Electives
SESSION 1
1 Answering Kids’ Questions on life and faith
Terry Williams, Children’s Ministry Specialist, Scripture Union Qld
“Why didn’t God stop the wave on Boxing Day 2004?” Children ask lots of questions. The art of good teaching involves exploring and answering these questions. Consider these 10 helpful hints in dealing with questions. Take time to consider the types of questions we can use in our teaching. Pick up some clues on how to help a child begin to answer their own questions. Try some questions for yourself. Plus lots of sample responses to consider.
2 How to systemise my Children’s Ministry
Andy Kirk, State Coordinator, Kids ‘R’ Us
Andy Kirk is Children’s Pastor of METRO Church on the Gold Coast and Queensland Kids R Us Director along with his wife Christie. They have one child, a little boy named Ryan. For the past 8 years they have been pastoring children but not just in a church setting.
More staff and more resources is NOT always the answer. By learning how to build a systematic Children’s Ministry you will be able to do more with less. In this elective it won’t be a ‘How to’ list but rather key Kingdom principles that will see you take dominion of all areas in your life and ministry.
3 Creative Communication
Peter Blase, Schools’ Worker, Bible Society Qld
Everyone has creativity, it simply needs to be unlocked. This session will help you tap into your God given imagination, to unpack the bible in a unique and exciting style to the next generation.
4 Evolution: Busting the myth
Dr David Catchpoole, Creationist plant physiologist (CMI–Australia)
As this “Year of Darwin” celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his Origin of Species, microbe-to-man evolution is widely accepted as a fact. Not surprisingly, many people have therefore dismissed the Bible’s Creation account (and thus its account of the origin of sin and death, for instance) as “myth”. However, does the fossil and other evidence really stack up for evolution, or against it?
5 Strategies for dealing with bullying
David Goodwin is the Director of Kidsreach, an International organisation that has offices in Sydney, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Dip Couns. Grad Dip Min.
Bullying is not a new phenomenon but because the effects of bullying has been largely ignored, bullying has become ingrained into our schools, families and cultures. Many ‘unwitting’ bullies are children and teachers who ‘go along’ with the instigators in their verbal taunts or isolating behaviours. For some, this is a means of protecting themselves from becoming the next victims. The best form of defense for many children is to go along with the crowd. It is even worse when adults also follow this line and taunt or isolate less popular children. This workshop will help teachers, parents, leaders and counsellors help children who are victims or bullies. Hopefully it will give some understanding of the problem of bullying and offer practical and easy to instigate answers.
6 Bringing puppets to life
Paul Clark, Minister, Burdekin Uniting Church
Paul Clark is the Founder and Director of Hive Resources, a grassroots ministry which is passionate about equipping the local church with great Australian product. As a Pastor and educator, he is excited about the power of story to connect the gospel with every age group. He has published a 5 volume collection of drama books, and his recent Car Park Parables release is a ground breaking Aussie resource combining Cars and Christ! He believes the best ministry doesn’t have to come from the cities, but can and is happening in places like North Qld!
Puppets open up a wonderful avenue of ministry in a wide variety of contexts. In this elective you’ll learn how to use puppets in ministry to children and mixed ages. You’ll see demonstrations and do hands on activities. You’ll find out where to get puppets and scripts. Whether you’re just testing the waters or want to learn more skills you’ll get something out of this workshop. [New & Experienced Leaders].
7 Pastoral care of kids
Duane Van Vuuren, Senior Pastor, Bowen Christian Family Centre
We are all called to make disciples! Part of this process is caring for those entrusted to your care. At times this may involve providing a level of pastoral care. Questions like; “so what does pastoral care look like for children?” and “how can I be more effective in getting a child to share their story?” and “what tools can I use to help children journey through their issues?” will be answered as we share.
8 Risk Management
Graham Caddies, Senior Minister, Lutheran Church, Townsville
What is risk management? How do we apply it? Why do we need it in a Christian Environment? Come and find answers to these questions and more for your context. We will look at how Jesus applied risk management in his ministry and how we can learn from his examples. Includes a brief exploration of the Government legislation in relation to the protection of children (18 years and below).
Graham Caddies is a consultant working with all sizes of businesses in Government, private and the not for profit sector, a Fellow of the Risk Management Institute of Australasia and a Certified Practicing Risk Manager (CPRM). Graham has been and elder for over thirty years, a Sunday School Teacher, Youth Counsellor and in March last year, was ordained as an alternatively trained pastor of the Lutheran Church. Graham has been active in applying risk management in our child care centre, the John Flynn College at JCU and implementing a formal risk management program for our Parish to comply with the requirements of the legislation.
9 Talking with toddlers
Ken & Kate Gill, Early Childhood leaders, Townsville City Church
Children are a blessing and bring lots of fun and joy into our homes and churches. However, sometimes managing under 5s and co-coordinating a program for them brings some rather unique challenges. This session will cover the importance of age appropriate communication in building relationships with children. It will also cover our top communication tips to help you develop your program for young children.
10 Leading children to discover their giftings
Dan Bowmar, Youth Ministry Development Officer, Catholic Diocese of Townsville
Dan Bowmar lives in Townsville with his wife and four Children. He has years of experience working in youth ministry in both Australia and New Zealand. Dan currently works for the Catholic Church as the Youth Ministry Development Officer and Vocations Promotions Officer, which requires him to work with young people in a variety of settings including Catholic Schools and churches throughout the Catholic Diocese of Townsville.
Guiding young people to discover their gifts and talents helps them realize their potential as individuals, as part of a team and as leaders within their communities. Through the use of activity, discussion, reflection, prayer and fun, young people are able to look at the gifts that God has given them and to look at how examples from their life and the Bible can help them to use their gifts to serve others and aspire to Gospel values and Christian leadership as they grow into adulthood.
SESSION 2:
11 Leadership principles to invest in you and your team
Terry Williams, Children’s Ministry Specialist, Scripture Union Qld
As leaders of teams of people working with children, consider these important factors with regard to: your own spiritual walk; your children; your team of leaders and your program. Be inspired and equipped as you maintain excellence as your goal.
12 Children’s evangelism
Peter Blase, Schools’ Worker, Bible Society Qld
Nearly 80% of people in church today came to Christ as a child. The greatest harvest field lies all around us waiting for the labourers ….discover how to effectively lead children to Christ and change the future.
13 Evolution: Busting the myth
Dr David Catchpoole, Creationist plant physiologist (CMI–Australia)
As this “Year of Darwin” celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his Origin of Species, microbe-to-man evolution is widely accepted as a fact. Not surprisingly, many people have therefore dismissed the Bible’s Creation account (and thus its account of the origin of sin and death, for instance) as “myth”. However, does the fossil and other evidence really stack up for evolution, or against it?
14 Introduction to counselling
David Goodwin, Director KidsReach
In this workshop you will learn skills and techniques for counselling children who suffer from grief, neglect, abuse and trauma. We briefly look at the counselling process including: the counselling relationship; listening skills; counselling techniques; bringing counselling to a conclusion.
15 All age worship
Paul Clark, Minister, Burdekin Uniting Church
How do you engage in corporate worship that connects and includes families? How do you becomes a family focussed church? Whether you want to do this once a term or make it a central platform of your church’s ministry you’ll discover something at this elective. Engaging children. All age sermons. Why it is essential for your church’s survival. [Experienced & Leaders of Leaders].
16 MOPS is for mums
Vanessa Ralph, MOPS Townsville
MOPS – Mothers Of PreSchoolers (0-5yr olds) is a ministry that reaches mothers (and children) in a crucial time of developing family. Come along and find out how MOPS can help you reach mums in your community.
17 Object lessons
Duane Van Vuuren, Senior Pastor, Bowen Christian Family Centre
Often in church life we find ourselves wanting to teach mature concepts to young minds without diluting the impact of the message. Jesus realized that there were those who were not mature enough to understand the content of the Word alone and so He used parables and object lessons to get the message across. This is a brilliant principle we can apply in teaching children Biblical truths to empower Christian living. It is easier than you think, they are all around you, it only takes a bit of creativity, faith and practice to make it work. Come and be encouraged!
18 Risk Management
Graham Caddies, Senior Minister, Lutheran Church, Townsville
What is risk management? How do we apply it? Why do we need it in a Christian Environment? Come and find answers to these questions and more for your context. We will look at how Jesus applied risk management in his ministry and how we can learn from his examples. Includes a brief exploration of the Government legislation in relation to the protection of children (18 years and below).
Graham Caddies is a consultant working with all sizes of businesses in Government, private and the not for profit sector, a Fellow of the Risk Management Institute of Australasia and a Certified Practicing Risk Manager (CPRM). Graham has been and elder for over thirty years, a Sunday School Teacher, Youth Counsellor and in March last year, was ordained as an alternatively trained pastor of the Lutheran Church. Graham has been active in applying risk management in our child care centre, the John Flynn College at JCU and implementing a formal risk management program for our Parish to comply with the requirements of the legislation.
19 Creative lesson writing
Janine Nosworthy, Senior Pastor, CityLife Christian Outreach Centre, Townsville
We only get such a short time to input the things of God into the children’s lives. This means we need to use our time to its fullest, with captivating Bible stories, songs, games, prayer tools, memory verses and crafts that reinforce the message and its points over and over again. We can do this by tailoring our own lessons, using the resources we have to the fullest
While not compromising on fun, we can create games that emphasise a point from the lesson. We can choose Bible verses that reflect the lesson and can be played as games. We can make crafts that remind them of the lesson. We can use prayer tools that reflect the lesson and inspire all to pray. We can sing songs that reinforce the lesson and relate stories that are dissected in such a way to bring out the focus of the lesson and its aim. We can proclaim LOUDLY God’s truths through our lessons.
20 Leading children to discover their giftings
Dan Bowmar, Youth Ministry Development Officer, Catholic Diocese of Townsville
Guiding young people to discover their gifts and talents helps them realize their potential as individuals, as part of a team and as leaders within their communities. Through the use of activity, discussion, reflection, prayer and fun, young people are able to look at the gifts that God has given them and to look at how examples from their life and the Bible can help them to use their gifts to serve others and aspire to Gospel values and Christian leadership as they grow into adulthood.
SESSION 3
21 Helping children to make a choice to follow Jesus
Terry Williams, Children’s Ministry Specialist, Scripture Union Qld
How effectively are we providing our children with invitations to respond to Jesus which are appropriate to their level of development and understanding? There are dangers at both extremes – providing too many opportunities or none at all. Central to our discussion will be an exploration of the foundational principles behind any such invitation, as well considering conversational techniques to implement when talking with a child who is seeking to know more. A wide range of resources and tools will be profiled to assist the leader in this important stage in the faith journey of a child.
22 Pastoring your whole community
Andy Kirk, State Coordinator, Kids ‘R’ Us
Andy & Christie are passionate about serving the community and pastoring families outside the 4 church walls which includes working in schools, vacation care, and many other community activities. He will inspire you to think outside of the usual parameters and inspire innovative thinking.
23 Leading leaders/building teams
Peter Blase, Schools’ Worker, Bible Society Qld
One of The greatest things you will ever do is leave a legacy. Its time to start the thing God has put in your heart. However you can’t do it by yourself you need a team. This session will help you to pick, build and release a great team around the call of God.
24 Evolution: Busting the myth
Dr David Catchpoole, Creationist plant physiologist (CMI–Australia)
As this “Year of Darwin” celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his Origin of Species, microbe-to-man evolution is widely accepted as a fact. Not surprisingly, many people have therefore dismissed the Bible’s Creation account (and thus its account of the origin of sin and death, for instance) as “myth”. However, does the fossil and other evidence really stack up for evolution, or against it?
25 Child development: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
David Goodwin, Director KidsReach
There is always a reason why a child is not coping or is suffering.. According to Maslow, every child has four levels of needs and three higher levels of growth. These needs are in a hierarchy, starting with basic needs such as food and drink and lead to higher needs such as need for knowledge and understanding. Understanding this will help you identify the reason why a child or a group of children are having problems and what you can do to help them.
26 Drama as discipleship
Paul Clark, Minister, Burdekin Uniting Church
Drama is not only a powerful tool to proclaim the message of the gospel, it is also a discipline that can help to disciple people, especially young people, in the faith. In this elective you’ll learn how you can make drama a regular part of your ministry. You’ll see how it can form young people’s faith. You’ll watch demonstrations and see where to find resources. Develop a new and powerful approach to ministry. [Experienced & Leaders of Leaders].
27 MOPS is for mums
Vanessa Ralph, MOPS Townsville
MOPS – Mothers Of PreSchoolers (0-5yr olds) is a ministry that reaches mothers (and children) in a crucial time of developing family. Come along and find out how MOPS can help you reach mums in your community.
28 Behaviour management
Duane Van Vuuren, Senior Pastor, Bowen Christian Family Centre
Do you find you are spending as much time saying, “sit down!”…..”be quiet!”…..”focus!”, as teaching the lesson? This session has some practical take-home ideas that will help manage the behavior of the children in your group more effectively.
29 Creative lesson writing
Janine Nosworthy, Senior Pastor, CityLife Christian Outreach Centre, Townsville
We only get such a short time to input the things of God into the children’s lives. This means we need to use our time to its fullest, with captivating Bible stories, songs, games, prayer tools, memory verses and crafts that reinforce the message and its points over and over again. We can do this by tailoring our own lessons, using the resources we have to the fullest
While not compromising on fun, we can create games that emphasise a point from the lesson. We can choose Bible verses that reflect the lesson and can be played as games. We can make crafts that remind them of the lesson. We can use prayer tools that reflect the lesson and inspire all to pray. We can sing songs that reinforce the lesson and relate stories that are dissected in such a way to bring out the focus of the lesson and its aim. We can proclaim LOUDLY God’s truths through our lessons.
30 Getting on their level
Ken & Kate Gill, Early Childhood leaders, Townsville City Church
Health promoters tell us that the first five years affect the next fifty. We also know that people who hear the gospel message before the age of five have a much higher probability of making a decision for Christ in their life. So how do we ‘get on their level’ to communicate the gospel and build relationships with young children? This session will cover children’s communication development – both how and when it develops to help you choose age appropriate strategies and activities for Under 5s.