Ministers Desk 15 April

In the coming weeks some significant changes are taking place in the structure of our youth groups. 

In the past we have had two groups that meet on Friday night.  P1 is a group that started immediately after Easter with children in year 7.  They would remain in this group until immediately prior to Easter the following year.  After Easter, when they are then in year 8, they would join Xtreme.  The idea of P1 was to give the children a core and dependable group that didn’t change, despite the changes that were happening to them as they moved from Primary to High School.  Xtreme catered for youth in Years 8 to 12.  These groups had met at different times on Friday night at the church.

Starting in the next couple of weeks we will be rearranging these groups.  The younger group will include children from Year 7 to Year 9.  It will meet at the church and will operate according to a traditional youth group programme.  This will include games, devotions, dinner and some off-site activities. 

A group for youth in Years 10 to 12 will also meet on Friday night.  However, this group intends to have a different style.  For starters it will meet at the Presbytery Office at Ashgrove Avenue (the old Grove church) in a dedicated youth space.  It is intended that older youth from across the Presbytery will meet together there.  There will be no organised programme, rather an informal “hang out space.”  There will be competent supervision but their role will not be to lead games.  They will spend their time interacting with the youth, building relationships, mentoring them, providing a credible and authentic witness to Jesus Christ.  Through this the intention is to lead the youth either into, or deeper into, a living relationship with Jesus Christ.  The concept behind this group is not to provide entertainment and activities for the youth, but to create a space and time when faith sharing and discipling can take place.  An intention Explore Group will also meet early on Friday evening for youth that are interested in attending.

It is hoped that these changes will help develop faith within the young people whom we have the privilege of sharing Friday nights with. 

Please pray for this new initiative.  Pray for the leaders who have committed to serving in this way.  Particularly pray for at least one other leader who can take responsibility for the younger group meeting at Emmanuel.  Please pray for the youth who currently attend or will in future, ask that they may experience the love of God and transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. 

On behalf of the church I thank those who are involved in our youth ministries, this includes our Friday night groups.  It also includes our Brigades and Sunday morning Explore Group.  Thank you for your time, commitment and faithfulness to God’s mission with youth.