A new movement, which seeks to promote teamwork and cooperation between youth groups, is spreading across Sydney.

In March, more than 750 young Christians came together at three regional festivals across Sydney as part of the Soul Revival Jesus Movement (SRJM).

The SRJM started in 2010 with a handful of church youth groups in the Sutherland Shire deciding to work together to grow the kingdom of God.

“We don’t want to create more competition,” said Stuart Crawshaw from Gymea Anglican Church. “We want to work with and compliment Anglican initiatives, to help grow local youth groups through conversion not through transfer growth. 78% of Sydney Anglicans report coming to faith before the age of 20. Soul Revival is committed to reaching out to more young people.”

The movement has spread rapidly, and nine months after it started the SRJM has grown to 17 churches from the Illawarra, Macarthur, Shoalhaven and Sutherland shire regions of Sydney.

During March three separate festivals were held in the movements ‘mission areas’. They gave young Christians the opportunity to come together with others, all with the goal of cooperating for the gospel.

“The festivals gave teenagers and their leaders an opportunity to get together with a common mission,” said Matt Redmond from Gymea Anglican Church. “They met to call young people to be committed to Jesus and to live for him in local churches that work together; training young people to read the Bible for themselves.”

The SRJM is made up of churches from different denominations. And while organisers acknowledge that there are some differences between the way youth groups run, they all share a common goal of bringing young people to Christ.

“I like what Soul Revival offers,” said Jake Desalis from Ulladulla Anglican Church. “We are committed to Jesus and the Bible when we meet together. It is so clear who we are, who Jesus is and what God thinks. It is great to be working together with other churches with this in common.”

The SRJM is seeking to create a new common strategy, putting aside denominational differences and reaching the young people of our society. So far more than 100 teenagers have either committed or recommitted their lives to Christ through the SRJM.

For more information about the movement visit soulrevival.org.au