http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/content/news/ en antony@au.om.org Copyright 2010 2010-06-10T03:48:30+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/teenstreet_reunion/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/teenstreet_reunion/#When:03:48:30Z Catch up with old friends…. or come along to find out more about TeenStreet June 26th we’ll be getting together to celebrate friendships and make new ones… to rediscover the adventure we had at TeenStreet NSW and to reveal next year’s plans. Come along for a great evening. Details on the attached flyer. Saturday 26th June 4:30pm till 9:00pm Ermington, NSW TeenStreet NSW News 2010-06-10T03:48:30+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/om_celebration_dinner/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/om_celebration_dinner/#When:01:59:56Z Last years dinner was a fantastic time of Celebrating the work God is doing through OM. Don’t miss this event with George Verwer Join us for a night of celebration and thanksgiving with special guest George Verwer, Founder of Operation Mobilisation (OM). George has a deep desire for vital, revolutionary Christianity in himself and others.   NSW - 14 June, 6pm.  Doltone House 223 Belgrave Esplanade, Sylvania Waters   QLD - 11 June,  6:30pm. Michael’s Oriental Restaurant and Function Centre, 223 Padstow Road (Cnr Warrigal Road), Eight Mile Plains   for more information & locations visit the OM Australia website. Enjoy a wonderful meal and hear real-life stories from Australian OMers who have served overseas. A renowned evangelical speaker and missionary statesman, George will challenge and inspire us in his own unique way. With experience gained through over 50 years in mission, George will share his passion for the lost and marginalised. This is a night you won’t want to miss RSVP to Antony through the ‘Contact’ page. TeenStreet NSW News, TeenStreet QLD News 2010-05-24T01:59:56+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/prayer_day/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/prayer_day/#When:00:25:30Z The teens had the opportunity to be involved in a prayer day on Thursday, hear how it went. The theme for the day on Thursday was serve, and one way we can do that is by praying for our brothers and sisters around the world. With this in mind, the interaction time normally spent playing sports and games was swapped for an afternoon of prayer. The teens split up into their net groups and along with some members of the service team, made there was through 7 different stations. They spent 20 minutes at each station, all of which highlighted needs or issues facing teens in different parts of the world. From a slum to a mosque they were informed and given guidance about how to pray specifically for the relevant situations. OM short term coordinator Donna Kane was in the Ukraine last year and said it was a privilege to have the opportunity to share with the teens here how different life is for people their age in the small Ukrainian village that she served in. ‘I wasn’t sure how they would go spending 20 minutes in prayer on their own, especially after they had already passed through a few stations, but they well and truly exceeded all my expectations. They were interested and asked questions before heading out to find a spot on the oval to pray for the Ukrainian kids whose photo they now held. It was amazing to look around and see and hear young people praying in English, Korean, Farsi and Armenian for the young people in the Ukraine who are so dear to my heart. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ serving each other! Definitely a highlight for me so far!’ TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-11T00:25:30+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/a_testimony_from_one_of_the_teens/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/a_testimony_from_one_of_the_teens/#When:01:10:37Z Meet Liliet and find out how she became a Christian and why it was the best decision she ever made. Name: Liliet Age: 18 Lives: Parramatta Church: St Johns Parramatta & Hillsong @ Baulkham Hills How did you hear about TeenStreet: Our pastor shared with us about it during Church News one night, there are a few from my church here this week. Background: I was born in Iran and in 2002 my family moved to Australia. My parents are Christian. I speak Persian and in Iran there were a few families who were also Christians and we were allowed to have a church in Iran this was because we also speak Armenian. There were just a few families who met together for church each week, but if we ran events, thousands of people would come. When/How did you become a Christian: I was born a Christian, but I gave my life God at a Hillsong camp. I really felt like God spoke to me at that God and revealed more about Himself to me and I also began speaking in tongues. Are there times when being a Christian is hard: It can be hard at school, as the school I attend is not a religious school. There are also lots of Muslim students there and when I talk to them aout my faith and about God, they get quite offended and this is hard. What are the best things about being a Christian: I know that God is with me and will be with me for the rest of my life. I try really hard to read God’s word and listen to what He wants to teach me. It is also great being able to go and tell other people about God. How has TeenStreet been this week: TeenStreet has been awesome, I have really enjoyed everything about it. It has been so great to communicate with new people and get to meet other Christians. It has also been easier to hang out with people, much easier than with my non-Christian friends as here, we have a belief in Jesus as our common bond. TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-10T01:10:37+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/dan_and_suzie_potter/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/dan_and_suzie_potter/#When:23:56:43Z Dan and Suzie have been to many TeenStreet camps, why do they love it and how have they found Teenstreet Sydney. Dan and Suzie Potter are two of the main speakers at TeenStreet Sydney, this is their 32nd TeenStreet camp. TeenStreet began in 1993 in Germany and now exists in 8 countires altogether. Aside from Germany, camps are held in Uruguay, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Malaysia, Sth Africa and now Australia. Dan and Suzie share their thoughts on why TeenStreet is so effective. ‘We believe in the next generation, we want to see a relaunch of the church amongst a new generation of people, which will help this generation of teens refocus on what’s important. Teens have such potential if they are tuned into Jesus and they can learn how to hear God’s voice. We are just the tools to help get the sprouts started and then God can keep the growth going. TeenStreet needs to have a 365 day impact, not just a one week focus, so hopefully the teens go away feeling part of a real community’. Suzie’s dream for TeenStreet is that it would ‘Influence potential through connections’ and Dan’s dream is to ‘Create hope through Community’ which we think shows where their hearts are at for the teens. ‘The focus of TeenStreet is on the teens: we have coaches who love the teens, they love and encourage the next generation, we are training/equipping and inspiring and there is a springboard of sharing experiences amongst the teens. We are really trying to create a new culture amongst individuals, which they can then feel empowered to go out and share the Gospel amongst their friends.’ ‘The Australian teens are very similar to teens all around the world, and TeenStreet Sydney has been no different than any other first TeenStreet event. There is a blending of cultures and differences, the teens are finding out about themselves and learning to be themselves. The activities that are provided also mean there is something for everyone to be a part of. The best camps are the ones where there is a blending of cultures, like here is Sydney. So often we can get stuck in our own way of doing things, but meeting people from other backgrounds allows us to learn new things.’ ‘We want the teens to come aways from TeenStreet not feeling like they have to ‘do’ heaps of things to be a Christian, but to go away ‘being’ who God created them to be. Our job as speakers at events like these is to give permission for the teens to discover who they are and keep them coming back to seek out more and stay part of that community’. What makes TeenStreet different to other programs? ‘We feel that TeenStreet has 4 key areas, areas that Jesus modelled himself, which are:’ - Interaction - Interest (we want to stimulate their curiosity) - Involvement - Inspiration (we want them to crave it) ‘We have loved being in Australia for the first ever TeenStreet and we can’t wait to come back and be part of this community again!’ TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-09T23:56:43+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/the_directors_thoughts/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/the_directors_thoughts/#When:22:35:49Z TeenStreet is underway, hear from Antony, one of the directors as to how it is has been going so far. Lots of planning and preparation has gone into making TeenStreet happen and one of the main people in organising the camp is Antony Pritchett. Here are some of his thoughts about how the week is progressing and some points you can pray about as well. ‘There have been some really positive things happening this week which is very encouraging. There have been lots of barriers breaking down amongst the different cultures here, as well as between the teens themselves. We have noticed that attitudes have changed and the usual ‘peer pressure’ that occurs is subsiding. God is working through the teens this week, which is a great blessing for TeenStreet. The coaches that we have this week are quite inexperienced but they are doing a great job. In the NET groups, the teens are taking more responsibility and the coaches are guiding good discussions in developing relationships amongst each other. Yesterday was ‘Prayer Day’ and this was the first time the teens have spent time in the week looking outwards, one of the key messages being taught over the week. I feel that looking outwards in our prayers is something that is often missing from many Christian walks, we tend to like having a shopping list of requests to God, rather than thinking about who around us may need our prayers. I think that when Christians and the church look outwards to other communities, this is when God works among us and I think this is also why the Persecuted Church is growing as it’s not about them. The Prayer Day at TeenStreet will be interesting to see how teens pray for 3hrs, but hopefully it is a new and exciting tool for them to take home after TeenStreet is over. Please pray for the rest of the week and support those who are tirelessly serving throughout the week. Particularly pray: - for God to use the differences amongst the cultures to make a powerful statement - this is crunch time, the final couple of days, where we could lose the teens or take them on an amazing journey with God - for health, energy and for those missing home, that these things wouldn’t get in the way of God doing powerful things - for wisdom in making decisions with regards to the program - God would get through to the teens on His message of looking out to others. That the teens would think about the words that flow out of their mouths and seek to serve those around them, both here at TeenStreet and when they head back home. TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-08T22:35:49+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/the_narrow_or_wide_path/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/the_narrow_or_wide_path/#When:01:24:55Z We all need to make a decision in life to take the wide or narrow path, find out what each path represents. As we go through life as a Christian, we will be constantly faced with making decisions that may influence the rest of our lives. This can be described in more detail by choosing to take either the wide or the narrow path. The wide path will always seem the most enticing to take. It is fun, it makes you feel good, but ultimately it pulls you further away from Jesus. It may seem easy to follow this path as many of your friends are on it, and you want to hang out with them. The narrow path is harder to stay on at times, as we are always faced with temptations to jump onto the wide path. Being on the narrow path means we are seeking to stay on God’s side. We need to choose which path to follow so that later in life we don’t find ourselves in trouble. God’s path will have obstacles on it as we go down it, but it is important for us to keep persevering, as it will be rewarding in the end. We need to pick one path to follow, as being on both paths means that you haven’t made a clear decision to follow Jesus. Will you choose the narrow path today? TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-08T01:24:55+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/youth_leaders_have_a_strong_influence/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/youth_leaders_have_a_strong_influence/#When:01:05:00Z Some of the teens have commented on how their youth leaders have influenced them to be a Christian. Two of the teens attending this weeks camp share how their church and youth leaders have played an important part in their lives. Daniel: My youth leaders have been really influential. The have guided me through hard times in my life, particularly my youth leader Jerry. He gives me great advice on how to live for God, what to do when I am struggling and how God can help me. He has really helped me be the person I am today. I really want to stay a Christian throughout my whole life, and going to youth group plays a big part in this. My church, Hillsong at Macquarie, plays a big part in influencing me at the moment. They give me helpful lessons on how to live my life, and serve God through all that I do. Stephen: I heard about Christianity at an early age, but it was only about half a year ago that I made the decision to take the final step and commit to being a Christian. There have been some very influential people in my life, particularly my parents. They really set a foundation in our home to encourage me, tell me about Jesus and lead me in my relationship with Christ. The pastor at my church is also very helpful in guiding me as well as a good friends Dad, Michael Safari. My youth leaders, both my old leaders and my current leaders, are so encouraging as I develop in my walk with Jesus. I love going to church every week and I find this such an important time in my week to focus on God and grow in my relationship with Him. Support your youth leaders and pastors, they do a great job in leading the youth! TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-08T01:05:00+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/what_is_christian_service/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/what_is_christian_service/#When:00:51:20Z The teens have been challenged to think about how they can serve. here are some ideas. Today the teens were asked to think about Christian Service and how they show this to other people, linking with the theme of the week: Love God and Love others. Some ideas that have been thought of already are: - helping others - door knocking and telling people about Jesus - inviting friends to come to camps - talking with people from other religions and asking them what they believe and why we believe in Jesus - Important to tell people about the God who loves us and gives us eternal life - help parents around the house doing chores - helping teachers at school - lend money to friends when they need it How are you personally going at serving God and others? TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-08T00:51:20+00:00 http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/a_word_from_one_of_the_speakers/ http://www.teenstreet.org.au/index.php/news/a_word_from_one_of_the_speakers/#When:01:52:27Z Denise is one of the key speakers at TeenStreet this week, she shares her thoughts about why ministry to teens is so vital. TeenStreet wouldn’t happen without the involvement of some key speakers, get to know Denise and hear her story about why TeenStreet is a valuable ministry. What is your role with OM? I am the director of training for NSW. We run a program called Aussie SURF which is basically biblical, spiritual and emotional training. We are teaching people to love God, and know themsleves so that then they will be able to share this love with others. I am also involved with training International students and help bridge the gap between cultures which can often be a difficulty in ministry. Have you been to TeenStreet before? Yes, this is my sixth TeenStreet. I have been to ones in both Germany and Malaysia. In Germany, I was involved with Sports ministry and I took an American team there. In Malaysia, I was one of the speakers, just like here at the Sydney TeenStreet 2010. Why do you see TeenStreet as a valuable ministry? Teenagers are always in transition and the world is always challenging them and is also always changing. TeenStreet offers solid biblical teaching and helps young men and women to ask questions and seek out what they believe. It is also a really great place for community where teens can encourage and support each other, even though many of them haven’t even met before. Here in Sydney this week, there is such diversity amongst the teens with a mix of Koreans, Iranians and Australians making up the cultures. As the week goes on, I am hoping to build real friendships with the teens, the speaking role I have is just a platform to then have one to one time with the teenagers and really get to know them better. The big questions that they ask generally come out in the INTERACT times, where we are playing games, or just hanging out with them. The NET times is also where teens will open up to where their heart is actually at and share their struggles and be encouraged by others in the group. What are your hopes for the teens here is Sydney 2010? I hope that they will be challenged to decide whether they really want to be on fire for Jesus, you just can’t be luke warm with this decision. I hope that teens will be confident to stand up for their faith and be equipped with the right words to say to their friends or family. Jesus is worth going for and following, but I really hope that the teens here see He is the right path to follow. Even when the world tries to pull you in every different direction, we need to stand up and keep going through those difficult times. Teenagers generally want to have freedom, in fact they continually ask for it, but in reality they are scared of it. TeenStreet is great because it allows young people to be free here in their faith, but also establishes good boundaries within that freedom, so that it is a fun, challening, uplifting and empowering place for everyone. TeenStreet NSW News 2010-04-07T01:52:27+00:00