A NEW association, Paraklesis, has been launched to support lay people who work in youth, children’s, and family ministry.The association, launched on Monday, is led by Ali Campbell, who runs The Resource, a youth- and children’s-ministry consultancy, and is supported by the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, who chairs the trustees of the charity My Ministry. Paraklesis is the charity’s first project.In 2019, Bishop Snow commissioned a survey of youth and children’s workers, which received more than 630 responses (News, 19 September 2019). Many respondents said that they lacked training and qualifications, as well as adequate line management and mentoring.Mr Campbell said on Monday that 74 per cent of respondents had said that they wished to remain in youth and children’s ministry until they retired, which prompted the question: “What does it look like for there to be a sustainable vocational pathway?”He continued: “Paraklesis, taken from the Greek, really just means to be alongisde, to journey with, to be an advocate for. It’s where we get “Paraclete”, that sense of the Holy Spirit being the Comforter, and the one who is alongside us. So that’s why the name is what it is, because we want that to be what the organisation does.”Membership of Paraklesis is open to children’s, youth, and family ministers, whether salaried (full-time or part-time) or “lead volunteers” in their church. The cost for full-time ministers is £50 a year, for part-time ministers £25 a year, and membership is free for those who are studying for an academic qualification in youth, children’s, and families ministry and who have at least one year of training to come.Benefits of membership, the Paraklesis website says, include a free mentoring session each year from an experienced practitioner; access to discounts on resources; and access to recommended providers of support services for those experiencing difficulties in the work place, such as stress, breakdown of relationships, or discrimination. The website also features a forum where members can discuss ministry.Churches can join as members for £100 a year. In return, they will be asked to sign up to “a benchmark charter which will put in place values, structure and support enabling children’s, youth and families ministry to flourish”, and “a suite of ‘good practice’ resources that will help churches concerned about mentoring, line management, supervision and support for their children’s, youth and families ministers”.Mr Campbell said that he hoped that Paraklesis would “create a kind of atmosphere, an environment where people feel they can thrive in ministry”. paraklesis.org.uk
The Revd Simon Stride, Curate at Holy Trinity, Stalybridge, in Cheshire has had a passion for dance music since his early teens and his combined interests in theology and dance music have helped guide his spiritual direction through his adult life. Since his early days as an ordinand, Simon has led DJ worship ranging from Christian clubland-style events complete with strobe lights and smoke machines for youth congregations – to ‘chill-out’ compline services, using soundscapes and atmospheric music tracks to help people meditate on scripture. “I feel it's part of my calling to use the skills I learnt in this area as part of worship – to enable people to connect with God through dance and electronic music,” he explained. “We’ve also started seeing more young people bring their friends to these church events for the first time.” Simon even ran a ‘Resurrection Rave’ with headlining DJ, Bazz Morgan (Velocity of Light).“We wanted to create something that would attract young people to church and also communicate the Christian message and the meaning of the Resurrection,” he explained.The Saturday night clubbing worship event proved to have a deep impact on those attending.“It was a very moving moment to see almost every single person in the church, including those attending church for the first time, respond to Jesus in their own way at the foot of the cross,” he said.Simon encourages other churches to consider running DJ worship events, as a way of broadening their appeal to the younger generation. “God is not limited to specific genres of music,” he explained. “The great thing about dance music is that it provides a way for young people to encounter God through a culture that is familiar to them – and the music is uplifting and full of energy.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury has sent a video message to the people of South Sudan on the eve of the postponed joint Pilgrimage of Peace to the country with Pope Francis and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.In his message the Archbishop says he is “deeply sorry” that the joint pilgrimage of peace has been postponed. He says that God sees the “great suffering” of South Sudan and urges its leaders to pursue peace.The joint visit was due to take place from 5-7th July but was postponed last month after the Vatican announced that the Pope would not be able to travel on advice from his doctors.The Pope has released a video message today on the first day of his planned Apostolic Journey, which would have begun in the DRC before being joined by the Archbishop and the Moderator in South Sudan on Tuesday. The Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Right Revd Dr Iain Greenshields, has also released a video message today addressed to the people of South Sudan.
Our parish Holy Communion service on Sunday is at 10 am at St Mary And All Saints' Church, Dunsfold. We hope you can join us.<br>If you can't be there in person you can join us online by clicking on this Zoom link.<br><a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5253921788?pwd=MC9kNmpldmFrRSsrV1pkc1k5aU1vZz09">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5253921788?pwd=MC9kNmpldmFrRSsrV1pkc1k5aU1vZz09</a>
