YOUTH MINISTRY TEAM

STRATEGYSchool Missions and Outreach

Follow Up and Residential

Retreats

Parish and Deanery

Youth Ministry

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12 months prior to Mission Week

Mission Experience

Follow-up

Three Step Process

St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon

Strategy and Process in Gateshead

Year 8 retreats for the whole year group over 4 nights with Sixth Form Helpers.

St Thomas More Blaydon Sixth Form Retreat for 72 students

MissionsAutumn 2011

Summer Festival at Youth Village – 50 students from both schools

Follow up weekendDecember 2011

Next steps: Deanery Group

Co-workers meet on a regular basis to develop Youth Ministry in Gateshead

Diocesan opportunities for volunteering

• Diocesan Youth Council – members from both schools• Youth Ministry Team Gap Year volunteers• Young entrepreneurs with St Cuthberts Care• CAFOD group• Lourdes volunteers from schools and parishes

‘I have enjoyed being a volunteer at Lourdes so much this year. Although we go to Lourdes to help and assist pilgrims, they in return help us. The experience enables us to become more aware, to stop our busy lives for a moment and reassess what is truly important in life.'

Opportunities for volunteering with organisations

• Gateshead Youth Assembly• Duke of Edinburgh Award• St John Ambulance• Fairtrade and Traidcraft• Shoe Box Appeal • Food Bank

Opportunities for volunteering in the local community

• Choir performance in local care home

• SVP group including harvest collection for SVP soup kitchen in

Wrekenton

• Volunteer gardeners at St Anne’s Church, Harlow Green,

supported by parishioners

• Sixth Form volunteers at a mother and toddler group in

St Wilfrid’s, Old Fold

• Sixth Form Community placements in primary schools, charity

shops, refugee and asylum seekers’ charities and care homes

Opportunities for volunteering in the local community

• Fundraising events in parishes including Christmas fairs, cake

sales and afternoon tea dances

• Helping at Church services including altar servers, readers,

musicians

• Youth Band joining Churches Together at local supermarket

• Service Projects e.g. People’s Kitchen, Justice and Peace

• Volunteering at Children’s Liturgy and Confirmation groups

• Individual volunteers

Helen volunteering in South Africa

How is volunteering encouraged?• Inviting young people to be ‘part of something’• Whole school encouragement • Fostering a culture of volunteering from a young age• Providing opportunities and life changing experiences• Inspiring by example and witness • Encouraging older young people to work with younger• Giving affirmation and practical support• Bringing adults and young people together

What encouraged you to volunteer?“To give something back to a world that has been so kind to me.”Helen

“Hearing about people in need and knowing that I can help.”Leah

How can you grow in volunteering?“In your school you take part in various activities that habituate you not to shut yourselves in on yourselves or in your small world, but to be open to others, especially to the poorest and neediest, to work to improve the world in which we live. Be men and women with others and for others, real champions in the service of others.”Pope Francis speaking to young people