Free Recruitment & Employment Guide from Childrens’ Society

Figuring out how to go about the complex process of recruiting a Youth Worker can cause quite a headache. And as Children & Families Adviser and Youth Adviser we are frequently asked where people can go for more information like:

• Ideas on where to Advertise
• Help pulling together a job description
• What to put in an application pack
• How to structure a job

The good news is that The Children’s Society have provided a free online resource to help answer some of these questions.

Find it here: Youth worker Recruitment and Eployment Resources

If you’re considering recruiting, why not have a look through and invite Andy or Sarah to come and support you as you think about this process?

Who knows what exciting things could lie ahead for your Youth Ministry!

 

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training – Basingstoke

Want to be better equipped to support young people in the area of mental health?

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a young person who may be developing a mental health issue. In the same way as we learn physical first aid, Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health.

Full details of the course content are here.

Booking for the Basingstoke training is here.

Where: THE ORCHARD, White Hart Lan, RG21 4AF Basingstoke

When: Thursday 19th November 09:00 – Friday 20th November 2015, 17:00 (GMT)

Who: Course from MHFA England. Course led by Peter Larkum (peterlarkum@gmail.com)

Booking: Eventbrite

Looking for a Residential Adventure centre? – Adventure Plus Windmill Farm Centre

Are you looking for somewhere to take your youth group away to? A place with outdoor activities? A Christian Ethos? Phenomenal food? Keep reading!

At the start of October, the Youth Alpha group from the Benefice of Bentley, Binstead and Froyle headed to the Windmill Farm Conferenece Centre for their weekend away. Here’s what Christopher, one of the leaders of the course had to say about the experience:

We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at Windmill Farm Conference centre. A few leaders and our Youth Alpha Course participants enjoyed excellent facilities. Much to all our amazement we each could have our own ensuite room and the use of wonderful meeting rooms. The staff were all so friendly and genuinely concerned that we were having a great time. The food was all freshly prepared and delicious. Activities such as climbing and biking were expertly run by the team from Adventure Plus. It could not have been a better experience for our group in a safe environment. I would unreservedly recommend Windmill Farm conference Centre to any church group. – Christopher Ogilvie Thompson

Here’s a taster of some of the available activities:

• Archery
• Bushcraft
• Circus Skills
• Climbing
• Night Hikes
• Orienteering
• Team Building

If you’d like to find out more and find out how to book to take your group to Adventure Plus Windmill Farm, you can find the rest and more information on the Adventure Plus Website.

Soulnet – Exploring Youth Ministry Day

The birlliant folks at Soul SUrvivor, Youthscape, Urban Saints and Romance Academy are teaming up for a day designed to equip and release those who are feeling a call into youth ministry.

Could this be you? Your volunteer team? A young person in your youth group? Or a member of your congregation?

We need loads more people equipped and called into youth ministry as we seek to grow disciples and reimagine church across the Diocese, and this is a great way of starting that ball rolling. Find out more about this brilliiant event below!

When: Saturday 23rd January, 9.30am-7pm

Where: Soul Survivor Watford warehouse, WD247GP

Cost: Free! Please book on here so that we have an idea of numbers.

DOWNLOAD PDF

On Saturday 23rd January we’re holding a one-day conference for anyone who is passionate about young people and would like to explore what it means to reach and disciple the next generation. If you’re already a youth leader, we’d love for you to think about some young people you could invite who are interested in youth ministry. If you’re trying to work out if this is something you’re called to we’d love for you to join us too.

The day will be hosted by Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft, alongside our friends Rachel Gardner from Romance Academy and Girls’ Brigade, Chris Curtis and Martin Saunders from Youthscape and Matt Summerfield from Urban Saints. We’ll also make plenty of space for worship and ministry to meet with God and ask him to work in us.

We’ll be looking at:

• Recapturing the heart of youth ministry

• How to help young people live out their faith among their friends

• What it means to faithfully love and serve others

• Identifying the barriers to disciple-making and how these can be overcome

• Principles and practical exercises to learn how to disciple young people

• Why everything flows from loving God and worshipping him

Head to the Soul Survivor website for more details on their other events.

Enable Schools Work Qualification coming to Portsmouth!

Do you work in schools? Or do you want to? Sharpen your skills, get resourced, and get envisioned by signing up for the Enable Schoolswork Qualification. Find out more by clicking on the flyer below!

FInd out more about Schoolswork UK

The Youth Evangelism Conference 2016

Working on helping the young people you work with grow as authentic disciples? Looking for the transformation of your local community? Trying to reimagine what church could look like if it effectively engaged with Young People? Why not add the 2016 Youth Evangelism Conference into your thinking space.

From the Organisers – “These are challenging times in youth ministry with fewer and fewer opportunities for youth leaders to come together for input and inspiration throughout 2016. Why not make the Youth Evangelism Conference your place for training in 2016? With a ridiculous first year price of just £20 per person (and only £10pp for all HOPE Revolution advocates), this is a no brainer for anyone passionate to see young people come to faith. Please note, this price is only available for bookings made before Christmas. Please visit the YEC website for more information and to make your booking.”

“There is an urgency for effective youth ministry and evangelism. This conference will equip, inspire, and encourage for a ‘time such as this’. If you have been called to youth ministry and evangelism do not miss this unique conference – there will be divine synergy that will make a difference.”

J.John – Evangelist www.canonjjohn.com

How to teach preschoolers spiritual truth

Here’s a blog from 2013 from Orange Leaders which can surely do the rounds again:

We have the most amazing, powerful, life changing, TRUE story ever told—God’s story! Below are five ways we can begin to teach it to our preschoolers.

1. Experience the Truth
Preschoolers learn best through experience and active participation. Choose activities that give them these memorable experiences.

Touch David’s soft, fluffy sheep.
Smell the sweet perfume as Mary pours it on Jesus’ head and feet.
Hear Joshua’s horn in the battle of Jericho.
Taste the Lord’s Supper as Jesus eats with the disciples.
See Noah’s ark as it floats on water.

Build a wall with Nehemiah.
Dress up like Queen Esther.
Pretend to cook bread for Elijah like the widow.
Rock baby Moses and put him in a basket.
Doctor the hurt man’s boo-boos like the Good Samaritan.
Ride in the boat with Jonah.

2. Relate to Truth
As you offer opportunities for your children to experience truth, take it a step further and help them relate to that truth.
•Speak words they understand and use on a daily basis. When I’m writing, I will read and re-read and keep changing words until I get them to a preschool level of understanding.
•Use age–appropriate content. Just because it is the truth doesn’t mean it’s time to teach it. The Bible is full of stories that preschoolers are not ready to hear. As children get older, they will learn more and more details of the same stories.
•Connect spiritual truth to their young world. Think of what a preschooler’s day looks like and apply truth to what they already know and have experienced.  What may seem small to you is big to them.
•Talk and pray about the truth you are teaching in a Small Group setting.

You can read the other three ideas by clicking here.

Children’s mental health services must move into the 21st Centrury

Thanks, Chris Kidd, for pointing us towards the following article:

The Children’s Commissioner for England says most children are looking to the internet for information about mental health issues. She has called for young people’s mental health websites to carry a ‘health warning’ with some sort of kite mark system to guarantee the quality of the information given, but she says more help and counselling should be provided in schools and youth clubs.

Young people want trustworthy information about mental health issues and also more accessible drop-in mental health support. Research found that young people are more likely to seek help about mental health issues from a friend (50%) than a parent (43%), mental health professional (40%) or doctor (40%). Only 18% would turn to their school nurse.

A new animated guide to mental health care in England was launched ahead of World Mental Health Day by the Kings Fund; exploring the mental health services and how they work alongside other health and public services.