Partners’ Newsletter Spring 2019
Director writes As you have read or watched elsewhere, I will be moving on from the role of Director at Bath and Wiltshire Youth for Christ in the Spring. Inevitably, such a moment has provoked me to reflect on the journey Wiltshire Youth for Christ has been on since its launch in late 2014. Schools in which there was little or no Christian input now have weekly engagement through mentoring, faith-discussion groups, assemblies, Christian Unions and more. Young people can enjoy drop-in youth projects and the opportunity to explore life and faith. In the last four years we have trained over 100 people as volunteer youth workers and / or mentors. That is 100 local volunteers better equipped to serve young people in their church and community. That is amazing! Wiltshire Youth for Christ has a very positive relationship with local Area Boards and Youth
Networks, meaning the Christian voice is being heard in places it was not. In the last four years a lot has happened, and we are thankful to God for all he has done. Thank you for the part you have played in that journey. Please can I take this opportunity to encourage you to continue to pray for, give to and volunteer in the work of Wiltshire Youth for Christ, so the growing momentum continues, and lives will be transformed for years to come. Please can I specifically ask that you pray for Steve and Dan during this time of change and that God will reveal his plans for Wiltshire Youth for Christ in the coming months. God’s peace and strength to you. James Vaughton
Wise guides for Wiltshire Youth for Christ Wiltshire Youth for Christ works because of lots of people. You hear about Dan, Steve and James, but the reality is there is a host of volunteers and supporters who make this work happen. One such group is our Advisory Group. Catherine Haddow, Rev. Barry Blackford, Alison Bennett and Rev. Keith Brindle are our wise guides. Three times per year the team meets with this group to review the work and look ahead. It is a really significant role and means that local people help shape the work of Wiltshire Youth for Christ. We are on the lookout for one or two new members so if listening and asking good questions, with a heart for the mission of Jesus is something you are interested in, then please email steve@wiltshireyfc.org.uk to get the ball rolling. We don’t have a picture of the group, they are too ‘secret service!’
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Loving our neighbour “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbour as yourself.” This profound truth told by Jesus and repeated by Paul in Galatians 5 reminds us of the importance of loving those people who are close to us – not simply our next-door neighbours, but also the people with whom we work, who live out their daily joys and struggles separately, but alongside us in ours. Of course, this can be difficult as I’m sure we already know! In a school context, this act of loving your neighbour can be just as difficult to young Christians. “How do I demonstrate love to those who bully my friend? Who are nothing like me? Who don’t seem worthy of my time? Who are younger than me?” At St Laurence School Christian Union, we are exploring some key themes this term such as fear, forgiveness and rejection, considering how we respond to these challenges in our own lives and in turn, how we can love others who face these issues too.
Equipping Volunteers to help young people Our secondary school mentoring project continues to gather momentum with new mentors joining the team in the last few months. In January we ran another training day, with a full-house of 15 people, many from the Warminster area. Chris Scorah, the
youth worker at Christchurch in Warminster has been developing mentoring work at Kingdown School with the support of Wiltshire Youth for Christ and has about 10 volunteers regularly meeting with young people in that school. Here are a couple of quotes from trainee mentors who attended the training: “I’ve been in education a long time and I was just so surprised how much I learned, and it has excited and enabled me to work with the young people. Prior to the training, I was quite nervous, but now feel well equipped.” Janet “I thoroughly enjoyed the day and had a lot of fun. I learned a lot about technique and was particular interested in the colour energy test.” Margaret
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Building community in the Wellsprings Benefice
The Wellsprings benefice includes Potterne, Worton, Marston, Seend, Bulkington and Poulshot. Steve was busy over Christmas with assemblies and school services. He also led the Crib Service at St Mary’s Church, Potterne on Christmas Eve. This year included a specially recorded personal message to the congregation from a Palestinian Christian family living in Jerusalem. The Community Garden in Potterne is also continuing to grow into a well-used space for an annual Community Carol evening, which in 2018 took place on 21st December. Despite the colder weather, members of the church gave a warm welcome and hot drink/mince pie to help lift sprits. Young and young at heart sang carols out in the open, for what is becoming a memorable village Christmas tradition. On Saturday 26th January over 90 guests joined Potterne Youth Centre Committee members and a team of teenagers to celebrate Burns Night with a 3-course meal at the Potterne Village Hall. This annual fundraising event helps cover costs of running the youth centre facility in the village. Steve organises a team of young people to
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welcome guests and serve at tables. One young lady wowed guests with her amazing singing, adding to a wonderful evening. Steve shared updates on the work he is doing and presented a “Special Community Award� to a local young person who has overcome challenges and been involved in the life of the youth club and village. Despite so much going on we continue to look at ways to support local churches and communities connecting with young people. Steve is working with the Devizes Area Board and Local Youth Network to explore new and exciting ways to come alongside young people. Watch this space
Prayer points for Wiltshire February> • Please pray for wisdom and God’s timing in moving forward with new projects this year. • Thank God for the GSUS Live mission, providing opportunity to share the gospel with over 3,400 students. Pray for its impact to continue as Dan and Steve plan and start to deliver follow-up projects. • Thank God for the volunteer mentors, those who are new and those who have been mentoring for a number of years. • Pray for Steve and his family living in the rural area. For wisdom, resources and renewed vision to carry on this ministry serving the young people and church across the area.
March> • Please pray for Youth Stream, our weekly discipleship group for young people, that we see growth not just in breadth but depth this term. • Pray for Dan Webb and his family. • Pray for the Potterne Youth Club and in particular for the vulnerable young people who attend every week, and Steve as he works with them • Pray for James as he leaves Youth for Christ and takes up his new role. Ask God for wisdom in the recruitment process for a new Director.
April> • Pray for the Accompanying Project work delivered by Annie and Dan in Fitzmaurice School in Bradford on Avon and by Melksham Team Ministry in Melksham • Thank God for his provision for Wiltshire Youth for Christ • Please pray for ongoing relations with schools and churches. To overcome challenges and see opportunities to give hope and love.
May> • Pray for the Christian Union in St. Laurence School. • Pray for Connect Mentoring work in Lavington School, St. Laurence School, John of Gaunt School and Clarendon Academy. Please pray for the volunteer mentor team and the young people we mentor. • Please pray that the lives of young people we work with will be changed by Jesus. • Please pray for all those outside of the church networks that are in areas of leadership or authority. The local Council, Police, Parish Council, School staff and other organisations who we can work with and be a witness to God’s love and grace in unity.
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GSUS Live tours six secondary schools in Wiltshire 2018 ended on a high for the Wiltshire Youth for Christ team with the arrival of the GSUS Live Tour that visited six secondary schools across the county. We worked in partnership with Counties Evangelists, local youth workers, church volunteers and school staff to engage with 6 secondary schools across 4 towns. The mobile classroom unit provided a multimedia computer suite as the core of the hardware. The unit takes up to 32 pupils for a 45 to 60 minute lesson in which they can investigate Jesus’ teachings through the lives of three young people. The themes were forgiveness, fear, and rejection. In total we ran nearly 100 lessons sharing the gospel message with 3436 students. Chris Scorah, youth worker at Christchurch, Warminster said, “We had the opportunity to share the 6
Gospel many times through these sessions.” We are very thankful to an amazing group of volunteers which included 12 volunteer presenters from different local churches and a team six riggers who managed all the location set up and pack downs of the unit. The reception from students and staff was fantastic. Young people loved the way the session ran, as they got to use the multimedia to explore the lives of the young people and we would then finish each session by sharing the Christian story and a time of open questions. Some common questions raised across all the schools included: Why did Jesus sacrifice himself? / Why is it hard to forgive? / What is there suffering in the world? / Why did you become a Christian? / Does God hate gays? / Why does
Jesus forgive sins? / How could Jesus be resurrected? And lots more like that! Staff at the schools also really appreciated the project… “It was a great week. It raised many questions about being good people. We can’t thank you enough, especially in the way you adapted lessons to suit and let students ask you any questions”. (Geraldine Cummings – Deputy Head of Faculty Devizes School) “The GSUS team visited our school in November and took an active role in RE lessons from KS3 and KS4. The presentation was active and thought provoking and allowed for our young people to take an active and engaging role in their own curiosity. Our young people also got to meet members of our community and ask them some really tricky questions about being a Christian. We would like to thank the visitors for visiting our school.” (Mark Perraton, The John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge) Lunch times and follow-up In addition to the normal lessons, Dan Webb and Steve Dewar opened up GSUS Live for lunch times sessions in several schools, so other students were enabled to go through a
session they had not previously done or, ask questions and have a chat with the volunteer team. In Kingdown School, Local Youth worker Chris Scorah organised an event with performer Guvna B, which was attended by over 300 people. YFC Team Leader Steve Dewar supported members of St James Church as part of the Devizes week and included a Wednesday evening viewing of “Mercy Me” hosted at Devizes school. Links with students and staff in the school have grown and opportunities for lunch time groups/assemblies and input in to lessons are developing. Could you help with follow up? In most of the schools visited there are follow-up opportunities and you may be able to help. The two main options are through supporting the development of a Christian Union in a school and mentoring. If you would like to find out more you can contact Dan Webb (dan@wiltshireyfc.org.uk) for more information. Thank you to all those who supported this GSUS Live Wiltshire tour in prayer, time and finances.
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