come each time it meets although last month we had 20 with four people coming for the first time. At the moment they are nearly all boys and are in years 8 – 10 at school but anyone aged 13 – 17 can come. At the moment we meet once a month as that is what everyone wants, young people and the volunteers.
Other than using all the games equipment, we use the more traditional youth club type equipment, some of which we borrow. We also eat, talk, and chill out. We have gained some sofas and comfy chairs and some throws and rugs and bought some soft lighting. We don’t allow anyone to come in with alcohol or games which are meant for adults. There is a no smoking policy. We have talked about the policies informally each time we have met and now have some basic rules or ‘Thing!’ expectations. The hall is such a nice place to meet that it seems to be respected by everyone who comes. There are always plenty of adults around who support what we are trying to do.
The concept: a team of volunteers from BOW working with young people, getting to know them, forming personal
relationships and
encouraging
conversation. We want everyone to come and have a good experience of being in the church. Who knows, these people might become the future church, my church could do with them, there is no future without them!
There is little structure to the evening; it creates its own structure around food or something special like fireworks in November. The cost of running this new youth initiative is more expensive than we at first envisaged and realize that if we are going to be
contemporary we need to have appropriate resources for 13 – 17 year olds both boys and girls. We applied for some money from various places and the County Council gave us a huge grant which will buy some large pieces of equipment.
So the secret: take a church, mine is Baptist. Take a number of members, mine has about 50. Take an average age profile of the church, mine is 78. Do a count of the teenagers involved with the church, mine is 1, me. Not untypical of many ordinary churches all over the country. I wanted to do something about it. I could have stopped going to church. I could have gone elsewhere where there are young people, but I would need a lift. But I wanted to do something about my church where I belong. I want my
church to have a future. I decided that I needed to do something. I had the opportunity.
What I have done here at BOW is simple, but unique! I simply invited my friends to come to church and play! It was quite difficult to get them inside at first; they just hung about the car park. I think they were scared. I would be. What are they going to do to me? I’m sure some thought we would do the ‘God-slot bit’ but we don’t. The rest is now history!
There were 20 young people on the premises last week. These young people are receiving the hospitality of the church. They pay £1 and have two and a half hours of fun. They have food, last week it was burgers, pancakes or toasted cheese sandwiches. No one goes home hungry. I hope they go home with a good feeling about church, about its hospitality and its friendship.
It was Friday night and sport relief was being streamed live via the internet so we bought a TV license so we could watch it on the big screen in the church. When did my church last have 20 teenagers sitting in the pews! 1950 maybe?
Elliot Crippen Age 14
www.countyway.org.uk
21
rural spirituality
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