Long ago, when I applied to become a candidate for ordination, I was asked why I wanted to be an Anglican minister.

I had a few good reasons up my sleeve.

The first was that I wanted to be a full-time Word minister, and since I'd grown up in an Anglican church, and all of the ministers who had influenced me were also Anglicans, it seemed to make a lot of sense to join them in their ministry. I also remember saying something about the fact that I liked the theology of the Prayer Book, which I did then and still do today.

But, at the end of the day, the reason why I chose to become an Anglican minister (and continue to this day) is because I think it's a good boat to fish from.

The Anglican structure is useful as a platform for ministry. The central support helps us in our ministry by providing assistance in matters ranging from property and human resources through to child protection and training. We have lots of good and useful buildings around the place to use as a basis for the ministry. Our two ministry training colleges are a great support to gospel workers.

In short, it's a good network to be a part of.

There are other boats to fish from, both within and beyond Anglicanism.

Our universities provide a great platform for doing ministry. Uni students are thinking about big questions, and have plenty of time to talk about them with ministers of the gospel.

Schools provide a great platform for ministry, whether as a chaplain or a teacher. Kids are at a key time in their development when they ask questions of nearly everything. Schools ministry allows adults to be at the right place and at the right time to help these children and adolescents find important answers.

The outdoors is another great platform. Youthworks brings through nearly 20,000 kids on school camps each year. We use outdoor education as a platform for Word ministry. As the outdoor ministers challenge the kids to push themselves through the fear barrier of abseiling, rock climbing, high ropes courses and other activities, they also help the kids in their trust of the leaders and the equipment, and in turn, they help the kids to consider trusting in God.

Platforms can provide a great tool for the ministry of the Word of God. Whether it's the denomination, the situation or the location, they offer a way to connect with others for the sake of the gospel.

What platforms are you using to connect with people?