When I left Tasmania, it was not long after a special Synod had been called to put through the required funding for Bishop John's vision for mission in the church, The Imagine Project. I felt at the time that this project did not spell good news for the Youth Ministry funding and proposal which I had been working on with others for a good 18 months or so prior to this project being announced and approved. I was especially worried because I knew I was going, and I was unsure who would step into the role that had fallen on me as being the spokesman and face of youth ministry in the diocese. It was not that I didn't think we could do youth ministry and other mission, but rather the fact that youth ministry was so bad (3 Anglican churches in the whole state reaching 10 or more young people) that I felt we really needed to drop everything and make this a lot better.

Anyway, in God's goodness, after I left to move to Melbourne to study, the youth ministry ball was not dropped. The councils of the church kept working on a way forward and at the Tasmanian Synod last weekend a proposal with monetary figures was passed. I'm actually kinda sad I wasn't there for it. See this quote from John Harrower's blog
The Youth Ministry Development Strategy was approved in which the Diocese will spend about $130,000 per year over coming years to seed fund new youth programs and develop existing ones. The parish based strategy will include local church youth groups, camps, schools and other ministries. See Youth Ministry Papers in the Reports Booklet pages 30-32, Bowditch Report, Youth Taskforce report 2007 and Hawkins Report.
It is very weird and flattering having my name given to a report that is mentioned in the same breath as Tim Hawkins, but aside from that, I'm just so very pleased that money is being set aside to be spent on a strategy for reaching the young people of Tasmania. Now we just need to pray for the right people to fill the available jobs.