I spent Wednesday lunchtime talking to Kitty Fung, who works for Anglican Youthworks in Sydney, about the (relatively new) youth site fervr. Apparently it means whatever you want it to mean. I know we’re old and fogey-ish over here at Sola Panel, but I thought that there might be some people interested in checking it out and hearing what they’ve got to offer. Finding quality Christian resources for youth work is not always easy.
I’ve had a bit of a surf around the site, and for my money, there’s a lot to like. The main part of the site involves a whole bunch of video, audio and short articles engaging culture (there it is, I’ve said it), reviewing new music and films (mainly secular stuff, by the way) and trying to encourage teens to think about the world from a Christian worldview.
The site looks good, and the articles are well written and lots of fun. But best of all, it’s being run by people who have an excellent grasp of evangelical theology. It’s a place where Jesus and the Christian worldview are going to keep shining through. They are already getting good site traffic, which I am sure will only increase as time goes by.
But probably the most exciting thing for my money is the fervr groups section of the site. Once you register for an account and are approved by the moderator, any youth group, anywhere in the world, is given free webspace and a useful little content management system (CMS) to create their own website. With virtually no (well, all right, only a very little bit of) technical knowledge, you can stick up photos, event timetables, link to videos and audio, put up youth group talks or let people know the details for your next social event.
I know that for some big churches, this is no big deal. But Kitty told me that for lots of smaller churches without the funds to invest in web development or even site hosting, it’s been a real blessing. A whole bunch of youth groups around Australia are using fervr to build their own sites already. If you want to check out some of what’s been produced, a couple of good ones are: Chinese Presbyterian Church Surrey Hills and Hunter Bible Church.
So if you know anyone in youth ministry for whom it would be a blessing to know about this stuff, send them along to fervr (or even check it out for yourself). And pray for them as they try to put together a quality site on a shoestring.
Thankyou Paul for sharing this link. I’m always excited to see things like this that are based on solid theology. Its especially encouraging to me as I face the prospect of raising my children in an ‘anything goes’ culture.
Its tricky not to lose focus in trying to be ‘cool’ enough for youth culture (a bit like Tony’s trellis becoming more important than the vine). Nor do you want to be too far the other way and have that Christian cringe-factor. That reminds me of a magazine for men that CVM produce over here in the UK. Its called ‘Sorted’ and has been quoted as being a Christian men’s magazine that ‘can be left lying around…alongside FHM and Loaded (men’s tabloids) for others to read with cringe factor zilch.’ I don’t know if there’s anything like that being produced over in Australia. The website is http://www.sorted-magazine.com
More than any other time in history, the Christian worldview needs to be shouted from the rooftops to all generations as an alternative to the twisted perception of life as the world sees it.
Thankyou to you and the others for providing this blog (which I read on my mobile phone each night – in bed!). My husband and I go to a good Reformed Baptist church in Leeds. I always feared coming back to Australia to live, as my only experience of church there was a very cool suburban church that a bit too ‘self’ focussed. I realised that I was starving for spiritual food when I left.
We are visiting my sister in Cronulla in September and would love to take her and her husband (both unbelievers) to a good church nearby. Can you (or anyone else) recommend any?
Hi Natalie,
Great to hear from you and thanks for the encouragement about Sola Panel.
In terms of good Bible teaching churches around Cronulla, here are a few that I know of off the top of my head (because I know members of the staff team at each of these) within a maximum of 20 minutes drive (and some quite a bit closer).
St Phil’s Caringbah (http://www.stphils.org/)
St Luke’s Miranda (http://www.stlukesmiranda.org.au/)
St George North Anglican (http://snac.org.au/)
Fantastic, thanks Paul. Churches look great!