SERVE Young Leaders Course exceeds expectations
The first ever SERVE, Down and Dromore’s young leaders training course for 15 – 18 yr olds, is proving to be a great source of encouragement for everyone involved. 19 young people from across the diocese have signed up for the 8 session discipleship programme and they’re hungry to learn.
Each course session has four core elements: dinner together; a spiritual discipline ‘taster’; a chapter review of ‘Storylines’ by Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft and finally, teaching and discussion guided by the SERVE material.
So far, the group has been looking at the distinctive features of Christian leadership, especially in everyday life and the call upon every Christian to point others to God. At the start of November they’ll join the ‘Kilbroney Weekend Blast’, helping to lead their peers in fun activities and Bible Study.
Joel, one of the course participants said, “SERVE is really great. I’ve enjoyed spending time with a group of Christian young people, having good craic, and discussing the Bible and exploring leadership”.
Amy, another participant said, “It’s brilliant, I’ve met lots of new people and I’m loving being part of the group and exploring faith and leadership”.
Jen, a parent of one of the participants, is delighted that her daughter is on the course: “Our daughter is one of the youngest in the group and yet she was made to feel instantly at home by the leaders and young people alike. SERVE is providing her with the most valuable biblical teaching and tools to enable her to live and lead in a manner after God’s heart, with humility, kindness and with Jesus at the centre of everything she learns to do and be. Plus the food is amazing apparently!”
For Diocesan Youth Officer, Tim Burns, who has written and compiled the course, having the privilege of leading it and spending time with this group of young people has been a great experience.
He said: “I was looking forward to running the course, but it is surpassing my expectations. The group is brilliant. It’s a rare privilege to spend quality time with a group of young people so eager to discuss, learn and encourage each other, and discover more about God, the Bible and faith.
“The structure of the course is doing what we intended –building a community of young people that are growing in faith and leadership together. I’m excited about working through the rest of the course with them and also about their future as Christian leaders. I haven’t told them yet, but we have plans to continue to encourage their learning and development through a SERVE+ programme. Our hope is that each person will develop in the areas of leadership where they are already involved and be stretched further as they take on new and different responsibilities.
“The future is bright. God is not dead and neither is faith amongst our young people.”