BIOS - Pastoral Care in the Park ! One of the exciting projects that BIOS have recently been involved in is running detached youth work sessions focused around Meadowcroft and Grange Parks in Stratton. What started over 2 years ago with a couple of guys from a local church going to play some basketball and being asked by the young people hanging about there if they wanted a game has grown and developed into a fantastic and growing project supported by the Parish Council and the Youth Service, working with an average of 30 young people each week. BIOS staff in partnership with SYFC, spend around 2 hours each week in the parks engaging young people age 10-25. Over the time which we have been doing this we have had many positive interactions where we have been able to offer more than just a fun and safe environment. We have been able to explore faith and life issues, give support and advice on subjects ranging from family break up, conflict resolution, sex and relationships as well as drug and alcohol issues. Six of the young people BIOS staff are now supporting or mentoring in schools we first encountered through this detached project. Paul, one of the young people we are most heavily involved with through this work was recently assaulted and BIOS was able to offer, in the first instance crisis care to make sure that both he and the family were supported and then from this we were able to discuss in more depth his thoughts and feelings surrounding the incident and help the young person chose a positive way forward following the attack. We first met Paul over 2 years ago when the detached project first started, and have met with him almost weekly since then. Even when the park was covered in snow Paul and his friends would be out, sat on ‘their’ bench, chilling. Over time Paul opened up and shared about things at home and school and it was clear that this was a young person who was close to not fulfilling his full potential. It was during last summer when we were working in partnership with the ‘Boom Box’ mobile music van that Paul showcased some of his musical talent for us. Following this we took a microphone and portable speaker to the park and over the weeks that followed Paul would ‘spit’ his lyrics and he became more involved and interested in music production. This has now led to him recording his own tracks and making a video, as well as producing music for other local young artists. Alongside encouraging Paul with this BIOS has been offering him mentoring through the school and undertaking family support with home visits. It is this kind of situation that typifies the type of support that BIOS aims to offer to young people that we meet.
WORK EXPERIENCE!
Having heard of the fantastic work that SYFC do, I was extremely excited to be to able work alongside the team during my work experience placement. Day 1 was like the first day of school. I was worried about whether I would fit in, whether the staff would like me and I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect but as soon as I walked through the doors of the office, I could see that I would really enjoy my week here. When I met the SYFC staff, I really started to feel like I was one of the family and part of the team. Working in schools I helped run assemblies, lunchclubs and after school clubs. The schools I visited all opened my eyes to how dedicated and hard working teachers and youth workers are. Whilst working alongside the pro’s, I began to realise how much work goes into preparing and delivering lessons and sessions. In lessons I worked with students with behaviour and confidence issues. I was able to see these people from a completely new perspective and be a part of the process of helping them to grow their self confidence and challenging their disruptive behaviour. This was possibly the best work placement I could ever have chosen; I was able to laugh and work with some really great people and I feel I was able to be help make the world a better place, one that is more focused on God’s Kingdom. I feel that my placement was a divine appointment and if I’m allowed to, I definitely want to come back.
CURRY NIGHT
We would like to invite you and all your friends, neighbours, colleagues and acquittances to a SYFC Fundaaising Curry night!
October 10th 2011 7:30pm Bombay Lounge Indian Restaurant, Peatmoor £12.50 per person (drinks not included) All you can eat buffet and a short presentation about the work of SYFC. Book your places today by contacting the office or emailing curry@syfc.org.uk
R.E.S.P.E.C.T
We recently had the privilege of taking a year 9 RE lesson in Churchfields School looking at the Christian perspective on the issue of racism. The class engaged so fantastically in the topic and surrounding discussions that we didn’t finish our lesson plan and the teacher invited us back to answer more of the students questions. It was great to share with the students about the fact that God created us all and loves us all equally and also brilliant to be able to show the students how to look up passages in the bible and find the right bit as many of them have never opened a bible before!
Pray For Schools On Monday 23rd May we gathered for an inspirational evening of hearing stories about work going on in primary and secondary schools across the town. We were not only inspired and motivated by these reports but also by the many prayer requests that we had received from both staff and pupils from schools we work in. I was bowled over when one lady came in from a local primary school and gave me a handful of paper, these were the prayers and requests from just one year group in her school. Then as I began to read them they broke my heart, there was so much pain and suffering written out on those pages, here is just one... “Please pray for my mum’s friend because she has died last week on Friday because she was an alcoholic and she only had till Sunday to live. But she had to have her children taken off of her because she was an alcoholic and now the children have to live with foster parents!” Just how many lives have been shattered in this one story? There were many other requests asking for prayer for brothers, sisters, friends, relatives suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses. There were cries for help : ‘I want people to start being nice to me’ girl 13. Young people asking for help with the pressure of exams, or of being a young people in today’s world, requests from staff facing redundancy and other difficult choices and decisions. There were also prayers of thanks like this one from Jade ‘Please pray for my mum and dad for what they go through to make my life amazing’! There was total silence for over ½ hour whilst we individually prayed into the situations before us, pleading with God, asking him to bring light into some dark places. We ended the evening by corporately offering thanks, praise and petitions to God and praying for all those who work in or with Swindon’s Schools. If you would like to find out more about praying for your local school please contact us on 01793 829795 or visit www.syfc.org.uk/prayforschools