Swindon
Taking Good News to young people in Swindon since 1950
Special Edition : Summer 2015
youthforchristnews
Registered Charity no. 274402
Laura Butcher
Chris Priddy
Rosie Grant-Willson
Goodbye’s This summer we sadly have to say ‘Goodbye’ to 3 incredible servants of Swindon Youth for Christ. These 3 individuals have had a massive impact on the organisation over the past 4 years and we wanted to produce this ‘special edition’ of SYFC News to give them an opportunity to say ‘Goodbye’. Please do also pray for us as we seek the right new people for the next season of SYFC.
Chris Priddy
Centre Director 2011 - 2015
“Come follow me”; Jesus’ words to Simon Peter and Andrew on the beach, without a second thought they drop their nets, leave behind their lives and the follow Him. Throughout my last 12 years of ministry I have sought to follow my saviour wherever He calls and leads me. Often this has meant setting aside ‘my plans’ in order to be obedient to His calling on my life. It was not my plan to leave SYFC in 2015 and I was not looking for new employment at all, but God has sought me out and called me into something new. From September I will be joining the Diocese of Bristol to take up the role of Head of Parish and External Relations; essentially I will be leading a fantastic team of individuals to support churches in the Diocese as they seek to engage in mission and invite all people into a relationship with Jesus. I am desperately sad about leaving SYFC, but excited about all that God has planned for me in this new role. My heart continues to long to see the Kingdom grow and the Good News demonstrated and declared in this town and this nation. I am incredibly proud of how hard the team has worked in the last 5 years, we’ve seen a lot of change and we’ve been led on an incredible journey by the God who loves us with an unending love. Throughout everything we have sought to keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus and sharing His Good News with young people in Swindon. At my commissioning in 2011, Rev Gavin Calver prayed that God would do more than we could ask or imagine in the coming days. This is certainly a prayer that we have seen answered having experienced Please would you join with such incredible growth in our work and so many opportunities presented to me in committing to: us. Pray for SYFC Please would you join me in giving thanks and celebrating all that God has done in the past 5 years. I will continue to live in Swindon and to be the Financially Give to SYFC biggest possible champion for this incredible ministry. I ask that you would Champion this ministry join me, in praying for, sacrificially giving to and supporting this incredible and telling people about ministry. all it does in Swindon. Thank you for your support, it has meant so so much. Thankyou Love and Blessings. Chris Chris
Join Me
Swindon Youth for Christ, P. O. BOX 2352, SWINDON SN2 1WE 01793 977676 office@syfc.org.uk www.syfc.org.uk
Laura Butcher
Schoolsworker 2011 - 2015
For the last couple of months I have had that unsettled feeling, the one where you sense that you’re being called onto something else, it has been a little bit of a battle to work through that, being so attached to what I do. I have been here for four years now and it is time for that change, to take the leap of faith into a different area, into something different. So I am moving into the business world to train up in HR. I have loved being part of the team here, and have so valued all the opportunities and chances to grow as an individual and as a youth worker. When I started it was first job out of university, I was part time here and also part time at Highworth Methodist Church. I think that that was the year when I grew the most. I had a total reliance on God, I moved to a town where I knew no one and felt very much that I was starting again. It was difficult. But through that I learnt, I learnt the value of team and of friendships. Although I had been employed in my church as my final placement at university, this was so different and the expectations were so much higher, and I made a lot of mistakes. There is one story that Chris Priddy likes to remind me of, it involved getting Simon Halls to drive me round one morning trying to find pumpkins to carve with Christian symbols for a Halloween themed faith room. This was the morning that it was due to be started, there wasn’t one anywhere, and I mean anywhere! I hadn’t wanted to get them early because I didn’t want them to go bad but in this lack of planning, I wasted my time, Simon’s time, and had no plan B. I failed! This somewhat insignificant story defined a turning point in my approach to work, I had realised not only had I wasted time, but that there was now no faith engagement activity for the students in the school. This has driven me since to provide the best for the young people we work with. To be available to listen to the young people, and sometimes use the fact that there is nothing visual, where everything is bare, to have those really in-depth frank conversations with young people with no distractions. I have loved being a part of Swindon YFC and have a lot to be thankful for. For the last two years I have been supervising the yfcone volunteers and have thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow in their relationship with God and in their youth work. We have a lot of fun in the office and this environment is one thing that I will miss a lot! The move of careers is scary but I am excited to be part of training and development in my new role too. I am thankful to the team for being so amazing to work with, their willingness to get involved with each other’s work, supporting each other after when sessions haven’t quite gone to plan, and sharing and celebrating in what God’s doing in the lives of the young people here in Swindon. I thank you, our supporters, for the support that you give us day in, day out. For when you uphold us in prayer and give an ear to listen to us, thank you. To those who have given financially too, I thank you because I have seen the difference that God has been making in young people’s lives through the contact with SYFC which is made possible through your gifts. I finally thank God for my time here. My prayer for SYFC is that they continue the amazing work that they do with the young people in Swindon and that they will continue to be upheld in prayer by us. Laura
Skate Night Competiton in Buckhurst Skate Park On Monday 20th July we held a hugely anticipated skate competition at Buckhurst Skate Park. Every week during term time we take the BIOS Van out to Buckhurst and park on the corner of the Skate Park, we regularly see over 25 young people and many of them use the skate park with their scooters, skateboards or bikes. I am often in awe of the young people as they show me the tricks and jumps they can do. Thanks to a donation by ‘Scooter Aid’ we have four scooters of our own which we can let the young people who don’t own their own use. The young people that we see in Buckhurst asked us if we could run a skate competition for them and so we arranged it as a celebration at the last session before the summer holidays, just as the schools broke up. The event was fantastic, the young people showed off their tricks to the BIOS team, other young people and the judges from ATB, the indoor skate warehouse in Swindon. We ran two competitions, one for young people aged year 6 and under and one for young people aged year 7 and over. It was a great event and the two winners each won £50 vouchers to spend on skate equipment or access into Swindon’s only indoor skate park. We are very thankful to ATB for providing the judges and the two winners with free entry to a skate session the ATB skate warehouse. - Amy
Harry Baker with SYFC On the 9th July we welcomed internationally renowned poet Harry Baker to Swindon to spend the day leading some workshops with young people inspiring them to use their creative writing gifts to express themselves, their lives, their faith and their world. Harry has been featured on TED talks and travelled extensively performing his work. Harry helped us lead a Spoken Word workshop in Nova Hreod Academy, and a Rock Solid Club session there too. After school we hosted a workshop for young people from local churches and in the evening we took him to the park to meet some of the young people we’ve been working with there. We had a fantastic day with Harry and the young people found it a really useful too. Many of them wrote some incredible short bits of creative writing in a really short period of time. We look forward to building on this and encouraging their creative talent in the future. “I loved the spoken word workshop with Harry Baker. It was engaging, inspiring and great fun to share our own quick poems with others. A fab night.”
‘Sometimes...’ In July we produced a short 3 minute video about what we do and the stories of the young people we have worked with this year. It’s really good and can be viewed online at: https://youtu.be/LE_lXzUmpSU
Rosie Grant-Willson
BIOS Youth Worker 2012 - 2015
I would like to start by saying I have had the BEST time with SYFC and the BIOS project. When I first began as lead youth worker in December 2012 I felt I was where God wanted me, yet if honest, totally out of my comfort zone . A couple of years prior to 2012 I had heard about the BIOS project and the people it was reaching out to through its work. I actually remember at that time saying “ I want that job “. Praise God for the opportunities he gives us . When I look back over the last couple of years, it’s been amazing . My hope at the start of this role was that (to quote myself ) “to bring light into what might be a dark place for some of the young people I work with, to build valuable relationships with others and be an encouragement for others”. I really believe God has entirely honoured those hopes. There have been SO many opportunities to show love to young people and SO much opportunities to reach out my hand and help a young person in need. It might have been giving someone my lunch because I know they had come to school with nothing for lunch again, just listening to a young person when they needed to be heard, or believing in young people when they have little faith in themselves. In all things I have sought to bring HOPE into every situation. I have seen Jesus at work in so many way and I have been privileged to see HOPE restored, and lives transformed. One young person I have been walking with, has been very honest from word go about his feelings for his dad openly saying that he ‘hated him. We met every week for about 18 months and every week as he referred to his dad, the anger he held would be evident. He hadn’t seen his dad for about 12 years and he planned to find him after his GCSE’s and wanted to hurt him - I would listen and I would feel his hurt. One day he came to see me and he looked different, he had made contact with his dad and they had arranged to meet. The young person told me it was my fault, adding that I had showed him hope. It was amazing - this lad who has held so much anger, saying with tears in his eyes, that something had changed. ‘Always only Jesus’ has been my cry throughout my work with SYFC. I love the team I have worked with, they are amazing, the dedication, love and commitment they show every day to reaching the young people in Swindon is incredible. Of course I will miss being part of this team,but also know I have also been blessed with valuable friendships there too. God has been so good and has shown me in many situations, that I just need to trust Him, He has never failed me! God is now leading me into a new adventure working with my sister. I am looking forward, in September to starting THE NEXUS PROJECT a new youth cafe based project in Highworth which will also offer mentoring to young people and street based detached youth work in the town. If anyone would like to hear more about the project then please feel free to contact me at highworthnexusproject@gmail.com. Thank you so so much for your prayers and support over the past 2.5 years. Always Only Jesus. Rosie.
Hannah Mulcock
WHAT NEXT AT SYFC .....
A year with Scripture Union. As I come to the end of my year with Scripture Union and reflect on what I have learnt, I thank God for all the experiences I have had and how much closer I have grown to Him throughout the year. Some of my highlights have been running church visits for schools and helping both the children and the teachers break the stereotypes of what church is and should be by having them dancing, singing and running around doing quizzes. I have loved leading assemblies and am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit 4 different schools and do assemblies with them. Another highlight would be my recent trip to South Africa, where the team and I worked with Scripture Union in the Western Cape helping on a weeklong residential. It was incredibly humbling to give a girl her first ever toothbrush and watch her clean her teeth around 20 times just because she was so excited! I have also enjoyed spending almost every Sunday morning with a group of young people at my church. I have loved watching them grow and really start to ‘own’ their faith, particularly on the recent residential camp we took them too. I have learnt a lot about God’s way of doing things (always not what you expect!) and have learnt more about trusting Him and I look forward to whatever the next adventure He takes me on will be! - Hannah
Pinehurst Fun Day This year the BIOS Van has been invited out to loads of different festivals and fun days. On Saturday 18th July we were able to take the van to Pinehurst fun day which was well attended by over 1500 people. It was a great day and the BIOS team enjoyed being out in such nice weather. It was lovely to be able to meet some young people that we haven’t seen in years, build up relationships with some young people that we only ever see in schools, work with some young people to run a tuck shop, ask young people and local residents what ‘community’ means to them, have loads of great conversations and enable children, young people and adults to access the van, equipment and team for advice and information. We had a fantastic day and look forward to the other summer fun days we will be a part of.
SYFC Board of Trustee’s The board of trustees are responsible for the running of the Centre here in Swindon. They are a wonderful group of volunteers who meet bi-monthly on a Wednesday evening. They are currently looking for anyone who may be interested in joining them, especially if you have experience in HR or organisational management. If you are interested you can contact the office or come and meet the team at our AGM. SYFC Annual General Meeting Tuesday 22nd September. 7:00pm at The Hive at Meadowcroft Community Centre, Addison Crescent, Swindon, SN2 7JX
In the coming months the Trustee’s will be looking to recruit a new Director to lead our ministry forward. Chris Priddy is also going to offer his support during this time to help make the transition to new leadership as smooth as possible. After that appointment we will be looking to recruit a new Schoolsworker to lead and develop that area of our work. In October Abi Corry will be returning from maternity leave to work with us taking the in:School project into the next season of its exciting ministry with primary school aged children. Amy Cox will continue to reach out to and support hundreds of young people every week through the BIOS Mobile Youth Club and would love to hear from you if you would like to join her for 1.5hrs a week as a volunteer. And on the 14th September we hope to welcome a new YFCone Gap Year team to Swindon to work with Amy and Abi and local churches sharing Good News and Hope with young people. As we look to the future our vision and mission remains unchanged To take Good News relevantly to every Young Person in Swindon.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
We still need your support As you will be aware, the past 5 years have been financially challenging for us and we are massively grateful to everyone who has supported us financially during this time. Whilst we now have a period where our wage bill we would ask that you please continue to stand with us through financial giving at this time. This will allow us to do 2 things: 1) Confidently step forward with new staff appointments, knowing that we have sufficient regular committed financial support coming in to meet these commitments. 2) Build up a small ‘reserve’ to help us through possible future difficult financial times. This is not ‘hoarding’, but rather taking wise financial precautions to ensure we do not find ourselves in a risky financial position in the future. Thank you so much. Gavin Mapstone - SYFC Treasurer
Throughout the coming months it will be more difficult for us to keep you up to date with all that we are up to. We are committed to sending out out monthly Prayer Diary to ask you all to support us in prayer. This goes out via email, post and our mobile phone app. If you do not currently receive it please contact the office on 01793 977676. We will also seek to put information up on our wesbite in the news section and via our Facebook and Twitter online accounts. Once a new Director is in post we will be sure to write to you to let you know and to introduce them to you. You can follow us on: Thank you for your on-going support, we do love hearing from you, so if you have any questions at any point in the coming months please drop us a call or an email.