YES Event – “A Link Up Special”

27^th April 2012 (9.30am – 2.00pm) - St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Ashington

Each year the YES Team has hosted what we have termed “link up” events.  These are to equip the Church to engage with the communities we find ourselves to:

a.  Give us the tools to link up with those in our wider community who might not be engaged with Church

b.  To link up the church with other voluntary organisations who might work alongside us in mission and evangelism.

PLEASE JOIN US on the 27^th April where this “link up” will focus on:

Partnership opportunities in an era where the landscape of youth and community work across West Sussex has changed dramatically. We are living in a culture of cutbacks, and the church has an opportunity, and in many cases is being actively asked to engage in its local community. Link Up is looking to highlight areas of good community engagement that the faith sector is involved in locally, that has sprung up out of partnership with other local community groups in order to have a positive impact of the lives of young people and children.

You will hear from four speakers highlighting their work involving partnerships serving young people and the local community from a rural, town, costal and city perspective challenging and inspiring us for the possibilities in your area.

Loyd Harp – Rudgwick Youth Centre – Rudgwick – Loyd work for the rural parish church in Rudgwick with about 4000 people in the village. The project he heads up is a partnership between the local parish council and the church. They have developed the local cricket pavilion into a youth centre, which engages young people on a weekly basis.

Judi Cox – YST // Catalyst – Horsham – Judi is employed by a group of parish churches across Horsham, and over the past 5 years has been instrumental in developing and now heads up Youth Support Team (YST) a detached youth work project across Horsham, that is now partnering with other agencies across the Horsham District to develop new YST teams. Alongside this she has been involved in launching Catalyst, a youth mentoring scheme that trains mentors from the local community and church, mentoring young people from the surrounding schools.

Jon Jolly – Launchpad, Accelerate, - Arun Community Church – Jon works for Arun Community Church and co-ordinates launchpad, part of their accelerate youth work across the church. Launchpad is a breakfast club catering for children and young people from the community, meeting the physical and social needs, as well as assisting in the educational needs. Alongside this Jon is on the management committee of the local youth centre in Wickbourne (Keystone) and they are actively working out what youth provision looks like in their centre, and neighbouring ones.

Dave Perrins – One Church – Brighton – Dave works for One Church, Brighton as they seek to work in partnership and develop a brand new youth initiative across Brighton, whilst also having a heart to work across the city with other churches in meeting the physical, social and spiritual needs within the city.

Debbie Garden - Frontier Youth Trust – Debbie is involved in training and mentoring youth workers, helping individuals and organisations to review and develop their practice, investigating and giving expression to the experiences of young people. She will help us explore mission and marginalisation in a culture of cutbacks, give us some theological inspiration and ask the question of where God is in it all.

The aim of the “link up” will be

·         To highlight churches//organisations working in partnership to engage local in their communities with young people and children.

·         To stretch our thinking, strategically in what might be available or possible in our area.

·         To provide an opportunity to network and connect with others across Sussex thinking along the same lines.

·         Provide support, guidance, advice on the key elements of community partnerships.

Practical Details

There is parking around the church in Ashington, and coffee and lunch will be provided free of charge. For more information please contact steve.tennant@diochi.org.uk

We hope to see you “link up”