Youth Ministry Uncovered – Hillsborough
This Friday we meet Julie Currie (back row, 3rd from left) who is the Family Ministry Pastor for Hillsborough Parish Church. Julie’s role incorporates ministry to children, young people, leaders, parents and the wider family and a call to support faith, grow faith and share faith as a family together, modelling and learning from each other.
She says, “I have now been in my role for just over one year and love doing ministry with some wonderfully gifted leaders, volunteer leaders and two larger than life interns!”
What initiatives have you started since coming into the role?
We have restarted and set up new initiatives to promote faith building opportunities, service and to encourage faith as an everyday life choice. All our programmes are outreach opportunities where young people can invite their friends along. The after schools Youth Drop–in ‘The Panini Pit Stop’ runs every week during term time and the ‘Get Connected’ monthly Sunday night service involves the young people, not just in leading but also in setting up and clearing up. Who doesn’t love doing dishes? It’s a ministry too!
What are you running on Sunday evenings and during week for young people?
Every week can look very different depending on the time of year and church season. At the moment we are setting up a prayer room and an Easter Story Trail that the young people will help facilitate. We create evenings for special occasions eg. P.7 Celebration Night pizzas and smores around the fire pit, Carols and Chips, weekends away and lots of outings. Every week we have the Tuesday drop–in which is not only a fun hang–out but also a space to give opportunity to ask, ‘How are you doing?’ and focus on well–being and mental health. Sundays are our busiest day with Youth Church, Children’s Church and Crèche in the morning and Youth Fellowship in the evening. We have an amazing team of leaders, who not only model faith to the young people, but pray for them by name. They teach from a heart of passion and a desire for the children and young people to know Jesus.
How can we in the diocese pray for you and your work?
Pray for our young people and children who struggle with so many influences bombarding them daily. They face huge demands around achievement and fitting into the expectations of life and society today.
Pray that the young people would grow in their faith, come to faith, and be equipped and enabled to live their lives for Jesus Christ.
Pray for us as leaders to lead by example and to grow and deepen our faith each day.
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