The man behind the relaunching of the Katoomba Youth Leadership Convention (KYLC) under a new name - Next Gen " has warned that interest is so high that people should register now or risk missing out.
According to the Chair of Next Gen, the Rev Raj Gupta, already 110 strand leaders have signed up to the conference to be held at the Katoomba Christian Convention Centre in January.
"This is a record, and we are turning some away," he says.
"Our strand groups are the heart of the Next Generation conference. They make it possible for every delegate to receive personal attention and help at whatever point they may be at. So to have so many qualified leaders willing to give up the week is very exciting. It means the conference can grow as more delegates can receive even better personal attention, as they learn to understand and teach the Bible."
Current registrations are also double those of last year.
"Our numbers are strictly limited, to ensure that each delegate gets personal attention. And if this level of interest continues, people will miss out."
A leaders’ briefing morning was held at Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC) at Croydon in late October.
There was particularly positive feedback about the new Children's Ministry strand, introduced following the suggestion of a group of children's ministry experts.
"Many were excited by the expansion with our new Children’s Ministry stream," says Mr Gupta. "80 per cent of people in our Sydney Anglican churches today became Christians by the time they were 18. So, to expand KYLC in this way is incredibly strategic.
"One leader from the country said to me: "Very exciting that there’s a children’s ministry strand. We’ve already got a few people who are very interested because of that.' Across Sydney, that is the kind of reaction we are hearing."
Since 1990, KYLC has been training Christians in youth leadership. Its program integrates training in Bible understanding and teaching skills, with theologically driven and practical workshops.
Grant Retief from South Africa will be amongst the speakers this year.
