Who are we?
Youthworks has the vision to see an effective youth and children’s ministry in every church.
Youthworks College achieves this vision by delivering theological ministry education, and producing rigorous scholarship in effective children’s and youth ministry .
Staff & Faculty
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Mike Dicker
Principal & Dean of Students
Dip.Th & YM, B.Th., MA.Th.
“What else is more significant than training children’s and youth ministers to know God with evermore depth and knowledge, so that they might engage young people with God’s Word in meaningful and transformative ways? This is the sort of work that bears kingdom fruit for generations.”
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Ruth Lukabyo
Dean of Women
B.A, B.Th, Dip. Min., Ph.D.
“I love being involved in a college with a big goal: the growth of God’s kingdom amongst children and youth. I love teaching enthusiastic and creative men and women whose hearts are open to spiritual and academic growth.”
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Andrew Spalding
Academic Dean
B.Th., M.A.(Th), Ph.D., GCertHELT
“Youthworks College is on the cutting edge of ministry to youth and children. To have the privilege of leading and teaching the next generation of leaders for God’s Church is a great honour.”
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Viv Cheung
New Testament and Greek College Lecturer
BAppSc(Phty), BTh, MA.Th, PhD
“I am grateful and humbled to participate in God’s great work here at college. It’s an immense privilege to work alongside an expert team dedicated to training kids and youth ministers, and a real joy to see our students grow in knowledge, skills and being people after God’s own heart.”
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Emma Collett
Dean of Education, Director of CCE
BMus, BEd, Grad. Dip.Div, MEd.
“I love Youthworks College, and especially its focus on integrating theology and practice. I am excited to be Directing the Centre for Christian Education, where we are dedicating some of our resources to raising up more Christian teachers and helping current Christian teachers to become better at applying the gospel into their school classrooms and teaching contexts.”
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Suzanne Bacon
College Registrar
“I love working with students and being part of the process they go through to see them equipped as better leaders in Children and Youth Ministry.”
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Mamie McLean
Office Administrator
“I love being a part of Youthworks College – it’s such a privilege to play even a small part in helping to raise up gospel workers who will in turn raise followers of Jesus. What a great mission to be a part of!”
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Mike Snowdon
Sessional lecturer
BA, BDiv
Teaching PE001-512 Christian Ethics. Youth Minister at Willoughby Park Anglican Church, Sydney. Author of “A New Freedom”
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Peter Jensen
Sessional Lecturer
LTh, BDiv, MA, PhD
Teaching Doctrine (TH008-512 & TH009-512). Former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, and principal of Moore College.
Purchase our latest book:
Australian Evangelical Perspectives on Youth Ministry: Identity, Church, Culture, and Discipleship.
Edited by Dr Ruth Lukabyo
This book is a unique contribution to the study of children’s and youth ministry, displaying the rich theological thinking that is developing amongst Australian evangelical scholars. Many of the writers have previously presented at the Youthworks “House” conference, which promotes “theological reflection for best practice in youth and children’s ministry in a community of youth and children’s ministers.”
Beliefs
We are committed to an evangelical theology affirming:
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The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one God in three persons.
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The divine inspiration and trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures.
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Scriptures supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
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The creation of all things by God, including all human beings, male and female, in God’s own image.
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The universal sinfulness and guilt of humanity, leaving all men and women subject to the justice of God's wrath and condemnation.
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The incarnation of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit as one person who is both fully human and fully divine.
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Salvation through Christ alone, on the basis of Jesus’ sacrificial death, as our representative and substitute.
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The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
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The necessary personal work of the Holy Spirit for the beginning, continuation and completion of the Christian life.
History
A History of Youthworks College
Part 1: “Humble Beginings”
Part 2: “The Rough Years”
With 76% of evangelical Christians coming to faith by the age of 20, youth and children’s ministry has always been the engine room of the local church. But that doesn’t mean it has always been recognised and valued. It wasn’t until the 1960s that there were paid youth ministers in local Sydney Anglican churches and even later that there were any paid children’s ministers. There was also very little specialised training.
However, there were Christian leaders who recognised the value of youth and children’s ministry and prayed the diocese would one day provide rigorous specialised theological training for effective ministry to young people . They wanted to train ministers that were committed to youth and children’s ministry long-term, rather than viewing ministry to young people as a stepping stone to other church leadership roles. In the mid-1990s, Archbishop Harry Goodhew and the Anglican Education Commission (AEC) began to discuss plans for this kind of training. Meanwhile, Rev Tim Foster submitted a proposal for a theological college to the Anglican Youth Department (AYD).
In 1997, Foster was given Sydney diocesan approval, and then secured funding and accreditation for Youthworks College. He also found a property in Loftus as a site for the college. It was owned by the Church of England Boys’ Society who generously donated the use of Camp Wanawong. Then at the end of 1999, Rev Graham Stanton was appointed the Dean who would run the new college. The college program was built upon a unique apprenticeship model where students studied at college for two days a week and also spent three days working in churches. They had first class biblical and theological teaching in the class room and could integrate this learning with experience on the ground, doing the ministry.
In 2000, Youthworks College opened its doors to its first students It was a humble beginning – their very first day consisted of rolling out the carpet and unpacking the furniture! But it proved to be a deeply bonding experience, and set the culture of the College community for years to come.
Since those early days, the College has grown to become a highly regarded higher educational institution. It has overseen the creation of Year 13 in 2006, now Australia’s leading Christian gap year program, and the Timothy Partnership in 2009 (now known at Youthworks College online), providing an online study option for those are unable to study face to face. The College has also worked with Moore College to create a pathway to further study, which allows Youthworks College students to articulate into second year at Moore ; and in 2014, it announced a strategic partnership with MTS, enabling students to gain an Advanced Diploma whilst completing their ministry apprenticeship.
The College has had a significant impact on Sydney and beyond. It has produced over 400 graduates, dramatically increasing the number of specially trained youth and children’s ministers in Australia and abroad, and is continually raising the awareness of this important ministry. In 2015, Rev Dr Bill Salier, who was the Vice-Principal of Moore College, became the new Principal of Youthworks College. In 2017, the campus moved to Newtown. This move has enabled the college to grow in numbers but also to experiment with new ways of training youth and children’s ministers, and resourcing churches to see more young people discipled in Christ. Rev Dr Bill Salier ended his tenure as Principal at Easter 2021, Youthworks appointed Rev Mike Dicker as the new Principal in August 2021. Mike served as a full time children’s and youth minister at Petersham Anglican Church for 14 years, and has been on the faculty of College since 2018 as a NT lecturer and Dean of Students.