Legendary evangelist John Chapman led four weekly training nights during August and early September on ‘Preparing Evangelistic Talks’ as part of the revamped Sutherland Shire Youth Network.

While the Youth Ministers in the Shire met regularly about 10 years ago momentum stalled and leaders ceased meeting in recent years. However, following the prompting of Youthworks Wollongong Regional Advisor Andy Stevenson in 2006, the area’s youth minister’s began meeting once a term.

All nine Anglican churches in the Shire – Cromulla, Caringbah,
Miranda, Sylvania, Gymea, Sutherland, Jannali, Menai and Engadine are involved and last year, Miranda Congregational, Helensburgh Anglican and Sutherland Reformed also joined.

St Clement’s, Jannali assistant minister, the Rev Cameron Hyslop, says the network enables each church to be aware of what’s happening in the other churches in the area and to encourage those who are in difficult situations.

“In 2007, we decided to begin having a few combined events that would enable us to share resources and provide our young people with greater exposure to the Christian community,” he says.

“For 2008, we decided to run some training seminars for our leaders in first term and third term and an evangelistic event for our youth to invite friends along to in second term.”