Resources for Engaging Young People and Intergenerational Discipleship & Mission – April Update

To help Enable, Equip and Encourage a growing and flourishing church across Queensland, we’ll regularly share links to resources for education, worship, discipleship, and mission both with Young People, and Intergenerationally.

The resources are a selection of practical materials, interesting articles, books and podcasts, for you to consider and explore.

If you would like to connect with the Mission Accompanying Team to chat about the resources, or how we might encourage you, please reach out to Jessica.pinkerton@ucaqld.com.au

 

Children, Youth, Families and Intergen Weekly Resources – April 2025

Lent & Easter Resources – UCA Qld

NEW 2025 Lent – Renewal – God’s Story Our Story (RCL Year C)

Including: Make & Bake - An Easter Experience, Lent at Home, Lent Small Group, Lent Worship

• Have you ever wondered why some people eat pancakes 47 days before Easter?
• Have you ever wondered why Hot Cross Buns appear in the shops between Christmas and Easter?
• Have you ever wondered why some people eat fish on Good Friday?
• Have you ever wondered why we eat chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday?

The Make & Bake Easter Experience resource for families explores these questions, and many more, with recipes, fast facts, videos, songs, and mindfulness activities. Enjoy Making and Baking (and eating) as you experience Easter in a new way.

The resource has been designed for community families to use at home and is suitable for families with little connection to the church, as a simple tool to explore some of the themes and foods of Easter. I encourage you to print copies to offer as a gift to families in your playgroup, early learning centre and other groups connected to your ministries.

The Lent at Home resource is similar and designed for families and intergenerational groups connected to your church, as a tool to further dig into scripture, and reflect on God’s ongoing story of renewal for the whole of creation, and how our story weaves and intertwines with God’s story.

Over seven weeks, we will journey with people from past generations and hear stories of how God renewed their lives through transforming encounters, forgiveness, reconciliation, and faithfulness. As we hear and reflect on the stories of others, we will also reflect on how God is renewing our lives, and our Church, and what God is calling us to do in the renewal process.

2024 Lent – The Great Restoration Project (RCL Year B)

2023 Lent – Journey with Jesus (RCL Year A)

 

Intergen Weekly Resources – April

April 6 Loving Generosity

April 13 Ready!

April 20 God’s Story, My Story

April 27 Before and After

2025 Intergen Palm Sunday-Good Friday- Easter Sunday written by our very own Beth Nicholls and Kath Ruhle

Maundy Thursday & Good Friday

More Intergen Lent resources

 

Other Lent & Easter resources

Dave the Donkey (Lost Sheep)

The Way of the Cross (Lost Sheep)

Claudia the Caterpillar (Lost Sheep)

Peter and the Big Breakfast (Lost sheep)

Fasting, Treasures in heaven and Eyes (Max7)

Lent Scripture Chain (Max7)

Journey Through Lent (Max7)

Fuller Youth Institute Lent Resources

The Resource Lent Resources

 

Youth and Children’s Materials

Quiz Worx has a brand-new Easter show, Jesus is in Control

How often do things around us feel out of control? People get sick, families split up. There are wars, out of control weather & sometimes even out of control hair! Join Matt and Rosie as they share from the Bible that Christians believe and trust, that even when life is messy, and things seem out of control…Jesus is IN CONTROL!

The 19-minute video is ideal for use in RI (QLD) classes and assemblies, childrens groups, and program and has puppets, music, stories and best of all COMFORT and HOPE! It is recommended by the creators of Beginning with God, Connect, Big Questions and GodSpace, and supports the learning outcomes of these curricula.

 

Books, Webinars and Podcasts

• Intergenerate Aus/NZ Podcasts
• Intergenerate UK Webinar recordings
• Roots for Churches Intergenerational Ministry podcasts
• Refocus: Latest posts
• Autism Church resources
• Spiritual characteristics of children and youth
• Discipling kids well includes helping their parents

 

Events

Being an Intergenerational Church - Tuesday 20 May, 9:30am – 11:30am

Trinity College Queensland (Tuesdays at Trinity)

The Uniting Church in Australia seeks to be a genuinely intergenerational church in which all ages are welcomed and valued, where every generation is engaged together in active discipleship, growing in and sharing faith in Jesus, and all people, across the ages and generations, are generously invited and encouraged to use their gifts and leadership to shape the community and its communal life of worship, witness and service.

While great in theory, we know this is not the reality in all Uniting Churches, and it can be hard to shift our age-segregated, mono-generational and multi-generational ways and practices. Let our Mission Development Partner for Children, Youth and Families guide you in a journey of discovery to explore, what intergenerational church is and isn’t, and how can we start Being an Intergenerational Church in our homes, churches and communities.

 

Discipleship Book Clubs

•  April - 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Kara Powell and Brad Griffin
• June – Messy Discipleship, Lucy Moore
• September – The Generative Church, Cory Seibel

 

Orange Conference - Tuesday 29 April – Thursday 1 May, 2025 - Digital online (or Atlanta, Georgia)

A wildly practical and inspirational three-day event for future thinking family ministry leaders.

Join the annual event that launches teams of kids ministry and youth ministry leaders into a brighter future — recharged and overflowing with real tools they can use the very next week. In three exciting days, you’ll fill your notebook while a vibrant community fills your soul. Join us in April as we discover one thing every church can do to change everything for the next generation

The Art of We

We can do more together. But, “together” is often easier said than done. Whether it’s dreaming with your volunteer team, partnering with parents, planning with your staff, or teaming up with other churches — you know that there’s an art to leading alongside other humans. This April, we’ll explore one simple thing every church can do to change everything for the next generation. You’ll leave with a big vision for what family ministry can be, a new perspective on discipleship, and start-this-week tools you can use to get everyone in your ministry moving as a WE and not a ME.

•  Amplify Conference - 2 AUGUST 2025

Australia’s largest children, youth and family ministry conference, will take place in local hubs across the country. Frontline ministry leaders gathering locally for a day of inspiration, equipping and networking.  Due to popular demand, the event has moved from March to August.

Contact us at info@amplifyconference.com.au for more information or to express your interest in hosting a hub. Check out our Hub Leaders Start Up Guide Mark your calendar now and start spreading the word to your team!

 We are looking for Uniting Churches around Queensland to host local hubs to connect Children, Youth and Families Leaders. Reach out to Jess if you are interested.

•  Leaders 2 Go Conference – 11-14 September 2025

We are extending a warm invitation to you and your key team leaders to be part of the Leaders to Go Conference 2025. Leaders to Go is a four day live in conference with all meals included at The Tops Conference Centre in NSW, starting Thursday 11th September, finishing Sunday 14th September.

Leaders to Go is an Australian biennial child and families ministry leadership conference, running 1999 for paid and voluntary leaders-of-leaders of church and school-based ministry working with pre-school & primary children and their families.

Early bird registration is open now, so snag the cheapest ticket to conference before 1st May. Sponsorships may be available – reach out to Jess for more information.

This year, we will focus on LISTENING - exploring how we are:

Listening to Young People

What are young people telling us about their experiences of children and families ministry that will help us shape our ministries wisely?

We will crack open recent research capturing the faith of Australian Youth in their own words with guidance from Naomi Swindon, ministry specialist with young people and member of the Converge Oceania core team.

Listening to Diversity

What do the diverse voices of our communities tell us about their needs, longings, experiences and faith, growing up and being family in 2025?

Experts and experienced colleagues will host focused sessions and scaffolded conversations to share wisdom and strategies as we unpack the gift and uncertainty of ministry with the full spectrum of human diversity.

 Listening to God

What is God saying to us together as participants in the gospel?

Explore scripture through the lens of child-theology and intergenerational practices with ready hearts and minds to listen afresh and engage deeply with spirit-nourishing and faith-strengthening texts.