Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

Ideas

1. Find out what ‘mission’ projects your church community supports then work out how you as a youth group can support them too
2. Make mission a part of worship – make a particular issue your theme for a youth service
3. Raise awareness - write letters, sign petitions, write articles for/to newsletters, papers, magazines etc etc etc
4. Get your hands dirty for God - do some time for charities/organisations/your own church in your community, care for God’s creation by going to your local park or beach and pick up rubbish
5. Attend to the little things – make some commitments as a group to supporting certain organisations or products (and avoiding others which aren't).

Locally

Your local hospital or resthome

Offer your services, read to patients, take a church service on a Sunday morning, sing carols at Christmas...

City missions

Your city may have a City Mission centre, soup kitchen or night shelter, etc where you can volunteer

Community services

Raise money for your local Fire Brigade, paint a mural at the local community primary school, give time to your local community centre...

Collections for charity

Help out with door-to-door or street collections for charity (IHC, Blind Foundation, Salvation Army and about a million other organisations do these). Contact the organisations direct or your city council to find out when they are happening.

Your local Foodbank

Help out on a regular basis or at a food drive, where your youth group can help collect and shelve food.

Habitat for Humanity

Builds homes for people using volunteer workers.

SPCA

Cos we all know that God loves the animals... www.rspcanz.org.nz

Canteen

Aims to support, develop and empower young people living with cancer. Opportunities for volunteers to raise awarenes and funds. www.canteen.org.nz

Overseas from Home

Global Mission Office

Get in touch with Andrew Bell who'll let you know about the overseas mission projects supported by the Pressie Church, as well as help you explore your own global mission concerns.

Tear Fund

a Christian Relief and Development Agency. Get involved with the latest project, sponsor a child or a community. 0800 800 061 www.tearfund.org.nz

Christian World Service

the official Development, Justice and Aid Programme of CCANZ. Regularly campaigns on issues of social justice, publishing resource material and emphasising ways to get involved. http://www.cws.org.nz/

Christian Children’s Fund

sponsor a child, annual collections http://www.ccf.org.nz/

Save the Children Fund

sponsor a child, annual collections http://www.savethechildren.org.nz/

Amnesty International

Campaign worldwide against the abuse of human rights. Publish information on relevant issues and suggest ways to help out by writing letters etc. http://www.amnesty.org.nz/

World Vision

sponsor a child or community, do the 40 hr Famine, join the Global Aid Partners scheme. 0800 800 776 www.worldvision.org.nz

Overseas

Visit the mission project of your local Church

Does your church have missionaries overseas or support another community? Visiting the community will strengthen links with the whole church community, as well as giving your kids an amazing experience.

Global volunteer network

Place volunteers in short-term positions in communities in need overseas. http://www.volunteer.org.nz/

Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF)

Takes a group of teenagers to Thailand each summer to teach English and run Christian programmes in schools and camps, among other initiatives http://www.nz.omf.org/

Interserve

Mission organisation that works in the ‘hard places’ in Asia and the Middle East. Offers opportunities for short-term mission trips http://www.interserve.org/nz/

Serving in Mission (SIM)

Missionary organisation which offers opportunities for international short-term mission trips. www.sim.org

Youth With a Mission (YWAM)

has a wide variety of mission opportunities for young people locally and overseas. http://www.ywam.org.nz/