For young people in difficult/stressful home situations, social media will be a crucial connection.
Not every worshipping community has a youth minister, and not every youth minister has the capacity or creativity to deliver this stuff. Barrie Voyce is producing a weekly blog as a resource for churches whatever their circumstances but particularly those who don’t have their own resources.
Read the blog via Illuminate Stroud
- Safeguarding: A new set of guidelines is now available: Safeguarding policies page
- PSALMS are providing excellent, daily sports ministry videos
- UK Youth and the NYA have pulled together to launch a new web resource for the youth sector (click here)
- Safeguarding guidance regarding private messaging obviously still applies; keep messaging between youth leaders and young people open and to groups rather than individuals. Contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team with any concerns or queries;
- Growing Together: regular custom Covid-19 teaching resources available here
- Be visible. Live-streaming a thought or a reflection, a prayer, a meditation will be very welcome (see examples below). As a youth leader, showing your face on video and talking directly, calmly and honestly about what’s happening in the local area is definitely encouraged;
- The Children’s Society has just released advice and resources (click here)
- Share content that is also not about the virus! This may seem an obvious point, but streams are absolutely saturated with this single topic – the message of the Church is not about obsession nor death but freedom; connection; life.
- You could argue that the role of the leader is not necessarily to solve things nor give advice, but to be ‘with’. In this case being ‘with’ may seem more remote than normal due to physical isolation, so the definition will change but the point still stands;
- Keep up to date with what new online groups are forming – there has been a huge rise in new facebook groups etc setting up in the last week. Actively ask young people what is happening in terms of group chat through Whatsapp/snapchat/messenger/private groups etc – there’s no point banging on on a Facebook page if the real conversation is happening in a new, closed Whatsapp group;
- Search by location on Instagram and sort by ‘latest’ to get a feel for situations in your postcode/area.
Examples
- Random acts of kindness. Whether it’s singing out of the window, geocaching, or just hiding chocolate randomly about the place, there are tons of ways to get involved.
Head to https://t.co/2ORngIAZm7 to access our brand new FREE video resources.
To equip those who work with 7-18s by providing easily shareable content alongside discussions, prayer and activities for your groups, that you can use in this current season. pic.twitter.com/aXwnFAOmHB
— Youth for Christ Resources (@YFC_Resources) March 24, 2020
Whilst we understand there is justifiable concern at this time, we want to remember the good things we do have. What are you grateful for today? We would love to hear your responses. Here is Hanna's response. #grateful #HoldingOnToTheGoodThings pic.twitter.com/hWVBVtQxFz
— Youth for Christ Gloucestershire (@YFCGlos) March 23, 2020
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A brief explanation of some actions we are taking concerning the Coronavirus outbreak.
