs inevitably require income support, especially due to their lack of vocational or higher educational training. Inevitably they tread water for six months, awaiting the beginning of college or university in the following year.
“More positively, when a school-leaver spends a year learning about their own strengths and weaknesses, and evaluating their vocational preferences, it helps them to begin the next year’s study with greater motivation. They study a course they want to complete, not just the course for which they earned enough marks.
“What’s more, they can take the opportunity to travel overseas, and to see how they fit into the world. There is no better way to discover the wealth of Australia than to experience the poverty of other nations.
“Our team of 26 students in the Year 13 Gospel Gap Year has just returned from Kenya, Africa. Their month-long trip has taught them lessons they would never learn in a classroom, and given them insights they could never get from the Discovery Channel.
“Yet, apart from the self-awareness benefits, a gap year allows school leavers to give something back to others. Whether it’s caring for AIDS patients in a slum in Nairobi, or caring for kids in a disability camp in Sydney, a gap year gives an opportunity to serve others. In our Year 13 program, we also teach life-skills such as first-aid, defensive driving and vocational guidance, as well as theology.
“Recruiting people into the ADF through the gap-year front-door is good policy. It allows potential defence force personnel to make sure they are suited to this specialised work by getting a real view of the military world without a long-term commitment. But, it also gives these school-leavers an opportunity to serve—something we need more of in our increasingly materialistic society.â€
CONTACT :        Jodie McNeill                0425 222 338
(Jodie McNeill is Director of the Anglican Youthworks Year 13 Gospel Gap Year)
I also enjoyed an extended interview with John Morrison on the ABC Statewide Drive program at 5:15pm today.
