Participate!
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Participate! Is an exciting seven-week programme designed to enable 9-14s to gain the understanding and skills needed to live out their Christian lives within the local church and wider community. The material takes the approach that young people often find it difficult to establish their identity and role within the local church in the transition between being part of the children’s group and settling in to a youth group.
A5 glossy leader’s guide. A5 glossy participant’s journal: ‘A reflective journal for the young people to use as a personal record of their experience accompanies the Participate! programme. The journal is designed to help build skills of reflective practice as well as encouraging the exploration of faith as part of home life’. Designed as six 90-120 minute sessions (or 12 x 45 minute sessions):
Try it! Available to buy from www.barnabasinchurches.org.uk/youth-resources
Youth 9-14s. Group of any size. Material says it could be used with one young person, but group work would be far better
Nicely produced glossy format, very clear layouts.
Clear and very thorough.
Thorough thought-through guidance on motivation and preparation. Good planning and evaluation sheets included. Clear layout throughout. Few icons but clear headings, though a highlighter pen would help.
Someone with experience of working with youth, and groups, as main leader, plus at least one other.
Attractive layout with opportunity for thorough and honest responses to the issues.
N/A
Considerable. Designed to have full support from rest of leadership and church, plus direct involvement for the placement idea at end of course, so significant lead-in time required. Material supplied for thinking through both practical and theological background/motivation. For sessions, great sheets for planning and evaluation are provided. Choices need to be made for each section and consequent materials prepared, which may include film clips, activities etc.
Downloadable copies of material on website.
No.
Very good. Sessions are all group-engagement based, though with personal response time when appropriate.
Unusually, a helpful page is devoted to an explanation and implications of learning styles. Choices provided within each section of each session, including a range of approaches – hands-on, activity, discussion, film clips etc. Strong and helpful recognition that differences extend to gifts, abilities and potential, with all acknowledged and embraced.
Should suit a wide range of youth, especially as choices are given. Not tied to a particular expectation of church, although some may want to add to the list of possible serving roles that could be shadowed (see below).
Sessions end with a challenge for the week which is mainly individual. Course finishes with setting up of shadowing ‘placements' with current church volunteers in different roles. Participant's journal is essentially personal, and applies the session material. Last session includes recap of all. In addition, there is the placement idea, where each participant has a chance to shadow a more experienced Christian in their role. Careful preparation given.
Depending on options chosen, around a quarter.
Encourages engagement with biblical view of God and self in imaginative ways. Passages chosen relevant to theme.
Biblical examples paralleled with contemporary ones in relevant ways.
Foreword by General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Britain, and should be widely applicable.
Course focuses on the value of every individual, the meaning of community, and serving God in community. Encourages engagement with these issues. Very positive outlook generally.
Lots of opportunities to discuss and explore the chosen issues, and work out how to apply them. Journal makes it all very practical.
This will depend on the starting place of each participant, but the chosen issues are explored in imaginative ways. Explored most under vocation, with real-life examples.
Stories and situations are relevant to school and youth experience, though do not delve into more challenging and tricky areas. For example, some of the ‘Valued for who I am' material may be deeply difficult for some youth. Sensitivity needed.
Some gentle, practical beginning steps.
Some encouragement given to engage with community outside of church.
Not a focus.
Included in possible scenarios under the ‘vocation' section.
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