Bath Youth for Christ Summer 2019 Partners Magazine

Partners’ Newsletter Summer 2019

Volunteer to Director

I remember walking into Centre 69 (Weston Community Centre) for the first time in 2005 to volunteer on a project called One Eighty, not knowing what God had planned for my future. This was the project that really saved me and brought me back in relationship with God. Through the combination of skateboarding and youth work I could see and identify that God can use so many tools to build relationship with his people.

This was the start of an amazing journey with God continuing to stretch me beyond my comfort zone and leading me to new places. I have gone from leading One Eighty through to school’s work, Life Academy and most recently leading a mission team for a project in Mexico.

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James Vaughton broke the news that he was leaving Bath Youth for Christ whilst we were walking together in Wales. During that day we climbed a steep incline, which was really hard work, but we achieved it together. I know that in taking up the leadership role for Bath Youth for Christ I will face some tough challenges, but I believe God has been preparing me for this role for the last 15 years. There are going to be exciting times ahead when we do see young people’s lives changed

by Jesus.

God has blessed Bath Youth for Christ with an amazing team of staff and volunteers, so I am not alone in this new chapter. In the period between James leaving and my appointment to the post, God reminded me of the story of the transition from Moses to Joshua and particularly the passage about being strong and courageous (Joshua 1:7-9). This is a time of new opportunity, growth and partnership. I consider that part of my role as Director is to facilitate bringing Christians and communities together to help us bring the kingdom of God into people’s lives.

Dave Joyce

A space to discuss important issues Bath Youth for Christ has been involved in facilitating a discussion group at St Gregory’s for about 8 years. Here, Jenny Clarke (Trustee and Learning Support Mentor at the school) shares her recent experiences with this group.

Open to all Year 9 pupils, the weekly sessions provide an opportunity for these young people to gain confidence in sharing their opinions and expressing their own thoughts. Based in the chapel, at the hub of the school, with cosy bean bags and free, yummy doughnuts, the aim is to create a safe, inviting place to chat openly in a non-judgemental environment about big life topics.

This committed group of students really enjoy sharing their opinions and debating about matters that are so current in our society, such as women’s equality and equal pay; along with social media and the impact it has on their generation, mental health problems and relationships. They very much appreciate that the group is just for their year group, making them feel specifically cared and looked out for in such a large community.

Year 9 is often a pivotal year for students.

It is when big life choices start to happen, such as choosing GCSE options, as well as potential changes in friendship groups and physiological changes. During this year they also cover big topics in Religious Education such as relationships, sex before marriage, contraception, transgender. Our times together have provided a forum for further discussion following these lessons. Several students have already expressed a desire for the group to continue for them into year 10.

What a beautiful thing that we can encourage these students to share their opinions, to not be afraid of speaking in a group or of having a different opinion. Every student is unique and has a voice of their own and I love to listen to all their thoughts and cheer them on in their journey.

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New Opportunities “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” – Mother Teresa

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We can do so much more if we work together as Churches, Christian organisations and the voluntary sector, as we have witnessed over the last few years across the city of Bath.

Working with others has allowed us to achieve so much more than if we had worked alone.

In Southdown we have seen lives changed by Jesus through young people attending Motus Dance academy, going to Soul Survivor, and recently signing up for our mission trip to Mexico in July. The Breakfast Club, operating out of Roundhill YMCA, has touched the lives of many young people and their families.

Volunteers from the local churches have been key to making this project such a success.

At the start of this year we partnered with Mentoring Plus to run weekly sessions at the Riverside Centre. We have been encouraged by the regular attendance of 15 to 20 young people, mainly from the Snowhill area. Four girls, who are keen dancers, were encouraged to attend Motus Dance Academy and recently had the opportunity to hear and act the story of Jesus through performing in ‘#misjudged’ at St Philips and St James Church. What an exciting testimony! On page 9, Ruth Keily from Mentoring Plus and Amy Austin, our new sessional worker, give their perspectives.

The Bath Youth Partnership, chaired by Dave Joyce, meets quarterly to discuss provision for young people across Bath. The partnership brings together representatives from Mentoring Plus, Bath Rugby Foundation, Off the Record, Bath Festivals, Theatre Royal, Oasis Church and project 28. This group has identified a need for some detached youth workers in the city centre and we are looking to fund these posts through grants. A recent survey has shown that many young people would most value having a trusted adult in their lives and somewhere safe to go. We believe that a city centre youth work provision can be the starting point in meeting this need. As we’ve seen through the media there has been a significant rise in knife crime and violence amongst young people across the UK. We must make a stand against it here in Bath before it becomes an issue.

Could you donate £5 per month (the cost of two cups of coffee) to help establish detached youth workers in the city and make all the difference?

New partnerships are on the horizon as we are being asked to stand in the gap where there are cuts in youth work provision across Bath and its surrounding areas. In Peasedown St John, a potential partnership with 3 churches - St Joseph’s Catholic Church, St Johns Anglican Church and the Methodist Church – will enable the recruitment of youth workers for the area, funded by the churches, grants and individuals.

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Prayer points for Bath May> • Pray for Dave Joyce in his new role as Centre Director, and for his family.

Thank God for James Vaughton’s time in this role and pray for him in his new position.

• Pray for young people preparing to take GCSE & A level exams, that they will be peaceful and not stressed. Pray for staff in the schools and families of the young people as they seek to provide support.

• Please pray for the Trustee Meeting on 20th May, for wisdom where decisions need to be made. Thank God for the commitment of the trustees to support the work of the charity and pray for the appointment of new board members. For year 6 children about to take SATS. • Pray for those on half term break – staff, parents and young people – that it would be a time of rest and refreshment. Pray for the final stage of preparations for the Mexico mission trip, that all necessary fundraising targets will be achieved and for the team to be prepared for the challenge.

June> • Thank God for the good relationships we have with schools in the city and surrounding area. Pray for this to continue and develop further. Give thanks for the Projects in Timsbury - a cookery club on a Monday evening for 12-15 yr olds and a Friday evening Youth Club for 11-14 yr olds. Pray that they will be inclusive, welcoming clubs which have Jesus at their heart • Pray for the Quiz Night on the 15th, that it would be a fun evening, provide an opportunity to expand our reach, as well as being a successful fundraiser for the charity.

• Please pray for the Trustees and Dave Joyce as they consider the future staffing structure of the charity and for the recruitment of new team members.

• Please pray for Sam at the Y6 Pilgrim Days in Wells on 21st,24th & 25th • Pray for Motus Dance Academy and especially for those who have joined in the last couple of months, that they will become established and feel part of that community.

New ways to give

Help us to see more young people’s lives changed by Jesus text bathyfc to 70085 to donate £10.

All texts are charged at £10 plus one message at your standard network rate (based on your service provider rates); the charge will show on your bill.

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July> • Thank God for the success of the Odd Down Youth Club and for the dedication of the volunteers who make it happen.

• Pray for the work of our sister centre, Wiltshire Youth for Christ. Thank God for the encouragement of continuing to receive funding through grants and pray for new funding sources.

• Thank God for the continued faithful support of donors, both individuals and churches. Please pray for more willing and open-hearted volunteers for the Timsbury project and blessings for those we already have: Sim, Alex, Tony, Dave & Gracie.

• Pray for the Mexico Mission team, leaving the UK on the 22nd, for safety and health throughout the trip, for continued development of relationship and opportunities to encounter Jesus. Pray for the Mexican family who will benefit from the team’s building work, that they too would experience the love of Jesus.

August> • Thank God for Chris Porter and his work in Southdown over the last few years. Pray for him and Laura as they move back to Northern Ireland.

• Please pray for Sam & Serena at the Going Bananas Holiday Club (5th – 8th) • Pray for young people receiving exam results in the next couple of weeks and for parents, school staff and others who seek to advise them about their next step.

• Thank God for the success of the Accompanying Project, not only through the work of Bath Youth for Christ, but in the growing number of hubs in different parts of the country. Pray that this work will help in preparing year 6 pupils for their transition to secondary school.

• Please pray for those children who are anxious about the return to school, especially those moving schools. Pray for the staff of Bath Youth for Christ as they plan for the next academic year – for vision, wisdom and energy for all they do.

Text ‘Bathyfc’ to 70085 to give £10.

This costs £10 plus std rate msg.

Text ‘Bathyfcbible’ to 70085 to give £20 to give a bible to a local young person. This costs £20 plus a std rate msg.

Visit https://bath.yfc.co.uk/donate to give monthly or a one-off donation

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#Misjudged students performed to the song ‘Believer’, which portrayed Judas’ inner struggle of emotions after betraying Jesus and how much pain he felt over letting a friend down. Four of the dancers were performing on stage to an audience for the very first time! Three of the dancers also played key roles in the production.

In April, Bath Youth for Christ had the privilege of working with St. Philip & St. James’ Drama group in their production of #MISJUDGED. Here Chris Porter reports on the impact of this performance on the lives of some of the young people with whom we work. #MISJUDGED depicted the Easter story, following Jesus through his trial, betrayal, death and resurrection. The show, written

by Yvonne Conroy, was an adaptation for a modern audience putting the story in the context of today with the use of social media, text and tweets etc. Motus Dance Academy

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The show provided an amazing opportunity to tell the story of Jesus to a new audience. One young person in Motus had been encouraged to audition for a part and came back saying he thought the Easter story was the story of the Easter Bunny and was shocked and surprised that he was auditioning for a part to do with Jesus and his life! This is a great example of why evangelism and providing opportunities for young people to learn and chat about faith and God are so important.

We can’t assume that young people even know what we mean when we say the ‘Easter story’. #MISJUDGED has led to encouraging discussion and questioning, potentially making the notion of God, faith and Jesus a little less of an alien concept. We’re excited to see how the conversations develop!

Partnership – helping meet a need Bath Youth for Christ has a legacy of partnership with other organisations, and here Ruth from Mentoring Plus shares her experience of working with us.

It has been exciting to establish this new partnership and has provided the opportunity to employ a sessional youth worker. Here Amy Austin shares her experience so far:

It’s been a great experience partnering with Bath Youth for Christ to rekindle the youth club at Riverside. With their timely help and expertise, we were able to ensure continuity of provision to a local group of young people whose previous youth club was closing, inspiring them to keep coming and get involved with planning their own future activities. Our own work with young people has not previously included open access youth clubs, and it was reassuring to know we had Dave to lead the process, support the young people and sensitively handle the handover from previous staff. On a personal level, stepping in on this project due to staff sickness, I felt my own lack of experience in this style of youth work and fully appreciated the responsive, flexible and collaborative approach Dave showed throughout. The youth club is just the beginning of our work ensuring Riverside stays in community use, and it’s got off to a great start thanks to this effective partnership. We’re looking forward to collaborating on fundraising, awarenessbuilding and project delivery in future.

Working for Bath YMCA in a similar role, as well as in residential homes for young people for over 7 years, has brought me into contact with young people facing very challenging issues such as mental health, self-harm, drugs, sexual abuse, alcoholism and neglect. This has been a great preparation for working with the young people at Riverside, many of whom come from difficult backgrounds. It does take time to gain the trust of young people in such a setting. I have been particularly encouraged by my experience with one individual who at first had a negative attitude towards me. Slowly I have seen progress as we have developed a positive relationship, including conversations at the club about youth pregnancy, Michael Jackson, family relationships and Marvel films.

We have already established a second weekly session at Riverside and are excited to see how this partnership will develop in the future months.

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We are looking for 10 runners to run the Bath Half 2020 to raise funds for our Connect Mentoring project. We’re asking each runner to try and raise £300 in sponsorship (the minimum amount is £175 to meet Bath Half requirements). If you are interested, whether a complete novice looking for a challenge or someone that just loves what we do please email lea@bathyfc.co.uk to find out more or to register your interest.

Bible Giveaway We want to give away 100 bibles to young people in Bath. Can you help by donating £20 which we’ll use to buy a bible and give it away?

Text ‘bathyfcbible’ to 70085 to donate £20.

All texts are charged at £20 plus one message at your standard network rate (based on your service provider rates); the charge will show on your bill.

Bath

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c/o Hay Hill Baptist Church Fountain Buildings Bath BA1 5DU T 01225 336055 E admin@bathyfc.co.uk www.bathyfc.co.uk Charity No. 1165745. A member of British Youth for Christ

Odd Down Youth Club “A community that is standing together to reach young people.”

In the past few months Odd Down has seen some anti-social behavior from local young people, however at Bath Youth for Christ we believe young people are amazing and all have so much potential if the right adults stand alongside them. In January this year Odd Down Youth Club opened its doors again to 9 – 13-year old’s and now has a regular attendance of 15 young people.

This is working because of people from the community and Church willing to give their own time and a partnership being formed between Bath Youth for Christ with Bath Area Play Project.

To hear more about the project Daisy, who is a local young person talks about her experience of Odd Down Youth Club.

I started volunteering at the Odd Down Youth Club in January when the club first opened, as part of my Duke of Edinburgh course. We meet on Friday afternoons 4-6pm at Odd Down Community Centre. There is usually football or basketball going on outside and arts and crafts inside.

In the crafts activities, we’ve made Mothers’ Day cards, shrinky charms and there is always

a lot of paper and pens to draw with as well as colouring and puzzle books. At five, there is a break and we make toast and squash, but we’re never quick enough to make it all!

On the Friday before pancake day, we made... well, it’s kind of obvious now, but pancakes!

They were really good and we had prepared a range of toppings to choose from, which were chocolate spread, banana and lemon with sugar. Two weeks ago, we made pretzels! I’d never made them before and it was great fun kneading and shaping them. It took a few tries to get them to keep shape, but they worked well in the end and were really tasty.

I really enjoy volunteering here at Odd Down Youth Club and I feel that it’s going to get even better.

Not long now!

It is now less than 3 months to our departure, and things are starting to get exciting!!

Most of the team are well on their way to raising the funds for the trip and we are so grateful for the generosity of many people and organisations. In true team spirit, some of those who have reached the target are continuing to fundraise to help others! The travel arrangements have been made, we are busy completing government documentation and having our jabs! It has been so great to

meet once a month with the whole team, building relationships before the trip; an exciting journey and the best bit is yet to come! We are grateful for this amazing opportunity to show the love of Jesus in a practical way as well as impact the lives of the young people on the team. Please do keep us in your prayers, especially for the final planning stages, for any individuals’ fears and worries and for it to be a trip of a lifetime for us all!

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Moving On ……..

As some of you may know, I will be leaving the wonderful team at Bath Youth for Christ in August. After nearly ten years in England, both Laura (my wife) and I believe the next step on our journey is to return to Northern Ireland. We look forward to being closer to our family over the water, but it will be bittersweet leaving all the friends and family we love so much in Bath.

This summer will mark the end of my fourth year as Southdown Youth Worker. It has been immensely rewarding serving the young people in the community and partnering with an amazing wider church family. We’re called to love, God then others, and I have really witnessed this in action through the various projects in the area. Standing with young people in their ups and their downs is a privilege, and I’m so proud of those with whom I have had the pleasure of working.

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The role will continue, and a new worker will be employed to develop and grow the work.

Change is an amazing chance for new things to be birthed, for others to step up into new responsibilities and to shine. I leave knowing that God is in charge! Please pray for the new worker and the future of the role, and that Laura and I will know God’s leading for the next part of our life in Northern Ireland. I’m excited for the future of Bath Youth for Christ; God’s favour rests so strongly on the work because all that we do is for His kingdom. I’ve loved working for such a quality organisation that is not only passionate for young people but deeply cares for its staff. I’ll take with me many fond memories, thank you for supporting me through my time here, and thank you for supporting Bath Youth for Christ.

Chris