Youth and Children’s Ministry Intensives are a great training opportunity for those in paid or volunteer ministry with limited time to study throughout the year, to gain the necessary theological foundations and skills for effective ministry to children and youth.

The ministry intensives are open to all ages and form part of the full time Diploma of Theology program as courses
are accredited by the Australian College of Theology.

Subjects offered in intensive mode during February are:

DM211 Youth in the Churches
DM222 Children’s Ministry Skills
DM210 Theological Foundations for Youth Ministry
DM220 Church-based Children’s Ministry.

Dates: 2-4 & 9-11 February 2009

Location: Youthworks College, 11 Fifth Ave, Loftus NSW 2232

Applications:  Due by 16 January 2009.

All accommodation and food provided. Please visit http://www.youthworks.net/intensives or call (02) 8268 3367 for more details.

For more information visit www.holidaycamps.youthworks.net

This review from Mark Barry introduces one of our latest releases:

...it seems that we've never been more confused about who we actually are. We're so quick to transcend stereotypical labels of gender, race, class, work and so on. But how then should we define ourselves? Where should we find our identity and purpose? And in all this, what does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be, well, you?

Into this existential mess comes, YOU: an introduction. In clear, readily-digestible style, Michael Jensen examines what the Creator has to say about his human creatures via his written word. Starting with life and finishing with death and the afterlife, YOU covers some of the multi-facetted aspects of what it mean to be human, such as living in a body, grasping at freedom, negotiating gender, and aspiring to dream. Each chapter introduces the topic, draws out some of the important questions, looks briefly at some alternative answers (eg. materialism, feminism, Buddhism), before proposing a succinct scriptural conclusion.

Read the rest of the review at webSalt.

Find out more.

This new evangelistic resource combines the benefits of a fresh and accurate translation of Luke's Gospel, with the strengths of Two ways to live, in an attractively presented, and very inexpensive 80 page book.

Find out more.

This year’s theme is ‘The Revolution Will NOT Be Televised’! If we are going to make a difference as Christians we can’t just sit back and watch. We need to live a different life and proclaim and different message to our consumerist, individualistic culture. We need to be like Christ.

How do we live it? How do we encourage it in our youth? That is the challenge of the Youth Ministry Conference 2008!

Main Session Topics include:
What Do We Want For Our Youth? - Brett Bovey
The Revolution Will NOT Be Televised - Archie Poulos
Loving the Unloved: Social Action and the Gospel - Josh Apieczonek
Rethinking Parents - Graham Stanton
Working With A Sovereign God - Mark Layson

Electives Include: Sex & Special Friends; Q&A sessions; Survivor; On the Net; Beyond Programs; Evolution; The Panel; Empowering Youth; Engaging Youth Groups; Breaking into your Local School.

Cost
$130 Late Bird (closes November 11)
Prices include all meals.

Location
Moore College, King St Newtown.

For more details or to register click on the following link: www.youthworks.net

The Open Day is a great opportunity for school-leavers and their parents to meet the Year 13 tutors, hear testimonies from this year’s Year 13ers, ask any questions they might have and visit the College campus which hosts the Year 13 continuous program throughout the year!

Date: Saturday, November 22
Time: 10am - 2pm
Location: Youthworks College, 11 Fifth Ave, Loftus NSW

A free lunch will be provided at 1pm for all visitors!

For more information please visit: www.youthworks.net

Our brand new cards and "A Breathtaking Moment" tract for Christmas will be arriving by the end of October. But you can preview the cards and the tract now online. You can also pre-order them through our online store, and they will be dispatched to you as soon as we receive them.

Tract

This important recent conference was specifically for 'ministry wives', to encourage and help them in their roles as wives of pastors. The three talks, plus the extensive question time, will be extremely beneficial for all women in this situation, and those who may find themselves in this situation in the future.

The talks are available as a 2 DVD set, 4 audio CD set or on MP3 CD. Find out more.

Instead of regarding the Bible as “more to be desired than gold” and “rejoicing the heart”, like David in the Psalms, somehow, for many of us, regularly reading on God's word ends up in the same category as regular exercise: a healthy chore we know we should fit in and that we benefit from, but which is hard to manage amongst everything else, and ends up slipping off the agenda. As the Lord Jesus said of his sleepy disciples: “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.

Whatever your current Bible reading habits (or lack of them), and whatever your level of knowledge and confidence, Six Steps to Reading Your Bible will help you make progress in getting into your Bible. The course is especially designed for use in small groups, and utilizes a mix of video instruction, fun skits, Bible study, discussion, practical exercises, prayer and home assignments that will help you on the road to establishing a new and more enjoyable Bible reading habit.

Here's some early feedback, from Peter Kozushko, Associate Pastor at Countryside Community Church:

I thought you would appreciate some feedback on your new curriculum for learning to read the Bible. Brilliant! Well done! Great work! Thanks so much for creating this. It will serve the church well.

To run this course, you will need one DVD and a workbook. Visit our store page to view the course overview, samples from the workbook, samples from the DVD and our very own blooper reel:

Find out more.

This popular devotional series is the staple diet for many Christian's time with God. The Daily Reading Bible is an all-in-one resource and a good way to get started or keep going in your daily reading of the Bible.

This 14th volume contains 60 undated readings looking at Luke 7-9, Micah and Galatians. Find out more.

In the next of our very popular Guidebooks for Life series, Bryson Smith looks at the very significant topic of faith: What is it? What makes it so important? What are we meant to have faith in, and what difference should our faith make to everyday life?

These are fundamental issues for all of us, and Bryson Smith provides extremely helpful, easy-to-read insights into a biblical understanding of ‘faith’.

You can also download and read the first chapter free, along with the discussion questions. Find out more.

This brand new Interactive Bible Study continues on from The Free Gift of Life—Gordon Cheng's insightful studies on Romans 1-5.

In The Free Gift of Sonship, you will explore the challenging and greatly encouraging teaching of Paul's letter to the Romans, chapters 6-11.

This new Interactive Bible Study is the first in a new and improved format for our IBS series.

You can download the first study free online. Find out more.

The book of Dr Peter Jensen's 2005 ABC Boyer Lecture series quickly sold out when first published by the ABC. But this book is too important to let it remain out of print, so Matthias Media is very pleased to be able to make it available again, and this time to a wider readership, not just in Australia but also overseas.

Archbishop Jensen challenges both believers and unbelievers to take a fresh look at the person of Jesus and his significance in our history, our present and our future.

You can download and read the first chapter free online. Find out more.

Life is a journey—from the cradle to the grave.

And according to the Bible, there are really just two roads through life—God's road and our road.

This short booklet explains how we can start walking on God's road.

Two Roads has been adapted from the Two ways to live gospel outline. It explains the Christian gospel in simple, easy-to-read language. For more information about Two ways to live, go to www.twowaystolive.com.

Read the full text of this tract. Find out more.

“How do I know God exists in the first place?” “Hasn't science disproved Christianity?” “Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?” When was the last time you were asked one of these sorts of questions? And when you were, did you know how to answer?

In a series of short sessions, So Many Questions will take you through 13 commonly asked questions about Christianity, helping you to work out what to say, and providing an ‘expert’ answer from which to learn. You'll also learn the basic principles behind all these answers. Presenters include: Tony Payne, Al Stewart, Claire Smith, Paul Grimmond and Chris Braga. Find out more.

“How should I live my life?” This is a pertinent question not just for Christians but for non-Christians too, judging by the shelves and shelves of self-help books you see in your local bookstore, and the letters pages of certain magazines. There are people wanting advice about all sorts of things, like “Which job should I take?”, “What should I say to my friend whose mother died recently?”, “What's the best thing to do in this situation?”, and so on. The answers come not just from self-help books and magazine columns, but from a variety of sources: your family, your friends, your colleagues, your minister and other people you respect. Some of it is common knowledge; some of it is folk wisdom. As the old sayings go, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” and “Don't count your chickens before they hatch”.

However, when it comes to the art of living, the book of Proverbs is really the best authority on how to live, because its wisdom is no less than the wisdom of God—the God who created it all and knows it all. Indeed, the most important lesson on wisdom that Proverbs has to teach can be found in the very first chapter: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov 1:7).

Proverbs is filled with rich instruction on how to live—how to spend our money, how to work, what to say (and how to say it) and a whole host of other topics. In these studies, Bryson Smith helps you to understand what true wisdom is—and how true wisdom is ultimately found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Find out more.

Camps are running in each week of the spring school holidays in locations around NSW. All camps are residential and 6-7 days in duration.

For more information and to register online: www.crucamps.com.au/holiday

Publishing Director, Tony Payne, will give a sneak preview of the special edition of Luke’s Gospel being produced. There will also be lots of other practical ideas and suggestions for how to prepare for, engage in, and follow-up this important mission. This will be a highly informative briefing for helping church leaders plan their Connect09 initiatives. Those from non-Anglican churches are also welcome to attend.

Dates and venues:

Wed 3 Sept 10am-12noon Christ Church, St Ives (map)

Wed 3 Sept 1pm-3pm Kellyville Anglican Church (map)

Wed 10 Sept 10am-12noon St Luke’s, Miranda (map)

To help us make appropriate arrangements, please register at least two days before the seminar. You can register by phoning the Matthias Media office on 02-9663 1478 or by emailing us. If emailing, please advise your name, which seminar location you will be attending, and a contact phone number.

We drive away from our wedding with hopes and dreams of a marriage that honours God and satisfies both husband and wife. But that ideal can so easily slip away alongside the realities of life and the unique pressures of ministry. How does God want us to live as we serve Him and His people? What really matters in ministry marriages?

Register for the first EQUIP Ministry Wives conference on Saturday 2 August, 9.30am - 3.30pm at St Anne's Ryde Conference Centre (Sydney).