youth workers
Our local experience shows that national investment into lay workers – such as youth workers and musicians – could build considerable additional capacity for mission and evangelism in parishes, providing meaningful support for our clergy.
In addition to providing some funding for parish youth workers, we have recently raised sufficient money to purchase the former HSBC Bank in Duffield and are in the process of converting it to a café as part of our outreach to the community.
to the Church’s ministry by our non-stipendiary and PTO clergy, our chaplains, youth workers, pioneer, and lay ministers, and call for more investment and training to help them flourish in their ministries and receive the recognition they truly deserve.
As part of this role I had the honour of leading our Youth Minster in partnership with the Diocese of London, working with Youth Workers, clergy and churches across the Stepney Area.
If managed even averagely well, they would now be worth over £6 billion3 – that’s a lot of vicars and youth workers forgone, 1714 to be precise5.
Better stewardship of these resources means more vicars and youth workers, (1714 more5 churchwide and 54 more for Winchester6) so more parishioners are reached and the dominant narrative between diocese and parish is mission not money.
Equipping every parish – not every parish can afford children or youth workers, nor well-maintained and resourced buildings.
Faith and Family: I became a Christian aged 9 and attended a small independent evangelical church where committed youth workers taught the Bible and gave me a strong foundation for my faith.
We need to encourage outreach in schools and train youth workers to engage with young people.
I want the Church to invest confidently in children, young people and families and to recognise the vocation and ministry of the lay people, clergy, pioneers, youth workers, children's workers, volunteers and schools who serve them.