Summer Newsletter 2017

The Summer Newsletter 2017
Welcome to our new staff!

Nick’s musings
We’re not a perfect organisation and we try to keep learning from any mistakes we make. But
one of the things I really like about Norwich Youth for Christ is that we empower people.
When a staff member has a dream and a God given vision, we encourage them to explore it.
Ben is passionate about media and creating high quality Christian content online. Sarah
wants music to be accessible to all young people and has developed Tracks. Emmi is currently
exploring how art can be used in ministry with young people. I’m passionate about leadership and have loved
seeing leaders develop through the Global Leadership Summit. Amongst our programmes, you will often see
young people volunteering and getting involved, being given opportunities to grow and develop.
Our gap year programme is an extension of this, another way we empower young people. Grace said “Thank
you so much for investing time and energy into me as a person. I have had many opportunities to be a
leader and to show what I’ve learnt.”
Emelie has just finished a 2 week work experience placement with us and she wrote a thank you card to the team
saying “I’ve done things over these two weeks I’ve never done before and having the opportunity to do
so has been a great blessing and learning curve that I hope to remember long into the future”.
Empowerment is risky, you’re never sure if the person will ‘get it right’ or make some mistakes. Yet Jesus placed
the future of the church into a group of people who had only just figured out that Jesus really was God’s son and
were still working out some of the implications (and theology) of this! I cannot help but think that
empowerment is a vital part of how we allow God to work through people. Yes, support is needed, but in a way
that frees people to depend on God’s strength and his leading.
Which is why it is with mixed feelings we say goodbye to four of our staff members.

Paul Roast is taking over from Ang Fox as Director of North Breckland YFC. Becca Savory is taking an office
management role at Oak Grove Community Church. Dave Cossey has been accepted into ordination training in
September. Rupert Appleton has now finished his 3 year student placement with us. I’m sad we are losing them
and grateful for their incredible service over the years - a total of 24 years between them! But I’m also
encouraged that they are empowered by His Spirit to move forwards in Gods vision and fulfil the plans he has
for them.
On a similar theme, as part of our priority for schoolswork, some of you may know that we are looking to
provide alternative education. This is education outside of school for small groups of students struggling to
achieve. I’ve always had a heart for education, especially those who find it difficult, so anything we can do to
empower these young people is sorely needed. Our plans are beginning to take shape but currently our big need
is that we need to find an appropriate venue. Please pray that the right thing comes up!
Date for your Diary: Our Annual Showcase and 40 th Birthday celebration is on March 3rd 2018,
at Norwich Central Baptist Church, Duke Street, NR2 3AP
Prayer points:
Over the term we’ve seen at least 4 people make decisions to follow Jesus. Please pray for them as they start this
new journey!
We have 2 new gap years, Amber and Tim, who will be starting with us in September. Pray that we find
accommodation in time!
For Paul, Becca, Dave and Rupert as they leave and start their new roles.

“Fantastic Sound, Professional Team”
Tracks has been in high demand for many churches over the summer season with a number of
them doing outdoor events and needing some audio equipment for amplification. Our typical
British weather has ensured that being a waterproof vehicle Tracks is a popular choice!
Highlights have included The Mayday Fair, Sprowston Churches Open Air Service and the Cathedral
for it’s Ascension Day service.
Feedback has been really positive and encouraging. Megan Rawling wrote a review on our Facebook page saying
“What a great team! Thanks so much for your help with our Gospel Choir performance - fantastic sound,
professional team, and it was really great just to rock up and do our thing without needing to worry
about sound requirements. Would highly recommend!”
We were also able to be a part of the launch of new church ‘The
Open Door Fellowship’ who are based on the South Park Estate.
Alongside a bouncy castle, games, face painting, a puppet show
and a barbeque, Tracks provided live music from a mixture of
our young volunteers performing. Pastor Stuart Bailey said
“Thank you so much for all your help and outstanding
contribution to our Open Day. The band were excellent and
just right for the occasion”
Tracks is available for churches, schools and individuals,
for more information please email
tracks@norwichyfc.co.uk

Celebrate Norwich!
For the third year running we were able to be a part of the Celebrate Norwich and
Norfolk event outside the Forum in Norwich city centre on 10 th June. The event aims
to celebrate, demonstrate and communicate the work of the Norwich and
Norfolk Christian community and to reach out to the wider society.
The TRACKS van was present as source of live music for the event with young people performing
including ‘Keep It Real’ (Daisy and Evie Palmer), Ben Lawrence and band (Joey Marlow and Nathan
Blanch) and our gap year team. We were also able to host Chapel Community Choir, the Catton
Community Choir and the Thorpe Community Choir.
We also provided a range of sideshow games for families such as ‘Splat the Rat’ and ‘Hook a Duck’ whilst
also manning a Cage Football.
Following on from this, we exhibited at The Royal
Norfolk Show as part of The Diocese of Norwich
marquee. The TRACKS van was present taking lots of
tours from excited students and providing a karaoke
competition there for the day.
Over both of these events, we meaningfully engaged
with about 250 people and played our part with a
number of other churches and organisations at
presenting a positive public witness.

Working with a Generation in School
Once again, we delivered Easter Uncovered at
Framingham Earl High School to 100 students in
year 7. The project explores and explains the
significance of the Easter week in an interactive
way. This time we were joined from local church
leaders who helped to facilitate the day. It was a
great day but even before we had started the RE
teacher asked if she could book us for next year
because the students from last year remember it
so well and still talk about it!
If we can continue year on year this will
mean a whole generation in this area will
have engaged with the Easter story.
Paul and Emmi were also able to also work with the whole of year 11 as part of their revision for Christian
Ethics. Standing in front of 140 students, they were fired questions that ranged from divorce,
homosexuality, asylum seekers and politics!
At Open Academy, Paul and the gap year team were able to deliver an assembly about humility. Using her
drama skills Sarah paraphrased a Max Lucado story about the Wemmicks who are little wooden people
that discover their creator, the woodcutter. Meanwhile Grace ran around the room putting stickers on
people – it makes sense if you know the story! Reflecting on Jesus example of washing his disciple’s
feet, Paul explained how we need to be secure in who we are so that we can put others needs
before our own. As Christian we believe we can find this security in Jesus!

Achieving Dreams
In the last year Dave, Nick and Fliss have been training to become fully accredited
coaches. Coaching others can be defined as empowering an individual to help them
learn ‘where they currently are, where God wants them to be, and then to
discover how exactly they can get there’. Together they have been coaching young
people, youth workers and local leaders.
As part of the course, Dave has been coaching 17 year old Adam, building on a relationship that has been
formed from one of Dave’s projects. The agenda is set by the person being coached and as Adam wanted
to focus on his exams, they talked together about what his goals might be and how he could achieve
them.
Together they took a look at Adam’s study methods to help him get fully
geared up for his approaching A-level exams & practical driving test. In the
weeks before his first A-level exam Adam shared that over the past six
months of coaching he had grown to be “far more confident” and that he
believes he will be successful regardless of what his A-level results turn
out to be. He told us that one way or another, he now knows that he
will eventually get to where he wants to be!
Want to be coached to achieve your God given plans? Get in touch, we’re
looking at how we could grow this element of our work!

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