Youth trip to Newday

Recently some of our young people attended the Newday event, in Norfolk. Naomi Ryan, our youth worker, tells us how they got on...

Summer 2018 and 28 young people aged 10-19 embarked on the epic trip to Norfolk Showground to attend Newday 2018.

Six leaders joined them – two newbies – what were they letting themselves in for!

Set up was smoother than last year praise God so that week started well.

The week was made on the first night in the service at the big top where the young people were actively engaged in worship and those new to Newday shocked at the sheer number of young people worshipping Jesus in one place.

The sermon the first night was on shame and how Jesus washes us clean of that through his death on the cross.  A meaty topic to start the week with but one that triggered a response in many of the young people.  How easy it is to take on board shame and not even realise this is what we’ve done.  Jesus takes all that shame away – be free.

The second day saw three young people give their lives to Jesus and one recommit to following Jesus.

For one of these young people the complete life change has been extraordinary to watch and has been an exciting for us to journey with them throughout the week.

We also saw a healing amongst our group.

We have also seen our young people gather in prayer for those around them and those at home when the needs arose – young people ministering to other young people.

Frisbee champions!

I am also aware of flames that have begun to flicker in young people this week – who went not expecting anything and now are seeking more.

Although I return to Durham exhausted and filthy (like all of the young people) I feel blessed to be able to daily walk alongside this amazing group of young people – I wish those who leave us imminently for university all the very best (please stay in touch) and offer a huge welcome to those in year 6 about to join us – you guys are in for a treat this youth group rocks.

I can’t end this overview report without a plea for more volunteers – we have at least four young people who have asked for discipleship from September and I need more people on my Sunday morning and Friday evening rota from September as the groups continue to grow. 

If you are interested please come and speak to me or drop me an email.  Whilst I was supporting the youth alpha course by leading a group at Newday – the session leaders asked for more because the numbers choosing to be part of youth alpha were phenomenal – they stopped asking for leaders and started asking for anyone who loves Jesus to get alongside these young people (who also had a DBS!).  Could you work a journey of faith with a young person or support their teaching occasionally on a Sunday morning?

These are the #s and some quotes gathered from the young people on the bus back from Norfolk – they will be telling their stories in due course but here is a flavour of what they thought:

#funforall
#jesusrocks
#redevotedtochrist
#truth
“There are 2 things that are burning – my passion for Christ and my skin”
#frisbeechamps
#christianforlife
#olliereallylovesfrisbee
#evaspeeps
#needsmorelooroll
#thisteamcan
#naomineedsvolunteers

Thanks Helen, welcome Naomi!

During our Sunday service on 9th April, we celebrated everything Helen Edwards has achieved during her time as our church youth worker, as she is about to start maternity leave. We also prayed in Naomi Ryan as her temporary replacement.

We have been greatly blessed over the past three years to have Helen Edwards as a part-time church youth worker.

Helen has been instrumental in the growth and development of our youth and community work. Since she took over leadership of the Friday and Sunday youth work, we have seen the groups that we are working with regularly triple in size and become much more engaged with the journey of faith that we are all on together.

Alongside these main groups Helen has successfully established a youth small group which meets once a month in Ushaw Moor, a discipleship program for young people which is now available to every young person at Emmanuel over the age of 11, Christmas and Easter ‘Journey’ experiences for Silvertree school in Ushaw Moor and other example of one-off events such as The Big Night out and Newday trips and treating streams such as the Relate Course.

Helen has challenged the way we engage with our young people and has successfully put more emphasis and responsibility for their journey of Faith on the young people themselves through this we have seen a number of our youth commit and re-commit their lives to Christ and get baptised.

There have been other projects as well including Detached Youthwork and a Youth Cafe in Ushaw Moor and extensive support of the God Loves projects in our communities.