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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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June 2006 |
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Youth Ministry – be shocked!Synod was challenged by Chris Bowditch’s report on the state of Youth Ministry in the Diocese. At Synod this year I presented a report that looked at the state of youth ministry in our diocese. What I found was neither exciting nor encouraging, but rather disturbing and a motivation for all those at Synod to begin praying for a revival in youth ministry in our church community. The figures are disturbing – around 80% of our parishes are reaching less than five, and most are reaching NO, young people (in high school or college). In fact, there are only three churches in the whole diocese reaching out to more than ten young people. Young people make up about eight percent of the secular population, yet they make up less than three percent of the Anglican Church community in Tasmania; in fact 77 percent of us are aged over 50! Young people are the church of today and of the future: if we don’t do something then our church will not survive past the majority of our deaths (which will be sooner rather than later). Synod recognised the shocking state of youth ministry in our diocese and passed a motion that requested the Bishop to set up a working group to examine other healthy youth ministries in other dioceses; to find out if there is money meant for youth ministry in the church not being used; and to report back to the next Synod with a plan and recommendation as to how we are to proceed in rebuilding our church and its outreach to the young people in Tasmania. As those of us who were at Synod are doing, commit to pray that God will help us raise up the current young unchurched generation into passionate disciples of our Lord. With your prayer and our God’s awesome power, I am hopeful of a bright future emerging from our current darkness.
Chris Bowditch is the Parish of BayWest (Sandy Bay) Cross-Eyed Youth Coordinator |
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