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SEPTEMBER 2018

What can you do in your community to connect? We all have so much ability to share the love we have with all of those around us and the simplest of ways can be the most powerful. So how are you doing it? What are you doing in your community to meet the community, get to know them and build relationship with them? I love Jono's story on how he helps out at the local high school breakfast club. Let me know what you get up to.

Breakfast Club

I have found supporting our local college breakfast club has been a great way for me to add value to our local school community and connect with young people. In the winter terms I go into school on Thursday mornings for an hour or so to help make toasties and milo for anyone who wants it before school starts. The school gets donated heaps of milk and weetbix (though the kids aren’t very interested in the weetbix) through a national breakfast in schools initiative, and a local bread supplier donates the bread. Some staff members donate tins of spaghetti and beans, and we buy the cheese and milo.
The breakfast club is a great way for me to catch up with youth from our youth group in their context and meet their friends and peers. It also helps to give our youth group a positive presence in the school, kids can meet me on their terms before coming into our space for youth group. This removes a barrier of not knowing anyone that can stop kids trying things out.
It also helps me to get to know some of the teachers and hear there perspective on issues their students are facing, sometimes I am able to offer useful support, again adding value to the school. Our organisation, Epic Ministries, has built a strong relationship of support and mutual care for the students in our community with the college and the breakfast club helps to sustain it.

Connections amongst all ages Transformers Plus was hosted in Taranaki at the end of August. It was such a joy to be part of. One of the biggest highlights for me was enjoying the huge mix of ages involved. From the age of 9 & 3/4 to 70 plus. Every age group input into each other's journey.
As a youth enabling team we are really keen for parishes to look at how they are discipling. To reflect on how their whole congregation are invested in relationships with their children and young people. Be from the small connections of learning each others names and saying hi when they see each other, to praying for each other through the week, to being in a discipling relationship together. All encounters are so important in a young person's faith journey.
It was so encouraging to see how Transformers Plus encouraged these inter generational relationships and my prayer is that the connections and energy built up at camp flows back into their parishes and beyond.
How can you encourage these types of connections in your congregation?

Top 10 Youth Ministry Podcasts PYM website is filled with great resources. Here is the link to one of the Top Ten lists on great youth ministry podcasts, a great way to further your knowledge on learning. There are other great Top Tens available too like Books, Games etc with a Youth Ministry focus.

STAY IN THE LOOP!

In order to stay up to date with what's happening with Presbytery Central Youth, like our Facebook page, join our leaders' group and keep an eye on our website. Keep these dates free in your calendars:

Things your wondering about? Want to sit down face to face? Give us a call, we'd love to meet up!

Jared Dixon
Taranaki
jared@pym.org.nz, jared.d@presbyterycentral.org.nz
022 329 8947

Rebecca Wilcox
Wairarapa - Wellington
rebecca.wilcox@presbyterycentral.org.nz, rebecca@pym.org.nz
027 389 2313

Jasmin Vanderwerff
Whanganui - Marton
jasmin.v@presbyterycentral.org.nz, jasmin@pym.org.nz
027 353 5753

Nga Rolston
Team Leader to the Presbytery Central Youth Ministry Team
nga.rolston@presbyterycentral.org.nz, nga@pym.org.nz
027 653 4257