The Christians helping the young and homeless- CFN Newsletter Week 129

CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 129

> The growing work of Nightstop - providing a place to stay for young people on the streets
> News:
> Christian charity "deeply disappointed" by HFEA decision
> Self-harm impact confirmed by church youth workers
> Christian in video game industry calls for more faith
> Sites:
> eChurchactive - technology advice for your church
> sites to help you and yours stay safe online and off
> Gap year? Year to give to mission?
> Marriage MOT: Love is ... not boastful
> You've got to laugh: Elvis and the funeral
> Members' Zone latest

> OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS WEEK

The UK's only weekly newspaper with news from across the churches - and around the world - http://www.christianherald.org.uk

> FROM THE EDITOR

As well as our coverage of serious issues in the news: self-harm, embryo screening, computer games, young homeless people, we've got plenty to entertain and encourage you this week - including tips on parenting your teens, how to use your computer safely and more.

We're taking a summer break for a few weeks now, so your next newsletter will arrive around the 3 September.

Take care, drive safely - and don't forget the sunscreen!

God bless

Russ Bravo
Christian Family Network
info@cfnetwork.co.uk
http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk

PS Christian Family Network is here to direct you to the best in parenting, marriage and family resources; to link you up with other Christian families up and down the UK; and to help you make the most of life as a follower of Christ - at home, at work, at school and college, at play and online.

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INSIGHT

I was homeless and you took me in

• How can Christians respond to the growing problem of homeless young people? DAVID HARRIS and MAREN FLOHREN describe the work of Nightstop UK, a national scheme which is helping to make a difference

Anne, who is 19 years old, lives in Lancashire and first became homeless when she was 16. After some weeks of sleeping rough with friends, she was offered a place in a local hostel. "It was just so scary," says Anne. "I saw things I never should have seen when I was so young. Strange people would knock on my door in the middle of the night. It was my first real contact with drug users, and I came across needles everywhere. Even some of the staff used drugs in the hostel.  In the end, I left and went back to the streets – it just felt safer there."

As homeless young people become younger, Anne's experiences are not unique. As part of our work for Nightstop UK – a national charity supporting homeless young people – we have been collecting the direct views of young people who have had early experiences of being homeless. 

The first Nightstop scheme was established in Leeds in 1987 by a group of Christians who were concerned that there were not enough alternatives for homeless young people to the kind of hostels referred to by Anne. Individuals from local faith groups volunteered to take young people into their own homes for up to three nights to give time for families to resolve their difficulties, or for local statutory and voluntary organisations to work on longer term solutions where this was not possible or appropriate.

There are now 42 Night-stop schemes from Exeter to South Lanarkshire; and from Wrexham to Sittingbourne.  Greg Thomson, Nightstop UK's Chief Executive says: "Churches and faith groups are still responding to the issues of youth homelessness in their areas in this very direct way of caring – along with representatives of other organisations and groups."

The need for innovative, caring responses to youth homelessness is as great as ever. Susan lives in the Midlands and first became homeless when she was 14, following seemingly endless rows with her mum. At first, "leaving home seemed like a really glamorous thing to do," she said. The reality, however, was less than glamorous. Months spent sleeping in the park, and dodging the Police and Social Services who were understandably concerned for her welfare, led to Susan missing school, losing touch with her friends, and growing up very quickly. She was kept going by her best mate who kept slipping her food and clothes, and keeping her whereabouts secret. 

The good news is that both Anne and Susan now have places of their own. Anne, her partner and their child have a council flat; and Susan is in a supported flat. Both are keenly aware, however, that there are many other younger teenagers following them who are "seeing things they shouldn't have seen", and striving to survive in parks, public buildings and on the streets. "There should be more hostels for under-16s who leave home," says Anne, "but they have got to feel safe."

• Listen to some other youngsters' stories - read the rest of this article at http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/resources.asp

> THIS WEEK'S NEWS

> Christian charity "deeply disappointed" by HFEA decision

Christian social concern charity CARE has expressed disappointment at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's decision to allow tissue typing of embryos for the purposes of using children as a source of biological material.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> Self-harm impact confirmed by church youth workers

A spiralling epidemic of self-harm across Britain, identified in a recent report by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), has been verified by the Church Army's Amber Project.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/resources.asp for the full story

> Christian in video game industry calls for more faith

Money and "a lack of faith" are the root causes of the proliferation of violent video games, according to a Christian working in the industry.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> MARRIAGE MOT

> Check out our archived marriage tips in the Members' Zone, plus stacks more marriage resources at http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk

Love is ... not boastful

Boasting reveals our insecurity. We all like to have the opportunity to share our successes and be affirmed by others, but boasting goes far beyond that. It’s when we spend our time building up our ego, by telling everyone how clever we are, with a bit of embellishing added to the truth. It’s main focus is on itself and after a while it becomes very unattractive.

When we boast, we tend to lose sight of reality. How dangerous that is in a relationship, where honesty and openness are so important.

How can you love someone who is always blowing their own trumpet – there’s little opportunity to tell them how much you appreciate them. There is little that you can give to them, because they do it so much better themselves. In fact do they actually need you at all?

Do you ever get boastful? Have you ever thought about the effect is has on your loved one?

> EVENTS

> YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH ...

At a US funeral parlour families are given the chance to choose the music CD they would like to have played when they enter the service.

One family asked to enter to Elvis Presley's hit Love me Tender. The day of the funeral arrived and the music was started ready for the family to walk in to the service.

Unfortunately the wrong track number was entered into the CD player, and the family found themselves walking in to Return to Sender.

Grove Books newsletter - www.grovebooks.co.uk

> CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK THIS WEEK
(MEMBERS' ZONE) - http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/default.asp

> Advice

> Eric Spellmann looks at the ergonomics of computer use - or how to avoid hurting yourself
> Kate's Marriage advice - Love is ... not boastful

> Resources

> Alison Farnell on MPs' grasp on education
> New events: Diane Parsons on motherhood and training on how to drug-proof your kids
> Ways to parent your teens boldly...
> The things kids say
> Some answerphone messages you might not have thought of

> News

> Christian charity "deeply disappointed" by HFEA decision
> Self-harm impact confirmed by church youth workers
> Christian in video game industry calls for more faith

> Sites:

> eChurchactive - technology advice for your church
> sites to help you and yours stay safe online and off
> Gap year? Year to give to mission?

> Events: What's on near you

> Webwatch index: more than 700 sites categorised at your fingertips

> Site Search Engine: the easy way to trawl our 1,000-page plus archives

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