About Youthworks House Conference
House Conference is about theological reflection for best practice in youth and children's ministry, within a community of youth and children's ministers. This annual conference for youth and children’s ministry is held at Youthworks Conference Centres Port Hacking.
Each day will include encouragement from God’s word, an opportunity to engage theologically and practically with one of the papers, and opportunities to workshop ideas and skills that will equip you as a ministry leader.
There will be plenty of time to connect and network with other people who are engaged in youth and children’s ministry and opportunities to form new friendships and share wisdom.
We hope you will join us and your peers in youth and children’s ministry as we seek to grow in this aspect of our ministry.
2027 Conference
In 2027 we’ll be exploring the place of friendship in the discipleship of young people, asking questions like:
what is biblical friendship,
how does friendship fit into the life of the young disciple,
how is friendship different in the church and the world?
We hope you will be able to join us for
Life Together: The Gift of Friendship in the Church and Our World.
Youthworks House Conference
Tuesday 24 - Thursday 26 August 2027
Registration opens in March 2027.
Registration
24-26 August 2027
Prices from $390 full time.
Registration opens March 2027
Early bird discount available until 31 May 2027.
Registrations closed 5 August 2027.
Paper Presenter
Ed Shaw
We are pleased to announce that Ed Shaw will be joining us to present a paper on the topic. Ed is the pastor of Emmanuel City Centre in Bristol, England, and the Ministry Director at Living Out. He is the author of The Intimacy Deficit and The Plausibility Problem: The Church and Same-Sex Attraction. He loves his family and friends, church and city, gin and tonic, and music and books.
Ministry Electives
Ministry electives run on Wednesday afternoon of conference for approximately 2 hours. They are an opportunity for you as ministry leaders to dive deeper into a specific and practical aspect of ministry that fall roughly into three categories: leading self, leading others, leading young people. We typically have 3-4 electives to choose between.
The Privileges and Challenges of Leading Teams - Building a culture of leadership development
Fiona Smartt - Director of Ministry at St Luke’s Clovelly
"Looking for more leaders? Want to help existing leaders stretch and grow? Keen for a culture of joyful and sacrificial service? This is the second in a three year elective series on the privilege and challenge of raising up leaders. This year we'll look at how to build and grow a culture of leadership development in any ministry - big or small. This elective also includes lots of practical resources, tools and ideas to help you develop other leaders to use their gifts in service of the Lord.
Note: You do not need to have attended the previous year to come to this elective.
Coach or cure? The minister’s role in caring for those with mental ill-health
Trinette Stanley - Mental Health Educator
The Christian minister is required to be proficient in several different skills – from administration to admonition, from plumber to preacher, from vision-setter to visitation. This elective is built on the foundational understanding that the gospel message has something profound to offer to those who are experiencing mental ill-health. It includes an in-depth exploration of the roles and responsibilities of ministry leaders in the mental health support of others.
Contextualisation and Children’s Ministry
Matt Dodd (Epistles for Kids Project Leader) & Cam Harte (Youthworks Ministry Support)
In this workshop, Cam Harte and Matt Dodd will work through Contextualisation in the context of Children’s Ministry. Matt will help us consider this skill of contextualisation in Bible translations and use of language, while Cam will help us think through how we contextualise prewritten curriculum to best serve the young people in our ministry context.
Developing ministry principles
Al James & Annemarie Rivers (Youthworks Ministry Support)
In this workshop, Annemarie Rivers and Al James will explore an approach to developing your own ministry principles. How do you know which principles you need to articulate? How do you ensure they are both substantial enough and impactful on your ministry?
Come and workshop ministry principles, with like minded peers, that shape your ministry practice in kids and youth ministry.
House Program
Tuesday, 24 August
10:00 — Launch Session
10:45 — Prayer
11:00 — Morning Tea
11:30 — Paper 1 Presentation
12:45 — Lunch
13:30 — Paper Responders, Table Discussion And Q+A
15:00 — Afternoon Tea // Free Time
16:45 — Networking by Topics
18:00 — Dinner
19:15 — Evening Session Bible Talk
20:15 — Free Time // Supper
Wednesday, 25 August
08:00 — Breakfast
09:00 — Paper 2 Presentation
10:45 — Morning Tea
11:15 — Paper Responders, Table Discussion And Q+A
13:00 — Lunch
14:15 — Ministry Electives
16:15 — Free Time // Afternoon Tea
18:00 — Dinner
19:15 — Evening Session Bible Talk
20:15 — Free Time // Supper
Thursday, 26 August
08:00 — Breakfast
(Check out of rooms by 9am)
09:00 — Landing Session
10:45 — Morning Tea
11:30 — Closing Session
12:45 — Lunch
13:30 — Program Ends
FAQs
-
HOUSE is run in the last week of August from Tuesday-Thursday.
In 2027 the dates are:
24-26 August 2027
-
Because HOUSE provides a space to "learn how to fish" instead of simply "get a fish". That is, HOUSE invites you into a space to theologically reflect on your practice with your peers in youth and children's ministry, and the space to work out a way forward in your context. Most other conferences focus on models, skills, programs, and "how-to's". There's nothing wrong with that approach, HOUSE includes practical electives too, but HOUSE aims to deliver more. HOUSE encourages you to develop your professional skills in adapting and reflecting on your practice in your own context from year to year.
You should come because HOUSE will help you lead an effective youth and children's ministry that is theologically and biblically faithful, reflective, contextual, and growing disciples.
-
No. It is a deliberate objective for HOUSE conference that youth and children's ministers gather and confer together in person. You can read good theology in books, you can get practical tips for youth and children's ministry from podcasts, you can watch presentations on YouTube. But you only get the personal connection, the fellowship, and the shared community knowledge by turning up in person to be part of it. Why not take some time out and come along?
-
It is always a bit daunting coming to a conference when you don’t know anyone, but you’re coming to a conference with other like-minded youth and children’s ministers, and they love to hang out and chat about almost anything! There is opportunity on Monday night to network with other people around specific topics of interest in proximity to a fireplace and a hot cup of something. You can just turn up, join a topic group and start chatting away.
-
We’re all grown ups here, so you can carve out time wherever you like to do the work you need to do. There's at least 2 hours of free time each day and you can always choose not to do an elective. Just remember that this is a unique 3 day opportunity that doesn’t come around all that often and you want to make the most of it for your own wellbeing and the advancement of those you lead.
-
After you register online, you'll be sent an email about electives closer to the date of the conference. If you don’t intend on going to an elective at HOUSE, you can, of course, elect not to (see what we did there?).
This will help our presenters to have a more accurate idea of what numbers they have, the group dynamics and what resources to provide. You are welcome to attend an elective you haven’t booked for while you are at HOUSE, but we cannot guarantee that you will have any of the resources that come with that elective.
In addition to these electives we hope to have a number of impromptu workshops that form resources in response to the sessions and papers that are presented.
-
Each year we organise our own onsite speciality coffee for purchase. You can buy quality coffee served in all your favourite ways.
Of course you can still take the free option and use the site's instant machines or be “that guy” who brings their own beans, a hand grinder and an aero-press.
-
HOUSE conference is at Deer Park and Chaldercot at Youthworks Conference Centres Port Hacking, Rathane Road, Royal National Park.
If you would like to see what the accommodation and site looks like, visit youthworkscentres.net/porthacking. -
Our beautifully situated Youthworks Conference Centres at Port Hacking have a variety of ensuite dormitory rooms for accommodation on HOUSE conference. You can view Deer Park and Chaldercot on our website.
All dorm room options will be chosen by conference delegates during lunch on the first day to give you a chance to meet and choose your room mates.
Twin Share rooms will be allocated prior to arrival based on preferences given at time of registration.
-
Contact Youthworks Ministry Support via the form below or call 02 8268 3355.
-
Youthworks HOUSE Conference runs in the last week of August from Tuesday-Thursday.
In 2027 it will run from 24-26 August.
2028 dates should be available in July 2027. We will likely be on 29-31 August in 2028 but this is TBC.
