Deanery Youth Advocates
What are the Youth Advocates?
Since 2006 the Youth Team has encouraged parishes to listen to and work with young people, and has organised events to bring young people together.
While still initiating work in parishes, the Team is developing existing work and exploring ways to sustain what has been accomplished.
We believe:
- that every church in the Diocese can develop a realistic and appropriate ministry working for and with young people, and that young people can make a rich contribution to the life of every church. We must listen to and work with young people to give them confidence to enrich the life of the Diocese by their opinions and insights.
- we must encourage and resource parishes and deaneries to engage with and develop this work with young people and to encourage young people to take an active role in the life of the churches.
We do this by:
- encouraging churches to develop quality relationships by stimulating PCCs and clergy to embark on new work and develop existing work by a variety of proactive measures such as visiting, enquiring, offering practical help and advice.
- helping to interpret to churches the changing nature of youth and emerging culture.
- training leaders and young people to take on leadership and facilitating roles both locally and across the Diocese to sustain such work.
- supporting diverse networks of young people and leaders across the Diocese by offering a mixed menu of events.
A network of Deanery Youth Advocates promotes the above locally – to build on established work, encourage initiatives and deanery events as well as relate to Diocesan events.
Deanery Youth Advocates help to:
- sustain what has worked
- expand on local strengths
- communicate more effectively
- encourage local initiatives and deanery events
- be a link for diocesan events
The Deanery Youth Advocates are a mixture of lay and ordained people who have a passion to develop quality relationships with young people by encouraging churches and clergy to embark on new work and develop existing work.
They are ‘Youth Work Activists’.
- To find out who your Deanery Youth Advocate is, contact the Diocesan Youth Team or your Area Dean.