Slowness. Simplicity. Quality time away to connect.

These ideas are the antithesis of the ‘disease of the city’ – where the busyness of life gets in the way of whole life discipleship.

Youthworks Getaways were created to counteract this disease, by providing an intentional moment to disconnect from the rush of daily life and enjoy God’s creation with family members. Earlier this year, Youthworks Getaways helped The Bridge Church organise their inaugural River Rite weekend camping retreat.

As a young boy in Grade 4, Matt Keller joined an organisation called Boys Brigade. One of the Brigade leaders, Tim Kennedy, invested deeply in a number of young boys in his group, walking with them for many years.

Matt says, “Tim had a lasting impact on our group in three very specific ways.”  

“Attending camp each year really does fuel our kids ministry program.” - Pippie Krebs, Kids & Youth Minister at St Stephen’s Willoughby.

Youthworks Square One is a weekend camp for children in Years 3 - 6 and their church leaders. We spoke with two leaders, Robyn and Pippie, about their Square One experience and why they think every church should put the camp in their events calendar.

This is a story about a small church in the NSW Southern Highlands that recently hosted a kids party. Nothing special or out of the ordinary, just some pizza, party decorations and printed invitations. But for many of the invited guests—kids with disability—it was the first party invitation they’d ever received in their life.

Youthworks’ Leaders in Training (LiT) events abundantly bless participants from all over Australia, through shared resources, Christian networks, rural funding and encouragement for young people.

Through the support of friends like you, three father-and-son duos set off on the Getaways launch adventure in February, paddling more than 20km over two days down a scenic river in Kangaroo Valley, NSW.

Heather Priestley is a Ministry Apprentice at Grace Anglican Church and SRE Coordinator for the Camden Valley area. She coordinates SRE for four primary schools in the region, and one of her Year 3 SRE classes has 53 students in it! She shares an encouraging story from one of her SRE students.

Elliot Chapman from the Armidale Anglican Diocese attended LiT Summer in January 2025 for the first time with youth from his diocese, and he shared his reflections with us.

How your support equips and encourages SRE teachers across NSW - read the highlights from the 2025 SRE Conferences.

Youth minister, SRE teacher, Year 13 staff member and LiT conference Stage 1 director, Jaedon Scott knows everything about all of Youthworks’ discipleship programs. His story is a powerful account of how the different ministries of Youthworks work together.

Highlights of the 2025 SRE conference, an annual event that resources and trains SRE teachers across the state.

Special Religious Education (SRE) has had a lasting impact on the lives of countless young people, including Sam Jensen. Her story is a testament to how SRE not only changes lives in the present but also sows seeds of faith that flourish for generations

Betty has nurtured thousands of young people in their faith, leaving a legacy of guidance for generations to come. Her story is a testament to the importance of SRE and the dedication of teachers like her who patiently sow seeds of faith and understanding.

When children walk into their Special Religious Education (SRE) classes, they’re welcomed into a safe environment in which they can ask the big questions of life – and begin to build a strong foundation of faith for their own lives.

Dr Viv Cheung recently completed her PhD studies on the 'calling' motif in Romans and quickly saw how it informed her New Testament teaching at Youthworks College.

Holly is an SRE teacher who is deeply passionate about young people growing in their faith and understanding God better

Camps provide opportunities for students to hear the gospel afresh … sometimes with unexpected results!

Youthworks Ministry Advisor Annemarie Rivers has been mentoring and walking alongside Alisa in her role. She has equipped Alisa with the tools she needs to thrive now and in the future.

Thanks to your support, young people are being nurtured in their faith through SRE.

Sarah finds so much joy in teaching SRE. Her journey of becoming an SRE teacher started when she was a helper in the classroom 10 years ago.