Actual
Reality - top US bands in youth outreach CD-Rom
Assemblies - the Christian weblog of a head
teacher in Wales
BNTL Freeway - British National Temperance
League resources on drugs and alcohol for parents, teachers/youth
leaders
Breakaway - magazine for teenage boys from
Focus on the Family
Boys Brigade - uniformed Christian youth
organisation
Children's ministry - help, advice
and resources
Children's ministry.net - more of the same, US-based
Christians in Sport
Christianvibes.co.uk - youth resource site
Christian Youth Chat - chat for Scottish
teens
Deerpants - spot the joke Northampton
youthwork site
Don't buy it - educating kids about cutting
through the adman's hype
Encounter Christianity - National Curriculum-geared
RE material for schools
Evangelism via computer games -
Gospelcom article
Game of Two Halves
Globalgang - youth wing of Christian
Aid
Go Teach - church-based teaching material
for 3-14s
Kidssundayschool.com - material, ideas, resources,
US-based
National Society - RE resources for schools
NGM - radical youth outreach with Nancy and Ray
Goudie's talented teams
Playleader
- help for church playgroups and those working with under-fives, now
with e-newsletter
Schools Interactive - loads of resources
from Christian-run site based in Merseyside
Soul Survivor - radical youth Bible week now
planning London mission in 2004
Soteria magazine - Cornwall-based online
youth mag and youthwork activities
Speak - radical student campaigers
Tearfund - major aid and development agency
Thecumovement - up to date info and reports from
Christian work on campus in the UK
Tribal
Generation
- radical new web-led youth community
University groups - UCCF and Fusion
Viva Network - umbrella group for ministries working
with children at risk
Youth Ministry Computer Tutor - use your
PC to give your youthwork added creativity and zing
Youthwork - top UK magazine's site
Youthworker - resources for youth workers
Xcell - innovative Oxfordshire youthwork
based around double decker bus and small groups
- www.boys-brigade.org.uk
- Nicely put together site for those interesting in joining this
Christian-based, uniformed youth organisation. Plenty to read with
information on local groups.
- A
radical new Christian student generation is getting involved in
protest, campaigning and direct action on a while range of peace,
justice and ethical issues, led by the likes of Speak.
Carrying the flame for passionate youthful campaigning, if you haven't
heard of them yet, they'll be big news before long.
- If
you're looking for creative help in schools work, check out what's
on offer from John Patterson's ministry Schools
Interactive, currently going great guns in Merseyside.
Welsh head teacher Bill Beales has been making the headlines for daring to speak out clearly asa Christian during assemblies at his Gwent secondary school. And he runs a very useful 'weblog' site with his assembly material and various other thoughts, plus world Christian news and other information at http://www.assembly-aid.com/home.asp
- Work
with children? Two very useful sites to check out, each packed with
ideas, free material and advice, are www.childrensministry.net
and www.kidssundayschool.com
- Soul
Survivor has ambitious plans for a massive mission in London
in 2004 - Soul in the City. Find out more at http://www.soulsurvivor.com/soulinthecity
- Soteria
magazine - www.soteriamag.co.uk
- is a web-based publication produced by young Christians in Cornwall
initially for young people locally, but now available online for
anyone interested to take a look. Offering articles on key youth
issues, a problem page, events and more, it's certainly well worth
a visit.
Check out some imaginative youthwork in rural Oxfordshire at www.xcell-uk.com
- Involved
in youthwork? Two essential UK ports of call are Youthwork
magazine's excellent website - www.youthwork.co.uk
- and the similarly named but unconnected www.youthworker.org.uk,
where you'll also find a range of helpful resources. The latter
is also launching a campaign aimed at rescuing Christian domain
names from the hands of internet porn pedlars, who have been buying
them up and using them to route unsuspecting surfers in their sordid
direction. Well worth supporting.
- Help
your kids see through advertising and media hype and deception -
point them to http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/
- Check
out the site for Focus on the Family's magazine for teenage
boys - Breakaway. Plenty to do and read, if you can get past
the US culture ... http://www.family.org/teenguys/breakmag/
- Encounter
Christianity promises "a vibrant new series of books, designed
for teaching RE at Key Stage 1 in a fresh, informative way".
Produced by the National Society and Church House Publishing, they
aim to help "develop pupils' spiritual awareness and encourage
a creative response to the central themes of Christianity".
If you're
looking for more church-based material for 3-14s, check out the
comprehensive syllabus offered by Go
Teach.
- It's
been mission season at the UK's colleges and universities. Check
out reports of what's been going on at http://www.thecumovement.org
- Stoke-based
Vibes Youth Resources have launched a website with a free E-zine,
competitions, audio bible and plenty of other features. It's early
days (still some dodgy spelling and links that don't work) but it
could develop into a handy resource. Check out www.christianvibes.co.uk/TheMag.htm
- For
many young people, alcohol is often the first drug they come into
contact with. Charity BNTL Freeway
has a stack of relevant resources for teachers and parents to use
in dealing with alcohol and drug abuse, and also provides creative
alternatives such as alcohol-free cocktail kits and recipes, and
training in running a no-alcohol bar. Check out the site, mail them
on bntl@compuserve.com
or call 0114 2679976.
-
To
say that Christians have differing opinions on the appropriateness
of Harry Potter is a bit like saying that Waterloo was a "slight
setback" for Napoleon - and the forthcoming Harry Potter film
is sure to re-ignite the debate. Connie Neal, author of the new
book What's a Christian To Do With Harry Potter?, offers
advice and encouragement (without "taking sides") for
approaching the Harry Potter phenomenon from a balanced, informed
perspective. Check out her thoughtful interview with Assist Ministries'
Michael Ireland at http://www.assist-ministries.com/strategic/s0107022.htm
- If
you've got a heart for children at risk across the world, make sure
you bookmark the Viva Network
site. In a short time it's become a Christian umbrella group for
so many ministries worldwide. There's news, resources, details on
training, local group contacts and much more, whether you need help
or want to offer it.
- Could
computer games be an increasingly valid way to reach the internet
generation? Worth a read is this perspective on the massive Gospelcom
site ... and then check out two Christian fantasy games looking
to put it into practice: Sword
of the Elyon and Claymore.
And let us know your thoughts, whether you're a gamer, a parent
- or both!
- Interested
in using computers and technology to enhance your youthwork, but
aren't sure where to begin? Check out Youth Specialties' "YM
Computer Tutor" by Lou Hornberger, youth pastor and self-confessed
"computer geek". Each month, Lou takes an in-depth look
at a technology issue relevant to youth ministry and provides tips
on putting technology to work for your ministry.
- Nancy
and Ray Goudie have a wealth of experience in youth ministry, from
their days with Christian creative community Heartbeat to the present,
when they can be found leading NGM
- New Generation Ministries. With a roster of cutting edge bands
making a difference in local schools, schemes to train young people
in evangelism, and regular contemporary worship events geared to
modern culture, there's plenty to be inspired by here.
- Youth
outreach on CD-Rom with contemporary Christian music and a great
feel - if that's what you're after, check out Actual
Reality. And read the review in our Reviews
section.
-
Looking
to build an online community of 18-35 year-olds sold out to Christ
are St Thomas Crooke's Church, Sheffield, who have launched a highly
interactive site in Tribal
Generation. You can chat, enter 3D environments, explore faith
and generally enjoy a cool online experience. Well worth a visit.
- There's
a new meeting point for Christian teenagers in Scotland at Christian
Youth Chat, a networking site offering real-time chat, message
boards, events postings, e-cards and more. Looks like it could get
plenty of use ...
-
If you like a giggle, some cheeky chaps
in Northampton have put together a youthwork oriented site for their
area with a very silly name: Deerpants.
Surf along, if only for the jokey title.
- Involved
in youthwork? Got students in your church or family? Or maybe you
are one! (You can't be if you're reading this before midday ...)
Well, two Christian organisations you'd do well to search out are
UCCF and Fusion.
Good resources and lots to get you fired up.
- http://www.playleader.freeuk.com
includes ideas for those of you involved with under-fives, and explains
that Playleader magazine has recently been replaced by a simple
e-mail newsletter which members can receive by mailing Diana Turner
on di.turner@lineone.net
(Please mention that you learned about it via Christian Family Network!)
-
If you need some ideas for things to
do with your youngsters - at home, school or church - check out
www.globalgang.org.uk
It's Christian Aid's site for children and includes a good range
of material including educational games. And if you're just after
good RE and assembly material for work in schools, make sure you
look at the National Society's
site - plenty of ideas, and free material you can download.
- Sport,
they sometimes say, is the new rock 'n roll. Well, possibly, but
a lot of churches are starting to use it in their outreach - and
to have fun and keep fit, too! Outrageous. One happening project
at the moment is Viz-a-Viz' Game of
2 Halves initiative along with Tearfund
and Christians in
Sport, which encourages young people and youth groups to raise
cash for children in some of the world's poorest countries. Check
out their neat, animated site for news and ideas
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