Rev. Polly Butterworth, a Sydney high school chaplain, shares about her new role as Schools Ministry Development Officer for the Sydney Anglican Diocese, created to better support Anglican school ministry workers. She outlines five aims: pastoral support and mentoring networks for chaplains, strengthening partnerships between schools and churches, improving training and recruitment pathways for chaplains and Christian studies teachers, sharing resources across schools, and supporting professional development through the Sydney Anglican Schools Ministry Association.

Polly explains why school–church partnership matters for long-term discipleship beyond school and discusses key barriers (especially time, mismatched schedules, and lack of ideas). She offers practical partnership ideas such as sharing speakers, prayer support and prayer points, church involvement in lunchtime groups and Bible studies, shared events, and cross-promotion, encouraging perseverance and patient, prayerful support.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:05 Polly’s New Diocese Role

02:52 Five Goals for Chaplain Support

04:32 Sharing Resources and PD Network

08:27 How the Role Came About

13:26 Polly’s Path into Chaplaincy

16:58 Vision for School Church Partnerships

21:20 Schools as a Temporary Faith Community

22:46 Church Discipleship Depth

23:43 Why Partnership Matters

24:41 Survey Shows Willingness

25:47 Time And Scheduling Barriers

27:04 Making Space For Partnership

28:45 Idea Fatigue And Brainstorming

30:53 Practical Partnership Ideas

35:28 Shared Events And Promotion

37:01 When Efforts Stall

41:54 How Churches Can Support

45:00 Contact And Wrap Up

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