We want to share our hopes, fears, wisdom, and learnings with one other. We all have something to give to others – reminders about who we are and who we serve, resources we’ve developed or found to be beneficial, as well as stories of God at work in our lives, and in the lives of those we lead. 

We want to be connected with our fellow workers across our Baptist family of churches in NSW and ACT. We want to know how we can support one another and be involved in what God is doing not only in our local area and region, but throughout our movement. 

We want to be committed to bringing ourselves, our leadership and our ministries to God in prayer. We want to ensure all that we do is about seeing God’s plans and purposes achieved in us and through us. Committing ourselves, as well as the the year ahead, to God in prayer is an expression of worship. 

Erica initially trained to be a human rights lawyer, with a BA/LLB from The University of Melbourne. But she found herself drawn to express the same desire for justice within the church. This eventually led her to ministry in Sydney. She is a senior assistant minister at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Broadway (Barneys to everyone), where she mostly works to support and raise up leaders. She is also the spokesperson for Common Grace’s Domestic and Family Violence Justice Team. The team works to highlight and address the problem of domestic and family violence within the church and within Australian society, and to provide resources and support to people who have experienced domestic and family violence, and those who love them. 

Steve is the Facilitator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and leads the Baptist Youth Ministry Team. His role is to ensure young people involved in Baptist churches see, hear, and experience the Good News of Jesus, as well as providing care, training, and development opportunities for those overseeing youth and young adult ministries. 

Steve and his family attend Narrabeen Baptist Church on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. 

Prior to entering the Baptist ministry, he practiced law in Sydney and the Northern Territory. For 12 years, he was the host of the Sunday night talk back radio program “Connections”. He is still actively involved in radio. He holds the following qualifications, Bachelor of Theology, Diploma of Law, Diploma of Ministry, Master of Arts, Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology. In 2010, he was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his Christian service and service to the media. He is also a recipient of the Centenary medal for such services. He is a former President of the Baptist Union of Australia, former President of the NSW Council of Churches, former President of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, former Chair of the Australian Lausanne Committee, and was a Vice President of the Baptist World Alliance for 2010-2015. He is the author of a number of books including Leading Lawyers’ Case for the Resurrection, The Cross is Not Enough: Living as Witnesses to the Resurrection and Taboo Or To Do? 

Fiona is currently the International Programs Manager at Baptist World Aid Australia. She has a background in community development, advocacy, and tech start-ups in Australia, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Her passion for social justice was inspired by joining a Catalyst Group as a young adult at Parramatta Baptist Church. Fiona also holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Oxford.

The Mental Health Elective is a hands-on seminar to broaden your understanding of mental health and mental health issues in regard to youth. It will help equip you in recognising key symptoms of the top 5 mental illness, how to assess a crisis situation and how to respond appropriately. There will a chance to ask questions and also reflect on your own self-care strategies in regard to mental health.

In this session Rev. Kiran Skariah (or Twitch Partner “PastorSKAR” online) will dive deep into lessons learnt in 3 years of online Ministry & what every Christian & Church can take away into their own ministry world to engage with the next generation.

We will also have plenty of Q&A time for your trickiest questions so come prepared to get practical and think about the ministry space of tomorrow and how to always stay ahead of the curve.

* Suggested for Paid roles

Ever feel overwhelmed by the amount on your plate and how you will ever be able to manage? Ever feel as though you’re forgetting something? Ever started your communication with others with “I’m so sorry it’s taken be so long to get back to you.”?

Come along and explore ways of getting across your responsibilities, being less stressed, and being more present in your interactions with others.

* Program subject to change without notice

Many of us have probably heard of spiritual rhythms, why they help us stay grounded in our faith and are a part of being a disciple of Jesus. This workshop will be an interactive coaching style workshop where together we will unpack the rhythms of Jesus in scripture, and our own Spiritual rhythms of discipleship by discussing our own life habits and where we desire to grow. Together we will create rhythm plans for ourselves and for leading our young people into improved discipleship.

* Suggested for Paid roles
Grae will share through personal story, some key lessons he has learned in his own experiences of pastoral leadership over the years. He will also speak particularly into the journey of what it means as an Associate Pastor to always consider your next steps in personal leadership development and discern where God may be leading you next. There’ll be plenty of chances for discussion as Grae will leave time for Q&A too.

Have you had a call to ministry? Have you wondered what it means to have a call? Do you know what a call is? During this session we’ll look at the ways God calls people into ministry and share some stories around that as well as opportunities to move into ministry in a Baptist context.

In this workshop, we will look at how we can explore tricky questions in ministry and foster an environment in which people feel free to question and explore matters of faith in our complex world.  

* Program subject to change without notice

We are all exiles of Digital Babylon. In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the next context for discipleship. Let’s explore the findings of a ground-breaking three-year research study by the Barna Institute into digital Babylon and how to cultivate faithfulness in this era of screen discipleship. 

Have you ever felt a disconnect between Sunday and Monday? Do you wonder whether God is really concerned what you do the other six days? 

In this workshop you will be looking at what the bible says about integrating your faith with what you do the other six days of the week. You will be guided to resources and scriptures that will enable a whole of life understanding of your faith. You will be left feeling a greater significance in how you serve Jesus. 

Dr Keith Mitchell (Rev) is a guy passionate about whole of life discipleship. He teaches at Morling College in pastoral and practical studies and loves seeing people step into what Christ has for them in life, whatever that is. 

Young people need the church, and the church needs young people. We all know this to be true, but so often we struggle to implement strategies to involve young people in the life and relationships of the church. If you’ve ever wondered how to bridge the gap between young people and the church, this might be the elective for you. We’ll talk about some things you can do in your ministry to help young people make the transition to being valued members of the church and point you towards resources for continuing this journey.

* Program subject to change without notice