Thursday 27 August – Friday 28 August 2026

MacKillop Place, North Sydney

The Australian Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry will be gathering with Diocesan Directors of Evangelisation and Diocesan Youth Ministry Leaders from August 27-28 to reflect on current evangelisation realities and the needs for ministry in Australia.

The gathering aims to:

• Reconnect and build a synodal community of youth ministry leaders.
• Dialogue on the current context of young people, youth ministers, diocesan and national youth ministry.
• Formation of leaders for the Church of today and the future.

This gathering will be supported by a series of online conversations to support the demands of an evolving landscape with upcoming key landmarks. The journey will include the following sessions:

Sessions

• May – Online: Getting to Know Each Other
  Build connection among diocesan youth ministers; share experiences, stories, and hopes, acknowledging the foundations already laid.
• July – Online: Understanding Our Young People Now
  Explore the current realities, challenges, and hopes of young people in Australia; prepare participants to respond effectively in ministry.
• August – Evangelise Gathering
  • Session 1: Mapping the Present, Imagining the Future
    Explore the current context of youth ministry and emerging trends; situate our work in the national and global landscape 
  • Session 2: Communion and Synodality
    Theological–pastoral input on evangelisation grounded in communion, accompaniment, and mission; deepen understanding of the Church’s call in youth ministry.
  • Session 3: Charting the Path Together
    Reflect on priorities and next steps for youth ministry; begin discernment on the vision and how we move forward together as a network. 
  • Session 4: Formation Hubs
    The Vision in Practice — Practical workshops unpacking the draft national vision or build skills in accompaniment or leadership. 
• October – Online: Living the Vision
  Dialogue on current and future ministry opportunities e.g. Vision statement formation, WYD27, IEC28, and what national support is needed.

A more detailed timetable will be released in the coming weeks.

The gathering will encourage synodal dialogue through spiritual conversation about BCELM statements on evangelisation, charism, co-responsibility and future statements on accompaniment and youth ministry.

Participants are required to source and book their own accommodation for the gathering. Thursday evening dinner is at attendees' own discretion. Participants are encouraged to share meals together and network.

Registration details and links are provided through direct invitation to bishops or select representatives. Enquiries can be made via qwayne.guevara@catholic.org.au.

PROPOSED PROGRAM

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Previous Evangelise Conferences

Pilgrims of Hope: Charisms for the Mission of the Church (2025)

Representatives of 25 ecclesial communities and movements met with Australia’s Catholic bishops in Sydney from August 21-22, 2025, to strengthen their relationships and discuss ways to effectively collaborate. Hosted by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry (BCELM), the event was the first gathering of new movements and communities in more than a decade.

Sessions from Pilgrims of Hope: Charisms for the Mission of the Church are available on Evangelise Plus. Access the videos by clicking on the link below.

Evangelise: A Synodal Way (2024)

In June 2024, diocesan leaders for evangelisation were invited to a summit hosted by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry. The summit reflected on the BCELM statement, Evangelisation: Encounter, Discipleship, Mission; and encouraged synodal dialogue through spiritual conversation about Church structure and support for evangelisation, and strategies for evangelisation in the world today.  

Presentations from Evangelise: A Synodal Way can be viewed at Evangelise Plus by clicking on the link below.

Evangelise (2022)

The Australian Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry hosted the inaugural 'Evangelise' conference online from October 20-22, 2023. The conference, drawing on the Commission’s mandate, promoted understanding and explored practices of evangelisation in Australia through encounters with Christ, formation in discipleship, and mission in the world. The event sought to empower Catholics to carry forward the Church’s evangelising mission after the second assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.

The conference featured two live online gatherings on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22. Morning sessions, followed by a range of keynote sessions, nurtured Church leadership and community ministries. Afternoon and evening sessions explored the personal baptismal call of all Catholics to live the Church’s evangelising mission in the world, focusing on family, ecology, public life, new media, cultural engagement and more.

You can watch the sessions from the Evangelise gathering at our video resource website, Evangelise Plus, by clicking on the link below.