ABOUT
VISION: To see young people all over Queensland coming to faith and growing to maturity in the Lord Jesus through strong local churches, enabled by gospel-hearted pastors and lay leaders in partnership with each other and families.
Presbyterian Youth & Kids (formerly YNET) is a ministry network that has long been about supporting local churches in their ministry to young people. It is an initiative of the Outreach & Nurture Committee and as a denomination we remain committed to serving our youngest members and reaching out with the good news of Jesus. We want to work with our local churches to grow and train leaders, equip families and provide opportunities for them to connect. Every camp or event has been and will continue to be an invitation to connect – because we are better together. To that end, the Presbyterian Church of Queensland (PCQ) has set aside resources to help support our churches as walk alongside young people. All PYK camps, conferences and training events are approved by the Outreach & Nurture Committee and receive denominational assistance as needed.
You don’t have to be in the PCQ to connect into this ministry network. Presbyterian Youth & Kids is about Bible based, Christ-centred, relational ministry to youth and children. It is a network to share ministry ideas and resources or seek support.
We pray that this ministry would be a blessing to the kingdom and that many more would be found in Christ.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about how Presbyterian Youth & Kids can support you in ministry, use the Contact page to get in touch.
Convictions About Ministry To Young People
- Children and teenagers are capable of genuine and vibrant Christian Faith and are an integral part of our church communities.
- Parents are the primary disciplers of their children.
- Churches have a responsibility to train and equip parents and families to disciple their children (Eph 4)
- Children and teenagers benefit from having other adults discipling them in addition to their family unit. Thus, churches have a further responsibility to train and equip adult disciplers who intentionally model and teach the Christian faith to young people, in addition to those adults in their family unit.
- There is biblical precedence/gospel imperative for adults outside of the family unit to disciple young people in partnership with parents.
- Both parents and the leaders in church-based youth & children’s ministries are together co-labourers in the discipleship of young people.
- When young people come to faith from non-Christian families, it is important that they are intentionally discipled by adults in their church family.
- Ministry to young people, should be Christ-centred and Bible-based and for us, it will be informed by Reformed Theology.
- It is strategic gospel ministry, because many believers come to faith as young people (under 18).
- The presence of young people in a church is a sign of vitality and health, where we ‘tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.’ (Psalm 78)
- It is valuable for young people to participate in congregational worship and service in the local church.
- Intentional ministry to young people supplements their healthy involvement in congregational worship in the local church as well as family discipleship.
- Ministry to young people should provide age-appropriate Bible teaching, from people set aside for this task.
- Ministry to young people provides a context for the Bible to be taught in discipling relationships, which means ‘life on life’ modelling alongside Bible teaching.
- There is value for ministry to young people to be enjoyable and engaging as they experience the joy of Christian community and how it transforms relationships.
- Ministry to young people supports children and teenagers at a formative developmental stage in their lives
- Ministry to young people helps them emerge as healthy adults who can participate in church community as they transition from their family unit into adulthood.
- Young people are often the testing ground for many cultural theories and trends. Parents and leaders need training in a sound and strong theological foundation, so they might respond with biblical wisdom.