A decade of sharing love and truth with Queensland’s youth

Aaron Glover has been Director at Lutheran Youth of Queensland (LYQ) for more than 10 years.

Just before Aaron became Director, he and his wife returned from a year overseas, serving as volunteers for the LCA in Malaysia as part of the church’s volunteers in mission overseas program. They had both quit their jobs before going to Malaysia and the LYQ position was the first job Aaron came across in his hunt for work. ‘At the time it seemed like a great fit, using my business training and my passion for youth and church ministry, and that has proven to be true’, Aaron says.

LYQ is the Child, Youth and Family Ministry Department of LCAQD. ‘Our role is to support our churches and schools in their ministry to young people’, Aaron explains, ‘We try to focus on areas of ministry that can add value to local ministry. When I meet with pastors and principals, I often encourage them to think of us as an extension of their own ministry and to utilise our various ministries for their local benefit.’

Since becoming Director, Aaron has overseen the growth of LYQ ministry. Some growth areas include the renowned LYQ holiday camps, campsites, in-school training, the Luminate Discipleship Gap Year Program and young adult ministry.

Aaron works alongside 80 dedicated team members, but throughout his decade with LYQ, he has been continually astounded by the contributions of volunteers. ‘We’re blessed to involve hundreds of volunteers through our camps, service events and in governance roles’, he says. ‘Together they contribute thousands of hours of quality service, driven by a passion to see the good news of Jesus shared with young people. I’m often left inspired and awestruck at their faithfulness, diligence and selflessness.’

Aaron’s favourite Bible verse is reflective of his passion for his work. ‘At the moment it’s Matthew 19:14 (Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven bellows to such as these)’, he says. ‘As a parent of four young children I carry this verse as both a reminder and a promise. (The promise is) to consider what I could be doing to encourage the faith of my children, to celebrate that they are valued children of God and to embrace again the childlike awe and wonder of God that we can forget in the busyness of adult life.’

Aaron says LYQ is blessed and humbled to receive significant support from congregations, schools and individuals in various ways. ‘(These include) running camps at our campsites, fundraising to get young people in their community on camp, including us in their prayers, supporting our Brisbane Appeal Dinner, and serving at our work and fellowship camps’, he explains. But he would like to humbly ask that the members of LCAQD keep the work of LYQ in their prayers, ‘We love it when congregations pray for our team and our ministry’, he says. ‘Congregations can particularly pray for our holiday camps and for the daily work of our campsites.

Pray that God might use these ministries to share his love and truth with young people.’