Young people who are isolated and alone are "hanging out" to experience the reality of God's love, says Anglicare's Street Outreach program manager Stan Small.
Mr Small says he believes that the only way this can happen is when a Christian believer, motivated by that love, crosses into their world with the offer of friendship.
A new commission of inquiry into youth homelessness has held sessions in Sydney in the last month, revealing that the number of homeless youth has doubled to 35,000 over the last 20 years.
Mr Small hopes the inquiry achieves its aim of convincing governments that the issue deserves urgent attention.
"I think what can be said is that these kids could be anybody's children - they just need support to achieve a turning-point in their lives.
"With compassion, I believe the community could make real headway with what is otherwise a growing problem."
Mr Small says that, in his experience, the most important thing in effective youth work is relationship.
"It's all about relationship and showing the relationship between God and the world."
He describes how case workers employed by the Parramatta Street Outreach program run by Anglicare spend much of their time visiting the skate park, Westfield Shopping Centre and Parramatta Mall, befriending the young people they meet.
"As they get to know us as welfare workers, they'll tell us about someone they know who is being abused, or has left home or dropped out of school."
Other contacts are made through providing food parcels and vouchers, which address an immediate need as well as setting up the basis for staying in touch with those experiencing chronic homelessness.
"After a few initial contacts we can start to show them some options or strategies to get out of the unhealthy cycles affecting them, such as dealing with drug and alcohol dependence or finding their way out of an unhealthy relationship."
He adds that few of the Street Outreach program's young clients have ever had that sort of guidance from a parent or adult.
For others, coming into contact with Mr Small and his co-workers Steve Fisher and Janneke Chilcott is the first time anyone has talked to them about God's love, or about being motivated to do something because of what Jesus has done for them.
"Some of the kids we meet are going to hear about Christ," Mr Small says, "and an important part of our week is the Thursday@6 group which is a meal and bible study at our office."
Mr Small says the plight of homeless young people cannot be separated from the stress on families today: a problem that is largely hidden until the pressures build up and explode in the form of domestic violence.
"Most of the kids we meet can't or won't go home and many wouldn't be given the option because they have burnt their bridges quite severely," he explained.
"One of the saddest trends I've seen in my other role as a youth advocate at the Children's Court, is the number of Domestic Violence Orders (DVO) against teenagers overtaking the number of Apprehended Violence Orders (AVO).
"The point is that families are fracturing," he says..
"Christians understand this as a sign of our fractured relationship with God but for homeless young people and the homes from which they come, the triggers can range from arguments over the mortgage a family can't really afford or alcohol addiction or physical or sexual abuse."