Caring for ministry families: The story of Refresh and the heart behind it
Every two years, ministers, ministry workers, and their families from across the Presbyterian Church of NSW (PCNSW) gather for Refresh, a retreat designed not as a conference, not as a training event, but as a deliberate act of pastoral care. For many who attend, Refresh is a rare chance to rest, reconnect with God, and be […]
Joy in the life of the kids and youth leader
At PY Encourage 2025, Dave Phillips, PYNSW General Manager, shared about joy in the life of the youth leader, to encourage those in attendance to consider intentionally how to cultivate it. This article is an adaptation of that seminar. Joy. It’s a word we toss around casually. “Find joy in the little things,” or “Joyful […]
A new chapter: PYNSW’s renewed vision unveiled at PY Annual Forum 2025
As the Zoom room filled with kids and youth leaders, ministry workers, volunteers, and members of the PY Committee, the PY Annual Forum 2025 began. Attendees gathered to reflect on the past year, consider progress, and plan for the future of PYNSW. After opening in prayer, the evening kicked off with an update on key […]
More than inclusion: Valuing and learning from kids and youth with disabilities
Rev. Jason Forbes works at Jericho Road as the Disability Advocate. His role involves encouraging churches to be more inclusive of people with disabilities and equipping them to do that. Jason lives with Cerebral Palsy which affects his speech and overall movement. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister and holds a Masters of Theology. – Jesus’ parable […]
Teaching the topic of sin through a new lens: Ros’ review of HOUSE Conference
When it comes to engaging in ministry opportunities and conferences, word of mouth often carries hidden treasures, and this turned out to be one of them. Despite hearing about Youthworks HOUSE Conference in passing, PYNSW SRE Director Ros hadn’t engaged with it before. This year, however, something shifted. The advertised topic, sin and how to […]
Touring the Southern Rivers Presbytery – August 2024
Did you know that there are regional towns where workers are moving from overseas to work in abattoirs, and the churches have opportunities to reach these people who have brought their families out with them to learn English and be part of these local communities? Well, in the Southern Rivers region, this gospel opportunity is […]
Strengthening ministry through PY Encourage Express
Adam isn’t ethnically Chinese himself, but he absolutely loves his role as Youth Pastor at Chinese Presbyterian Church (CPC) in Surry Hills. “The church members are very lovely, very hospitable — they’re very proactive in ministry, which is really refreshing,” Adam reflects. “It’s a very vibrant place for ministry, culturally and spiritually.” A unique approach […]
Training and networking at PY Encourage Sydney
What a great day we had at the inaugural PY Encourage Sydney! We had just over 60 people come along, with two even driving all the way from Port Macquarie to be at Christ College in Burwood for the day. Attendees reflected that… “We need to pray earnestly for our youth to come to know […]
Discipling youth (and ourselves) well: PY Encourage Express #2 2024
On Tuesday May 21, at Penrith Presbyterian Church, we held our second PY Encourage Express training in 2024. Karen Astles was our presenter and trainer for the evening on the topic of ‘Discipling youth well’. Karen is the founder and convenor of the Lead for Life internship, as well as part of the PY Training […]