Christian TweenagersClubs - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: Christian TweenagersClubs


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Christian TweenagersClubs
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Recent statistic inform us that 39 of English
churches have no children or young people
thats a huge percentage! 49 have no
11-14s 59 have no 15-19s Thats scary! Wake
up oh sleeper!
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Good Programmes for 9-14s are essential!
Holiday Clubs
Café Style Clubs
Mid-week Clubs
GBBB etc
School lunchtime CUs
Saturday Specials!
Schools Clubs
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Jennyfrom Bourne Stamford writes
I have researched the 11year olds I am in contact
with. I have a group around now after school so I
have asked them what they think. Their responses
are
We like being together, the activities don't need
to be all singing and dancing, its the
opportunity to be together and chill in a cool
venue. Venue that are cool to invite friends too,
with cool Christian music and bands to inform
them that Christianity is not dull hymn singing
but much more!! The most important thing is that
we feel we belong to something and have somewhere
to go where we are not judged, but supported and
have fun.
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• We love activities like
• film night, 
• theme nights on creation etc, 
• sport games, team games that you can
  invite friends to.
• Smoothie making evening,
• discussion/focus groups on issues that we
  encounter like being a Christian at school,
  moving on to secondary school, growing up,
  realising the world isn't fair all the time and
  then looking at what God says about these
  issues in the bible. 
• Charity fund raisers, thinking of wacky things
  to raise money for other people. Some of us love
  talent shows, others hate them, but we have a
  choice and we don't have to participate.

It is embarrassing when older leaders try to be
11, dressing younger and using cool words and
pretending to know the latest music etc. We would
rather they be themselves and we could learn from
them, and respect them for who they are!
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I asked different youth and childrens workers
around the county about the clubs and activities
that they run for Tweenagers
Leslie Hardwick writes
Thursday Special Is based on a rougher estate
We have no younger age limit or any older age
limit as older brother and sisters sometimes
have to bring younger ones along. Ages range from
young children to 16 year old teenagers. The
structure and routine has only changed a little
in decades yet still seems to work well. The
children bring themselves along week after week.
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No frills or fancy gimmicks to the programme
children arrive and sit on chairs chatting to
each other until we make a start then we have a
45 minutes Christian slot of childrens songs,
followed by a quiz based on the bible story from
the week before, then we tell this weeks Bible
Story then we all have a big game like dodge
ball or traffic lights etc. Some people hearing
about Thursday Special club may consider it old
fashioned, a simple weekly routine but over the
Christmas holidays, a mother phoned me to see
when Thursday Special was starting as again as
her 11 year old daughter loved the club so much!
The children remember the Bible Stories and
songs very well. Many of the older ones also come
along to the young peoples groups that meet in
peoples homes.. One of our lads who first came
as a young child from a none church family
currently with Youth for Christ.
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I work regularly with 11-13s in a youth cafe
type set up check out www.upperroom.co.nr We
felt that it was important to give the young
people a place they could call their own within
church. Our mission statement is to provide a
safe place to come along and chill out with your
friends, have a laugh, while finding the answers
to the questions that really matter in life.
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We are open every Wednesday night from
7.30pm-9.30pm for 12-15s and Thursday night
from 7pm-9pm for 11-12s. We offer lots of
activities, including games, sports, film nights,
quiz nights and general chill out nights. We
have an alcohol-free bar (which makes them feel
grown up!) where they can buy drinks and snacks.
We also do crazy things like plan sleepovers for
35 kids. Its all good fun!
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Wednesday night. 7.30-9.30 for 12-15s When we
started about 90 of the young people were
non-churched kids 10 were churched. More and
more of the youngsters have started coming to
church Now, we have around thirty-five young
people attending. Thursday nights 7pm-9pm for
11-12s Both evenings have grown in numbers
partly due to my contact with Scripture Union CU
groups in schools because, from that, youngsters
bring their friends along. The place is very
modern, trendy and cool which helps attract young
people.
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How do you include the Christian faith? We have
a God slot every week where we look at topics
from the bible and how relevant they are to our
lives today. I try to make these slots
interactive and always work and connect on their
level theres no point in preaching to them.
Ill often use film clips, or use games to
illustrate points, or encourage them to act the
bible story out! (Ive got a few born actors!)
I attempt to gain their respect by encouraging
them and letting them have their say. Recently
we have had quite a few new kids with BIG
questions so we generally end up going way off
topic and answering their questions. What has
been amazing to see, and so natural, is when
these kids ask questions like How do you know
God is real? and when you see the young people
progress from knowing very little about God to
having now made a commitment and answering
questions from their peers before the leaders can
get a word in!
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A group of young people asked if we could meet to
do more bible study we now meet every Friday
after school to study and pray together. They
are hungry to learn more from Gods word and its
exciting. Future plans for the upper room
include a youth alpha group for those young
people who want to find out more about the
Christian faith. Wednesday and Thursday Evenings
Structure First 30 minutes chilling out and
chatting. Next 40 - 50 minutes are spent
playing sports in main hall, wii games and
chilling with friends. Sometimes, we play games
if the young people want to. Next 30-40 minute
God slot. The amount of time spent on the God
slot varies depending on what we are looking at/
if we are splitting into groups. Or if the young
people ask some interesting questions that lead
onto a longer discussion.
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What about control and discipline? The young
people know that there is a time for mucking
about and having a laugh but theres also a time
to look at the Bible. They generally cope
well, and they have clear boundaries. This is
very important so they know what is acceptable
and what is not. I have no problem in asking a
young person to wait outside the room is they are
playing up Generally give them one warning
and then they are asked to wait outside. But, to
be honest, most of the time they are fine. One
thing that helps is to have a good team of
leaders that can work together. Im very
fortunate to have a team that are good at
diffusing situations and working together?.
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What is special about this age group/ what
changes are they going through? Big change in
their lives From primary to secondary (oldest
to youngest) Making friends Growing up into
teenagers - hormones kick in and they realise the
opposite sex can be attractive. They start
asking BIG questions about life and about faith!
So it is an opportunity not to be missed!!!! What
can we learn from them and what can they offer
the church? Some become Christians and start
coming along to church. Their passion for God
and their childlike faith is something we can all
learn from. The church should be a family with
young and old alike worshiping together. Sure,
young people may worship in a different way (it
may be too loud or just too different for older
people) but when we see the heart of the young
worshiper and the abandonment to Gods purposes
and His love then I believe we can learn a lot. I
see youngsters from crazy backgrounds some I
couldnt comprehend - just clinging onto God,
moving forward in love and faith and serving
others around them, even though they are
suffering. For me thats what its all about.
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I asked Gavin, of Romsey Mill, Cambridge, What is
the Romsey Mill all about and what is the
difference between Christian youth work and open
youth work run by a Christian organisation? Romse
y Mill is a Cambridge charity working with
marginalised young people and families, set up by
local churches in 1980, but now receiving Council
funding. We meet around 2200 young people and
families each year, creating with them
opportunities for personal, social and spiritual
development. Our aim to draw these young people
and families into the wider community by reducing
isolation, increasing self-esteem and confidence
and developing skills. Check out
http//www.romseymill.org/ for more
details. Individual children are referred to us
by schools. One things we do is run afterschool
clubs working with these individuals .  We get to
know their interests and build the groups up
doing these things (arts and craft, sport,
music).    
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• Here a distinction needs to be made between
  Christian youth work and open youth work run by a
  Christian organisation.
• How do we bridge the gap between the work that we
  are doing and our faith? 
• We are in a tricky situation as an organsation in
  that we do not want to
• sacrifice our Christian faith but do need to be
  funded by Council money etc.
• Partnering with Christian organisations.  Youth
  for Christ, and Ridley Hall students provide
  volunteers for our groups
• YFC run Alpha groups in Starbucks and because of
  the good relationships that have built up a
  number of our kids have been on the course.
• we have taken the children we are working with
  away on various Christian camps (Falcon) and to
  Christian centres for residentials. 
• we have still been the base for traditional
  Christian work, monthly JAM Club, annual J-Team
  holiday club.
• Romsey Mill have allowed me to do GenR8 primary
  schools tour.  It is good for the children work
  with to see me in another role!

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Good childrens work
Plenty of preparation
Plenty of Prayer and prayer support
Genuine love, a caring place to be!
Time!
Partnership with the church (regularly meeting
with church leadership this could be their
future!
Needs money!
Loads of fun and laughs!
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Good Team work is essential for good childrens
work lots roles, different skills and
responsibilities. A great opportunity for
all-ages to work together! Registration Team
Leader lead a group of children Team Helper
Activity Organizer Games Leaders Craft Leader
Fun sheets Time Keeper Snack Team First
Aider Discipler Publicity Floaters
Presenter / up-front people
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All leaders pulling in the same direction!

• All working together with same expectations
  
• Guide lines for leaders
• Dos and donts
  
• Do sit in with the children during up-front time.
• Do be prepared to join in songs etc
• Do encourage, befriend and control your team of
  children.
• Do use your common sense!
• Dont be on the edge chatting or distracting the
  children or presenter as the programme is taking
  place.
• Dont become over friendly with children sitting
  on your lap, hugging etc.
• Dont play fight children or join in games where
  you could fall on a child.
• Dont go off into a room on your own with a child
  and never arrange to meet a child outside the
  activity on your own. Organize properly arranged
  outings with parents permission!

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Structure

• An enjoyable time or a
  riot?
• Sheep need a
  shepherd to lead them.
• A Time for Everything
• Song Time
• Messy Time
• Story Time
• Fun Time
• News Time
• Telly Time
• Quiz Time
• Chill Out time
• Snack n chat time
• Question time
• Interview Time
• Stick to a routine! make
  the Christian Message central.

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Incentives

• Right through our lives we have incentives to
  help us achieve the best we can and keep
  enthusiasm!

Personal achievement cards/scoring charts/tokens
Work well at
weekly clubs
They earn points for Attendance Quoting a
Bible verse Answering a question in the
quiz Coolest behaved girl and boy. Outstanding at
joining in activities Bringing along a friend
Try and keep away from the tuck shop idea.
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What could I include?

• A time of Praise - weekly
• Memory Verses - monthly
• Bible Charge - from time to time
• Hot Spot Interview/testimony time from time
  to time
• The Bible story! - weekly
• Theme illustrations from time to time
• Puppet Sketch - from time to time
• Have a quiz weekly
• Activity Game/craft or both - weekly

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Working With 11-14's Pretty Much
EverythingPretty Much Everything You Need to
Know About.... by Tricia WilliamsJohn
Stephenson
Alpha Youth Manual 11-14 years Magazine
Ready-to-Go Youth Group Activities
Effective Ministry To Tweenagers PB by HASSALL
MACDONALD
Reaching and Keeping Tweenagers by Peter
Brierley
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Johns Music DVDs CDs music book
Johns holiday club themes/books
www.johnhardwick.org.uk