In a world where the internet, ipods and television are vying for teenagers' attention, how do we reach the many who have little or no knowledge of Jesus?
As the school year begins, so too do ministry opportunities for chaplains, scripture teachers and Christian students.
We spoke to some experts who say the answer is in partnerships between schools and churches.
George Statheos is the Chaplain at Penrith Anglican College and believes the need for ministry in schools is becoming stronger.
George says close to 10 per cent of students at the college are Christian, leaving a staggering mission field of 90 per cent.
"More and more, we have kids who are completely biblically illiterate, and who know nothing about Christianity.”
"When we're reading the Bible in class, I can tell kids to turn to Mark, and I have them looking around the classroom for a boy called Mark."
George says there is no age limit for Scripture ministry in schools.
"I'm turning 46 this year and I can connect far more with teenagers than ever before.
"Older people can have a huge impact because of the modelling they can offer as they reflect Christ."
ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND YOUTH CULTURE
George says young people now have an awareness of the secular world at an early age.
This means Scripture teachers need to have a thorough knowledge of the Bible and secular culture and issues to answer their questions.
"Students now are more exposed to pluralistic thinking, even from a younger age.
"Their exposure to the world " especially through things like the Internet " is changing how they think."
This might seem worrying.
But George says the increasing interest in topics such as the supernatural actually paves the way for gospel conversations.
LUNCH IS PRIME TIME
At East Hills Girls High School, cultural backgrounds can mean students don't feel comfortable attending Scripture classes.
Religious instruction teacher Effie Benatos finds building friendships with students in the playground to be an effective way to show God's love.
"I can be myself and they can be themselves much more than they can in the classroom setting."
Effie has also started a lunchtime group called JOLT (Jesus Over Lunch Time) where students who don't attend Scripture classes can learn about Jesus in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Students themselves are getting in on the act, with 67 students from over 25 schools in NSW attending January Leadership Camp (JLC).
The camp is designed specifically to train senior high school student leaders as they lead lunchtime CRU (Crusader) groups.
Every week, 100 CRU groups meet in primary and secondary Independent Schools across NSW.
Says camper Claire Hargreaves, "JLC has helped me understand the Bible more clearly" I've also been encouraged in how to best lead my CRU group in a godly way."
YOUTH MINISTERS AN ESSENTIAL LINK TO SCHOOLS
Involving youth ministers in school ministry is one of the main strategies for reaching school students, says Year 13 Director and Youth Ministry Lecturer at Youthworks College, Jodie McNeill.
“One of the best connections a youth minister can have with unchurched teenagers is to teach high school scripture.
"Not only do you potentially get an extra hour a week to disciple your church kids, you also get to meet their friends and tell them the gospel.”
Jodie adds that getting students on board to reach their friends is an important factor.
“Youth ministers must not only work hard at making time to teach lessons, they should also be active in recruiting volunteers to join them in this remarkable mission field.
"There is probably no better way to link with high school kids than to teach SRE (Special Religious Education) in their schools.”
Effie is convicted of the need for local churches to partner with school ministry.
She says the support she receives from 15 congregations is crucial to her work at East Hills.
"If churches don't support Scripture teachers it becomes a lot easier for schools to ignore them.
"But if we remove Scripture from schools, a lot of these kids will lose God."
For information on SRE resources, visit the Christian Education Publications page [url=http://www.cep.youthworks.net]http://www.cep.youthworks.net[/url]
For information on CRU groups or JLC, visit the Crusaders website [url=http://www.crusaders.edu.au]http://www.crusaders.edu.au[/url] or phone (02) 9874 8933.
