Training & Best Practice

Youthwork the Conference
Who is it for?

For anyone who is involved in working with young people – full or part-time, volunteer or salaried, a few weeks in or been doing it for years – there will be something for everyone.

Why should I go?

Youthwork the conference is for you if you:

• are involved in youthwork in any way
• want to be re-envisioned and developed in your ministry
• need fresh and creative ideas
• want to be motivated by innovative youthwork practitioners and inspirational speakers
• would like to meet up with hundreds of other youth workers

Theme
Over the next three years of Youthwork the conference, we’ll be exploring key themes that are at the heart of what it means to do Christian youthwork in the 21st century - Soul, Society and Service. Youthwork the conference 2008 starts by focusing on the spiritual life and soul of the youth worker.

Book online or contact Sarah Brush for details and booking forms.


Safer Surfing
I’ve already had a few enquiries about safe internet surfing and online networking. Parents, youth leaders and young people might all like to look at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s site

Child Protection training sessions
There is only one Child Protection session remaining this term on Monday 7th July at Old Hill, Holy Trinity Church Hall B64 6JA. There will be details of sessions in the autumn.

Resources

LightLive
Have a look at this new set of free resources from Scripture Union.

10,000 free online activities – with 650 more added every 3 months
LightLive is a new website which puts a multitude of Bible-based activities and ideas at your fingertips – and it’s free of charge! It is designed by Scripture Union to help you tailor material to the specific needs of your children and young people’s group(s) or congregation. Go to http://www.lightlive.org/ – and remember, it’s absolutely FREE!

• access the bank of activities and ideas
• enrich your programme with multimedia resources
• search, save and print – all from one website
• plan and manage your group programme like never before

Diocesan Resources
I am currently working on making more resources available to youth leaders around the diocese. There will be more details in the autumn. If there is anything in particular which you would like which the diocese might loan out to parishes, please do get in touch.

Forthcoming events around the diocese

Rock the Cathedral
The Worcester Diocesan Youth Council are planning a massive event in the Cathedral on Saturday 6th September from 7pm. This is to encourage the young people of the Diocese to share their faith and show them that worshipping God is not just about the 10 o’clock service on a Sunday morning. ‘Rock the Cathedral’ will be a music event that combines a mixture of signed and un-signed bands as well as worship and activities looking at a range of issues.

The Christian band Finchley will be headlining with support from local Christian groups: Dan Haynes, Formal Affair, The Relentless Craving and The Fans of Faye.

Sk808
St Peter’s Church in Redditch are running a fantastic event as part of Hope 08 called Sk808 on Saturday 5th July at Redditch Skate Park from 2-4pm with the help of ONE EIGHTY the skateboard evangelists from Bath YFC. If you have any young people really in to the skate scene this is a must and if you’ve always wondered what was appealing about skateboarding then you should pop along and see what it’s all about.

Meet & Greets
The Diocese youth council and I, together with Phil Mitchell who helps churches work with their local schools, will be visiting deanery synods to make connections with those working with young people. I hope you will be able to come along to one of these so that I can meet as many as possible of the wonderful people working with young people in our diocese.

Advance Notice—Taizé Summer 2009

I will be taking a group of young people and young adults to the Taizé Community in France in July/August 2009. If you would be interested in being part of this, do get in touch with me. One of the brothers from the community will be visiting the diocese in the new year. More information soon on the new Worcester Taizé blog.

Recent Events and News

Worcester Spirit Mark
On 14th May, the Department for Children, Youth and Education launched an award scheme for parish’s work with children. Four parishes were awarded their bronze Level certificates as part of a pilot scheme. I will be visiting Deanery Synods over the next eighteen months to talk about the scheme and help churches engage with it. The Bronze Award represents a set of minimum standards in children's and youth work. We want parishes to celebrate their good practice with children and young people and identify ways in which they could improve:

• how they reach out to children and young people


• the ways they are welcomed


• how they are included within worship


• their place in day to day activities of the church.

For parishes which are going further in this area the diocese will be awarding Silver and Gold awards . If you have any questions regarding the scheme or need any assistance at all in developing your youth and children's work, please do not hesitate to contact me.


Youth Mass goes Mass Media
A group of young people from Kidderminster have been running their own Youth Mass at St Barnabas Kidderminster for some time now and they have just been given a grant by the Greenbelt Trust and invited to lead a service at the Greenbelt festival this year. If you are going to Greenbelt this year, please go along and support them.

Wd You launch

Hello! I’m Sarah Brush the new Diocesan Youth Officer for Worcester Diocese and this is the first of the new Worcester Diocesan Youth Office Updates Wd You ? This publication is going to keep you up to date with recent and forthcoming events in the diocese, training opportunities for youth leaders and useful information for working with young people. Please make sure you pass this to all those working with young people in the parish. I’ve had a fabulous month in the diocese already and have been wonderfully welcomed. I am looking forward to meeting more of you soon.

Coming Soon...

Welcome!

I'm Sarah Brush the Diocesan Youth Officer for Worcester Diocese.

Soon this site will contain regular updates on youth work events and training in the Diocese of Worcester.