You’re helping to build SRE’s biggest year!

You may already know that 2025 is the biggest year for SRE in NSW since the COVID-19 pandemic. Record-breaking numbers of students are excited to explore faith for themselves in a safe environment … thanks to the encouragement and support of friends like you!

SRE teachers at the 2025 SRE Conference in Sydney

More than 1,300 SRE teachers and coordinators recently attended the 2025 SRE Conferences in Sydney and on the NSW South Coast with more joining online. The place was buzzing as they gathered to learn, laugh, and grow together, with help from Youthworks staff and invited guest speakers.

Antoine Lespe, an SRE teacher who has been teaching a Year 3/4 SRE class at Woollahra Public School for three years, was among the keen attendees. He reflected on what it means to him to help children explore faith for themselves:

“It’s amazing that in NSW we are allowed to go into classrooms, that we can actually read the Bible, pray, and answer questions which the kids might have.”

To help prepare for some of the more unusual questions that he just knows his young students will ask, Antoine attended Cam Harte’s training workshop, Answering Tricky Questions in SRE.

It was one of three workshops – the other two focused on Scripture memorisation and leading children in prayer – to help teachers connect with their students.

Nerida Zhao has been teaching primary and high school SRE for over 20 years in Coogee and Randwick. She shared what motivates her to keep turning up to the classroom:

“SRE is a brilliant opportunity to answer questions about who Jesus is and what He’s done for us. For some kids, it’s their only chance to hear about Jesus.”

Your support is building the momentum for SRE, equipping more teachers, and ensuring more students have the opportunity to explore faith for themselves.

Thank you for praying for Antoine, Nerida, and all their colleagues across the state as they step into the classroom in a record year for SRE. And thank you for your support to encourage and equip them as they do!