Youth Challenge Blog

(More photos of SOCT can be found under Training – Summer Outreach Course)

 Having completed the Junior Training Course a few years ago, I knew this week would be intense, tiring and, at times, a little nerve racking, but completely worth while.  And yes it was!  Things began on Friday evening with a brief introduction to the week ahead and CEF^® itself, breaking us in to the routine of SOTC.

The students

Each day began with rise and shine at 7.00am, and our own individual Quiet Times, followed by breakfast, and then prayer time.  Daily John Nixon gave a Bible study, before the teaching classes started.  This year the Bible studies focused on questions – Why? What is the message? Where? How? Who? What then?  Delving into God’s Word to learn for ourselves about our God, His great plan, and how we are part of it and are to be as His children.  The teaching began appropriately on “The Biblical Basis of Child Evangelism”, reminding us that many children are lost, that they can be saved and that as Christians we have a responsibility to share God’s Word with them and in the way the Bible instructs us to. 

Elementary classroom

The remainder of the classes largely focused on how to deliver the Gospel effectively to children.  “What is the Gospel?” with David Crutchley, laid out the key truths of the  Gospel, helping us to understand them clearly in our own minds, to allow us to teach them simply to children.  The Bible Lesson practical is possibly the most dreaded task of the week.  The Bible Lesson classes with Denise Annett broke the task down into simple accomplishable steps with constant encouragement, delaying the nerves somewhat.  One of the classes I found very interesting was “The Roman Catholic Child” as it helped to give me a greater understanding of the mind set of a Catholic child and their need of the Gospel.  The urgency needed when teaching the Gospel came through both in class and in the Bible study.  We do not know what is to come in the future, or when.  We do not know if we will be here tomorrow – if we are not, did I, did you, do all we could to bring others to Christ?  I know this highlighted my need to maintain my focus on Him, always.

Dorm 11

Dorm times were special.  I won’t forget Dorm 1 quickly!  We had some hilarious times, but it is the fellowship we shared that stands out the most.  Each of us spoke honestly and from our hearts on what we had heard earlier in the day and the thoughts it provoked, as well as many aspects of faith, including sharing how God had been and was working in our lives.

Christy teaching her lesson

The encouragement from God’s Word from leaders and fellow classmates each time doubt popped up continually reminded us that with God each of us could and would teach a lesson – ‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.’ Philippians 4:13.  The dreaded practicals themselves are nowhere near as bad as I had dreamt them up to be.  I even managed to come across as ‘confident’ in the memory verse, and overcame a memory blank in the Bible lesson – with God’s help nothing is impossible!

The teachers

One of the great things about SOTC was being able to see the passion all the leaders have from and for God.  Often I am frustrated by the apathy in the church especially towards the lost, but there was no shortage of passion and enthusiasm at SOTC.  The leaders’ passion was clear to see and infectious; in how they taught, encouraged us and testified to God in their lives.  It reminded me to live ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ – to God alone the glory.

To sum up why I enjoyed SOTC so much, is because it was a week filled with teaching, learning, personal encouragement, fellowship and worship of our great God.  Now that the week is over I feel more able to “reach the unreached within reach” with God’s help, for God.

Christy Reid

The summer is fast approaching with all those lovely long holidays for many of you.  And maybe you’re thinking of how you’ll spend that time.  Why not spend it doing something for God?  Why not spend it among the boys and girls who don’t live that far from you but who’ve never heard of the Lord Jesus?  Why not help us in bringing the Gospel to them?

To help you to do that we have a Summer Outreach Training Course for those aged 16+, beginning on Friday 25th June 2010.  Susan was at the Course last year – here’s what she writes about it:

Having already been through the Elementary Summer Outreach Training Courses last year, I decided that I would return to take the Advanced Course.  I had thoroughly enjoyed the first year and did not think that it would be possible for the second year to be any better, but I was quickly proved wrong!!

After arriving in Kilkeel and discovering that I had to live in dorm 11 for a week (the sauna of the house, but thankfully David took pity on us and bought us a fan!), there was a joint Elementary/Advanced class on the work of CEF^® around the world.  It was amusing to see the shock on the faces of those on the Elementary Course as the timetables for the week were handed out – SOTC is far from a holiday!!

Throughout the week we enjoyed our usual praise times before supper and when the weather was nice we had the opportunity to go down to the harbour for it.  This for me was one of my favourite parts of the week as it gave us all a chance to relax and enjoy fellowship with each other.

Speaking of enjoying each other’s fellowship, last year, and also when I did the Junior Course, the main sport of the week was volleyball.  However this year, to the surprise of David Crutchley, ultimate frisbee was the game of the week, a game inspired by “The Fermanagh Four”.  Anytime there was a break, if you looked out the window someone was throwing a frisbee about and it was great because everyone could play (well…most people anyway…!)

Each morning someone on the Advanced Course shared a devotional and then we were split into smaller prayer groups.  This gave us a chance to pray individually and for each other and throughout the week it was interesting to notice how more people began to pray as the practicals were looming!  Training week really does strengthen a person’s prayer life!!

The first class of the day was John Nixon’s Bible study on the Tabernacle.  I thoroughly enjoyed them and I do not think that I am alone in saying that I got a lot from them.  They were a real encouragement to us all and helped prepare us for the challenges each day would bring before us.

Last year as a first year I had often wondered why the second years always seemed to be laughing and making so much noise.  After sitting in a class with David Jackson I soon understood why!  The counselling classes were very amusing especially “Pastor” Alistair and Robbie’s Oscar winning performance!  But in all seriousness, these classes were important as we learnt how to deal with a variety of situations which we may face in the summer in camps, Holiday Bible Clubs and 5-Day Clubs^®, etc.  After  SOTC I found that all we had learned in these classes was very useful when I went out on a CYIA team and was a leader at Inters camp, and was able to put it into practice.

We had three visitors at SOTC, Judy, Ufuk and Emma – three CEF workers from Europe who were over to observe what Training Week was like.  They sat in with the Elementary class and when it came to the dreaded practicals, they took part in assessing us!  On the Thursday Ufuk celebrated his birthday and this meant that there was a birthday cake and he shared it with us all…I took the last piece but contrary to popular belief (Philip Annett!!) Ufuk did actually get a piece!!

When the dreaded practicals were looming it was interesting to see how fences, walls, pool table, mirrors, doors and so on were being evangelised!  We were split into smaller groups for the practicals, I felt that this helped calm nerves because there were less people to stand in front of and also gave us an idea of what a 5-Day Club might be like.  Thankfully we all managed to survive and pass the week!

In conclusion, I had a great week at SOTC this year with all the fellowship and banter, but most importantly I learnt how to teach the Gospel more effectively to the children.  I was able to put what I was taught at the course into practice throughout the summer at CYIA week and camps, and it was amazing to see what a great help SOTC was!  So I would like to thank all the teachers (big children) for all the help they gave to us all throughout the week and I really pray that children’s lives will have been won for Him during summer.

So why not think about coming along and be trained in how to teach children the Gospel?  For more details see under “Training” and “Summer Outreach Course” tab.  You’ll also find an application form you can download there.  Pray about it.  Ask God what He would have you do this summer.

Angie

“10:10” was the name given to a youth outreach held in Banbridge from 11th – 15th November 2009. The local Baptist Church had asked the Youth Challenge team to run an outreach for them, and after a lot of debate the name “10:10” was chosen. The name was based on John 10:10, where the Lord Jesus Christ spells out the choice between following the thief (Satan) who wants to steal, kill and destroy, or the Lord Jesus Himself, who offers life to the full.

Marcus and Chris headed up the outreach and challenged young people in the area about their need to come in faith to the Lord Jesus to experience the new life only He can give. In the lead-up to the event there were many opportunities to speak to young people in four schools in the area. Around 2,000 were contacted through assemblies, RE classes and Scripture Union groups. Each evening the Gospel message was presented through music, testimonies and Bible talks, while there was also the chance to chat informally about important things. Testimonies from Chris Killen, who was saved from a life of drugs, and Michael Halliday of Glentoran Football Club, really grasped the attention of the young people. After a slow start on Wednesday attendance grew throughout the week, and on the weekend nights the hall was packed, with over 100 attending on Sunday evening. A number of young people were left thinking seriously about their response to the Gospel. Please pray that the Lord will continue to speak to them.

We hope that “10:10” is a format we can use again in the future, and so we will be making it known to other churches that the Youth Challenge team is available to help them conduct youth outreaches. We trust the result will be that many young people will come to know Lord Jesus who can give “life to the full”.