That was the question Geraldine youth worker Murray Bradshaw wanted his youth group to ask themselves when he took a van load of them to the city in January on a mission trip – yep that’s right, a MISSION trip to the CITY.
I wanted the kids to assess their own lives and see how much consisted of reaching out to others and hoped that the trip would sow some seeds that would take root and grow for the rest of their lives.
The idea for the trip developed over several years after listening to missionaries talking about life changing experiences. They would say things like ‘take a kid out of his environment, have him serve the poor and needy and you’ll see a kid changed for life.’ Tony Campolo was the latest to challenge me with this message when he spoke at Capital Teen Convention in 2002.
This led to us organising the mission trip to the city. We took them well away from their own town, into unfamiliar territory and exposed them to other sights and cultures, to serve whoever needed a hand, as well as hooking up with bigger groups doing a good job in the community.
The group worked with YFC Wellington, city councils, Drug Arm, Salvation Army and soup kitchens. They also knocked on doors and simply asked people if they needed a hand, offering them a days work. Anyone can do that in their own community – and so they should. It’s all about taking our eyes off ourselves and looking for a need. Just think what our communities would be like if we all reached out to someone every week. Jesus came to serve not to be served and He is our ultimate example to follow.
Murray Bradshaw
Murray is the youth worker at Geraldine in South Canterbury
Step Thorpe tells of how the teenagers at Crossfire Youth 'look out' by being involved in leadership at a Friday night community outreach programme.
The outreach is a drop-in centre called ‘FLAME’ for around 100 Intermediate aged youth. It is run for two hours and involves standard activities like; table tennis, pool, playstation, board games etc and then special features like; guest band performances, dances, talent quests, dress-up nights, karaoke, crazy games and lots more. The end of the night has a ‘God Spot’ and some together time before they head out the door.
The ‘FLAME’ programme is an opportunity for Crossfire Youth to get out and be ‘big brothers’ and ‘big sisters’ to the younger youth in the community. The aim for them is to build meaningful relationships with the kids and show God’s love through those one-on-one connections. When the kids get to High School age they are then encouraged to join the Sunday night programme, where they can get into Bible Study and starting a walk of Faith.
The FLAME programme is doing amazing things in the community, not only have we been amazed at the number of youth attending but at the connections we as the church have formed with their parents. We now have very strong connections with the local schools and they are very supportive of what we are doing. It is our hope that God and His church will become the centre of a strong community in Bishopdale.
As for the youth group doing the outreach, they have been challenged in the application of their faith, tested in their leadership skills, made aware of the needs in their community and learned the value of commitment. It is hard work for everyone involved, but the vision of sowing seeds in the community for the Kingdom of God motivates us to keep going.
Stephanie Thorpe
A member of the PYM Vision Team, Step is the youth worker at St Margarets Bishopdale, in Christchurch