Children and Youth
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This is an exciting opportunity for churches to look afresh their church’s life with children, young people and families. Click here to find out more!
The Lundie Memorial Award celebrates the good work a child or young person is doing for their church and community. You can nominate them here.
URC Children
Find out how children aged under 12 years of age are part of the URC. Click here!
Meet our Children and Youth Mission Practitioners
Helen
Will
Our support for children’s and youth work is integrated within our Mission team: Mission Practitioners: Children, Youth and Training
They are involved in the following areas of work:
Training – organising and delivering a range of training for all those involved in youth & children’s work, including volunteer youth & children’s leaders, young leaders, employed workers, elders, and ministers.
Advice & Consultancy – they are available to meet with you to talk about all aspects of work with with Children and Young people , including thinking about different approaches help with resources, holiday clubs, intergenerational worship etc.
Organising Events for children & young people in the Synod and encouraging, supporting and enabling others to organise events for children & young people eg. Messy church, holiday clubs etc
Child and Youth friendly Church scheme. Encouraging and enabling churches through the process.
Employment of workers – helping churches with the process of employing a youth/children’s/family worker (from considering the possibility right through to appointing and then supporting the worker).
Working alongside others to promote participation of children & young people
Please contact us: Children or Youth if you would like any more information and help with the above or to discuss your requirements
Meet Casper!
Casper is our Synod Youth Representative.
My name is Casper/Cas and I go to Plume Avenue Church. I really enjoy taking part in church activities and helping out at junior church, drop in, and church collectives. Outside of church, I like to call my friends to play Minecraft. My favourite part of the week is when I help out at my local primary school or cub group.
As Champion For Younger Youth, I will attend lots of meetings where I will represent and speak for younger youth. I hope to help young people feel that they belong and have a voice in church. Adolescence can be a difficult period in a young person’s life, which can bring up lots of questions about themselves and their faith – I want to help make their church a welcoming place for young people as they grow in their identities and their faith.
Meet Margaret!
The role of Children’s and Youth Advocate:
The Eastern Synod Children’s and Youth Work Advocate works with the Synod’s Children and Youth Mission Practitioners.
The Advocate’s role includes:
- Working with the teamto access support requirements and the best way to offer that support and the training needs
- Promoting and supporting Synod children’s and youth ‘events’
- Advocating the importance of children and young people and of children’s, youth and family work within the Synod
- Sharing good news stories across the Synod
Training
Equipping and Enabling work with Children and Young People
‘Bitesize’ training workshops to further equip and enable your work with children and young people. Designed to help you grow your skills to work with children and to nurture them on their journey. Bite size courses will provide creative practical ideas in different aspects of work with children and young people.
The Bitesize training course can be delivered on any subject regarding children, youth, all age or family work. Topics include:
- Creative prayer
- Reflective storytelling
- Intergenerational worship
- Working with additional needs
- Listening to Children and young people
If you would like to arrange a training session (s) in your locality, or for further information, get in touch!
Resources
Equipping and Enabling work with Children and Young People
‘Bitesize’ training workshops to further equip and enable your work with children and young people. Designed to help you grow your skills to work with children and to nurture them on their journey. Bite size courses will provide creative practical ideas in different aspects of work with children and young people.
The Bitesize training course can be delivered on any subject regarding children, youth, all age or family work. Topics include:
- Creative prayer
- Reflective storytelling
- Intergenerational worship
- Working with additional needs
- Listening to Children and young people
If you would like to arrange a training session (s) in your locality, or for further information, get in touch!
Check out our all-age resources!
Grants and Funding
The synod has funding available for children’s and youth work, this could be a small grant to buy resources, or a larger one to fund a children’s and youth worker! Or anything in between, find out more here.
There are many other sources for funding too, please get in touch!