The course provides clergy with five training sessions focusing on different aspects of youth ministry interspersed with coaching calls to help clergy refine and develop their plans. The sessions helped them to explore why they want to develop youth ministry, how they could go about doing this, and what this could look like in their church setting. 13 members of clergy within our diocese have now completed this training.
This year saw six clergy members take part:
- The Revd Chris Carnaby-Denyer – Priest in Charge at St Matin-in-Herne with St Peter, Greenhill
- The Revd Mark Ham – Priest in Charge at Birchington: All Saints with Acol: St Mildred and Minnis Bay
- The Revd Jayne Shillito - Priest in Charge at Biddenden: All Saints and Smarden: St Michael (Benefice)
- The Revd Nicky Harvey – Vicar at Marden: St Michael and All Angels (Benefice)
- Fr Sebastian Hamilton – Rector at Sandwich and Worth (Benefice)
- The Revd Catherine Tucker – Priest in Charge at St Lawrence-In-Thanet
Those on the course were based in a variety of church contexts, from rural to urban, as well as different church traditions.
During the course, one participant explored making links with the local school, whilst another chose to build up youth ministry through a choral setting.
The Launchpad training is suitable for churches with little or no presence of children and youth ministry, but also for churches with an active children’s ministry looking to develop a programme as they move from primary to secondary school.
During the celebration at St Lawrence-in-Thanet Church, Ramsgate, Alice Smith from Youthscape spoke about how starting small is ideal for churches to start to develop relationships, provide support for their discipleship journeys, and engage in a meaningful and consistent way with young people.
The participants then spoke about their experiences on the course, and where this has taken them on their youth ministry journey.
Fr Sebastian Hamilton said: “Launchpad was very helpful in helping to prepare a mindset for a strategy.
“You could look at the prospects and I could see this potential of young people who are right there, who are bored, and every time that I get to talk to them … they are so engaged and ask such good questions, and they are so hungry for something more in life.”
The Revd Jayne Shillito s
aid: “I found the Launchpad course really valuable.
“The main takeaways for me have included the importance of prayer, to start small, to include food, to involve children, to let them do things, connecting with their milestones, and to concentrate on building relationships.
“It’s encouraging to work with others who have experienced and are experiencing similar challenges.
“We’ve been able to share experiences and encourage one another and learn from one another.”
A young person in our diocese who has been involved in youth ministry in their church then delivered a talk on the importance of young people having their voices heard.
The celebration concluded with Bishop Rose giving out certificates to the participants, who congratulated them on completing the course.
Lead Officer for Children and Youth Ministry in our Diocese, Jen Tobin, facilitated the training. Talking after the celebration, Jen said: “Each of the clergy who completed the training came with an open mind and have been amazing to work with.
“Each have come away with a clear idea of how they can develop youth ministry in their settings, and I am excited to see what’s next for them all and the young people in their communities.”
To register your interest in being on the next Launchpad cohort, email Jen Tobin.
Those who have completed the Launchpad course can continue developing their youth ministry with the next stage of Youthscape training: Youthscape essentials. Email Jen Tobin to find out more and register your interest.