What's Happening?
We have big plans for the weekend!
 Keynote SpeakersRob & Bonnie Giles, Senior Pastors at Northridge Vineyard Church, will be preaching at our main sessions |  Kids ProgramWe're running a special Kids Conference from 9:30am-3:30pm on Saturday |  WorkshopsWe've got 2 sessions of workshops on Saturday, with expert guests presenting |
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 FoodWraps for lunch & burgers for dinner on Saturday, and snacks throughout the weekend! |  Prayer & Worship NightThe Soul Survivor Band will be leading a special prayer and worship night on Saturday Night |  Sunday Morning FinaleThe weekend will conclude with a special 9:30am service on Sunday (N.B. no PM service) |
Program
17-19th Oct 2025
FRIDAY 17TH OCT
THE VALLEY YOUTH ARE
WELCOME TO JOIN DAY 1 FOR FREE
6:30
7:00
8:30
ARRIVE
SESSION 1
SUPPER
NO PM SERVICE
SATURDAY 18TH OCT
SUNDAY 19TH OCT
9:30
11:00
11:30
1:00
2:00
3:30
5:00
7:00
8:30
SESSION 2
MORNING TEA
WORKSHOPS 1
LUNCH
WORKSHOPS 2
HANG TIME
DINNER
SESSION 3
SUPPER
9:30
11:30
SESSION 4
MORNING TEA
Rob & Bonnie Giles
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Senior Pastors of Northridge Vineyard Church, Thornleigh
Keynote Speakers
Rob and Bonnie have been serving at Northridge Vineyard Church since 2007, and have been Senior Pastors since 2021.
We have a deep passion to see the life and love of Jesus Christ irrevocably change the world around us. With 10 years experience in youth & schools work, Bonnie has a passion for discipleship and leadership, and is a gifted communicator. Rob has a passion for teaching scripture and for helping people discover who Jesus is, whether through Alpha or our Storehouse Ministry. Together, we love helping others discover their calling and giftings and believe strongly in the church as God’s primary vehicle to carry the good news to the world.
Workshops & Presenters
We have invited a range of guests to teach us and train us in pursuing Christ.
Please select your preferred workshop for each session when you purchase your tickets.
Good Work! Finding and flourishing in all the assignments of life
11:30am or 2:00pm
In this workshop we will briefly explore the theological foundations for work as a disciples and consider: •how we discern specific roles and assignments throughout life •work as ministry, and ways in which disciples work distinctively.
Rev. Scott Morrison
Husband to Jodie and father to Sophie, Charlotte and Curtis. Scott has a background in Banking and 25 years of senior church leadership, concluding at Georges River Life Church in January this year. Recently he finished his doctoral thesis in Workplace theology and ethical leadership, graduating early next year, and in June walked 850km across Spain on the French Camino. Scott is now right back in that beautiful yet uncomfortable season we all experience, of discerning what the next assignment is within his broader call to follow Jesus in all of life. http://www.lifewords.com.au/
What to do with overwhelm - Theirs and Yours
11:30am
Are you ever overwhelmed when parenting some of your child's big feelings and tricky behaviours? Join this workshop to discover insight into the 'why behind behaviour’ and take away some practical ‘in the moment’ strategies for building a more peaceful and connected family through confidence, empathy and grace.
Kaylene Harry
Kaylene is a relationship counsellor and educator whose background includes qualifications in education, Mothercraft nursing (Tresillian) and counselling. In addition to raising her own four children, she has over 35 years of experience working with families in the area of parent education groups, seminars and coaching. She is author of the book Comfy’s Coat and her passion is to see parents and children connected, communicating and enjoying life together. https://www.kayleneharry.com/
Missional Living
11:30am
Learning to live missionally in our everyday lives as followers of Jesus is a life-long journey. We are constantly discovering how to be on mission together with Jesus. In this workshop we will explore what it could look like for each of us to be intentional in our everyday lives as we consider the questions: - How do we follow God's lead in loving and serving others? - How do we practically put the gospel into action? - How can we live each day with God's mission in mind? We will also ‘experiment' in this session to bless others in the name of Jesus. Let’s see what God may do!
Matt Gelding
Matt is married to Emma and they have 3 children: Joel, Laura & Ben. Matt is the Director of Soul Survivor ministry which has been serving for 25 years this year. Matt has spoken at NVBC a number of times. For fun Matt enjoys relaxing at Terrigal with his family, good coffee, sad movies and Ken Duncan photography.
Parenting with Purpose: discipling neurodivergent children
2:00pm
“Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you” – Dallas Willard. This workshop will open a safe space for parents to be encouraged and equipped in how to approach the spiritual formation of neurodivergent children. We will explore together how to help our neurodivergent kids find their identity, purpose and belonging as beloved children of God.
Louise Bartlett
Louise has been Team Leader for Baptist Association’s Children and Family Ministries since 2014. For many years Louise has been involved in children’s and families ministries in the local church and with para-church organisations. Louise’s role involves resourcing churches to help children be active participants in the ministry of the local church, helping parents and churches provide opportunities for robust discipleship of children, as well as implementing strategies to support effectiveness of children and family ministry workers in churches. Louise is married to Steve and together they have 3 children. https://baptistcfm.org.au/
Lessons in Listening
11:30am or 2:00pm
You were made in God’s image and are wildly creative! In this experiential workshop we will learn together how to listen to God through intentional creative play, exploring: •where to start with collecting your thoughts on a page (journaling/writing) •allowing God to speak through your imagination and imagery •training to pay attention to what God is saying •encouragement to extend your conversation with God into community
Meredith Harmer
Meredith is a creative soul who loves God, is married to an all-around good guy named Paul, with whom she has two beautiful daughters, Bronte and Capri. Most of her working life has been connected to designing and creating things. It was when she found herself working in an office full-time that she realised how essential creativity was to her healthy function. Meredith is a firm believer that creativity and faith are connected and is passionate about helping believers connect with God through creative intentional play. https://www.meredithharmer.com
Mindfulness and Layers of Relationship
11:30am
Do you ever experience yourself being physically there but not truly present to people, places, moments and to God? Do you sometimes find yourself struggling to be peacefully attentive because your mind is racing and your body is flooded with nervous energy? Join this workshop to be equipped with techniques and tips to become more intentionally present with creation, with ourselves, with others and with our Creator.
Jon Gould
Jon has been operating a private counselling practice on the Central Coast over the last 10 years, specialising as a Personal and Relationship Counsellor. He is passionate about helping people develop a healthy mind and a living heart and seeing them work through any places in their lives that have become stuck. With a history at NVBC, Jon and Libby were part of the original Greenhouse church planting team sent out from Narara, and they continue to worship there to this day. https://valleycounselling.com.au/
Processing our Griefs
2:00pm
All of us at some point in our lives will experience some type of grief. Sometimes described as the process of having to adjust to a reality we haven't chosen, grief is both a painful and growth producing experience. This workshop will assist the participants to understand the stages and phases people move through as well as honour the individual stories people in the workshop might choose to share
Neil Harris
Neil has been counselling for the past 30 years. Neil brings a wealth of study and experience, including (but certainly not limited to!) being the past NSW president of the Christian Counsellors Association of Australia and the associate dean of counselling at Morling Theological College. He has maintained a private practice for the past 30 years on the central coast of NSW which includes individual counselling, couples counselling and supervision. As beloved member of NVBC, he is delighted to be speaking into such an important part of the human experience. https://www.neilharriscounselling.com/
Introduction to Biblical Peacemaking
2:00pm
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” – Jesus. This workshop provides an introduction to biblical peacemaking and teaches practical tools to use when faced with conflict in everyday life. We will explore what a culture of peace is and practical ways to foster healthy relationships within a community.
Jodie Sharpe
Jodie works for the Christian organisation PeaceWise as a Content and Relationships Manager within PeaceWiseKids and PeaceWiseYouth. She is passionate about biblical peacemaking and the radical impact it can have on relationships. With a background in education and as a member of NVBC, she is looking forward to equipping us to grow as peacemakers in our homes, church and broader community. https://peacewise.org.au/
Kids Program
Come for an exciting weekend with our kids program at the gathering Conference.
We're starting with a Prayer Workshop on the Friday Night for years 4-6, where the children can delve deeper in their understanding of prayer and explore different ways that we can pray.
Our Saturday program runs from 9:30am-3:30pm, and is for all our kids, and includes Bible Stories, Crafts, Giant games, Inflatable slide, Lego and a special event.
And for the older kids who can stay up late, we'll be finishing off with a movie and popcorn on Saturday night.
