INSPIREAUTUMN 2009

The Coventry YFC NewsletterYour regular update on all things CYFC.

COVENTRY YOUTH CAMP ’09 - THE LOWDOWN...

“When I get home I’m

making some big changes”

www.covyfc.org 02476 550257

The schools summer break is always a great opportunity to engage with young people outside of the school environment and this year was no exception, with the CYFC team engaging in various holiday clubs & activities. However, the highlight of the summer was definitely Coventry Youth Camp.

The CYFC team were joined by various youth leaders from Coventry churches and over 60 young people from across the city for our second year at our new site in Oswestry.

This was a year when knitting became an obsession, where we had our very own circus & magic shows, adventure days and numerous leaders paying a visit to the all new CYFC gunge tank.  

For us as youth workers, camp is one of the highlights of our year (along with the hectic days and nights of preparation for weeks beforehand, and the craziness of unpacking for what seems like weeks afterwards).

Youth work for CYFC is definitely about more than just teaching lessons, and running fun activities. It’s about the relationships that we are able to build with young people in order to impact their lives in a positive way.

Jesus impacted the world, by speaking and teaching, but also by being with people. By setting an example to the world of a life that pleased God to the utmost. 

Our theme this year was 'Ministry of Mission', being agents and adventurers in the world, being role models and looking at how we affect the people and the world around us in the things we say and do. 

It was great to be a part of Camp 2009. The young people that attended were open to listening to what God had to say. They were willing to learn, and excited to put those things into the action.

Please pray for the young people that attended youth camp, that they would be able to put what they learned into action in their own schools, local communities & churches.

YOUTH CAMP

SPECIAL

For a very long time now I have hated running, in fact probably since I was old enough to think about the prospect. In all honesty I thought that there was no way you would ever get me to run anywhere further than a mile, never mind doing it to raise money!

However the morning of Sunday June 28th saw Yelena, Jon, Sarah and myself heading to memorial park with thousands of others to take part in the Coventry ‘Fun’ Run. It was actually quite an exciting and slightly nerve racking sensation waiting around for the buzzer to sound for the start of the race.

We followed the crowds to the start line. The buzzer sounded and off we went! The course was about 4 miles long and wound round the streets of Earlsdon, Cheylesmore and Styvechale. It was so encouraging to have people lining the streets cheering and spraying us with water! (This was in fact a great help as it was getting pretty hot towards the finish!)

It was a great experience to take part in the race, knowing that we had the support of so many friends

and family as we ran/walked. We raised about £750 for Coventry YFC which was really great. The team (and some of our children!!) are well up for taking part next year – and it would be great to have you join us!

A very big thank you from all the team to those who supported us!!!

Jo Key

hunt the leader -Youth Camp ‘09

Damien...Youth camp this year was by far the best in my opinion. The theme of ‘adventurers and agents’ was a really good choice and taking part in the tasks was just so fun. I took a lot of interest in knitting whilst I was at camp this year - something I would never have thought of ever picking up but it’s so much fun and so relaxing it’s crazy. We had a few new leaders this year who were just amazing like Brian, Angie (The murderer/Head of knitting club) & Martha. This year at youth camp was really quite a week for me I feel that I grew a bond with God that I’ve never felt before. I always knew He was there but I never really felt it in my heart. I always had him in my mind but this year camp really opened the pages for me and I can feel him there with me everyday now and it’s just amazing. Thank you to all of the leaders for making it special for me. I’m truly grateful .

Livvy...Every time I’ve been to youth camp it has been amazing. All the leaders are wonderful people who help all of us campers become closer to God. It truly is a great experience and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. We get up to lots of fun activities (this year including a decathlon, after hours and loads of games) and we have lots of worship time when the band play and we sing songs and make a connection to God which is my favourite part. Every year the leaders find something whacky for us to do such as dressing up or a talent show which makes the week special.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES...

A NEW FUNDRAISING IDEA...

Brian...Being a youth worker, going on youth camps & retreats gives me the perfect opportunity to invest in young people and is one of the key parts of the job that I am always excited about. And Coventry Youth Camp this year did not disappoint. 

The week was fantastic and God was definitely moving in the lives of many young people. It was great to see so many teenagers responding to the Spirit of God in worship. It was amazing watching the young people (and leaders)grow

throughout the week, drawing closer to God through the teaching sessions & other activites. I have come away from Oswestry with many fond memories of the week and am really looking forward to adding many more at Youth Camp next year.

PRAYER DIARY OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

The TeamPlease pray for our new interns, Chris & Toby, as they establish themselves in CYFC and in their local church placements.Also pray for Sarah P as she moves on from CYFC this month.

PartnershipsContinue to pray for our relationships with local churches & schools. Especially as we focus over the coming months on building strong partnerships in the Wyken area of the City.

SchoolsChristmas is always a very busy time for the CYFC team. Please pray that our work would have a huge impact as we engage with pupils and teach the Christian message through festive activites.

Over the Schools summer break I was really blessed to be a part of various youth residentials, both in Coventry and further afield. Amidst all the busyness & amazing experiences of seeing God reveal himself to so many young people I was reminded how everything that Jesus did throughout his ministry on earth had a specific purpose. Jesus always knew where to be, who to invest in, and how to restore relationships.At the start of this new academic year, we’re really excited to be moving our focus slightly to develop a hub of work in the Wyken area, similar to the hub in Westwood that we mentioned in our last newsletter, to invest more of our energy in building stronger relationships between the schools, churches and projects that we run in the area, and hopefully see young people take steps towards knowing Jesus as a result. We’re also re-launching Junction7 later this month and looking to develop other city-wide outreach projects to complement the work of local churches around Coventry. Watch this space for more info on these new activities, and please do pray for us!!

Sarah Pirwany has been working with Coventry YFC for over 2 years now, bringing a huge amount of energy and passion to our work in schools and churches. During her time with CYFC Sarah has also formed various Gospel choirs and has become an important figure in various schools through her amazing vocal gift. Over the last few months Sarah has been exploring new avenues that her future may take and has decided to move on from CYFC to pursue a musical career. This is obviously a sad loss for CYFC, but we are all very excited for Sarah as she takes this next step . Please do pray for Sarah as she moves into this new role.

Jon Mills

Hi my name is Chris and I have just arrived in Coventry with the YFC One academy program. I am excited about engaging with young people and will be working with Coventry YFC and living and connecting with the church in Binley Woods. I will also be working with Coventry Crusaders with the primary aim of using basketball to engage and share the Gospel with young people. Having spent a year with YFC last year based in Edinburgh and knowing the challenges that it brought, I am excited at the new challenges ahead this year in Coventry. Pray for me!!

Chris & Toby will be working in partnership with CYFC, Crusaders & local churches. Please pray for them.

Hi, I’m Toby, and I have come to Coventry to work with YFC on a 3 month placement with ETA sports (the national YFC sports programme). I am hoping to use my basketball skills to connect with young people and will be spending some of my time working alongside Coventry Vineyard Church. This is a fairly new experience for me, but I really feel that God is challenging me to use my skills in basketball to reach young people with the exciting message of his desire for a relationship with them.

Meet our new interns...

A fond farewell to Sarah P...

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