Origin events are put on by Word of Life ministries, these events would be great for our evangelical churches. The vision for these events is that young people would step out in faith and invite their ‘unsaved’ friends so they can hear the Gospel.

This is what Word of Life says about these events.

“ORIGIN is a wild, crazy night of fun for youth, full of loads of activities where teenagers can go free-for-all and choose how they want to pack their night! Every teen that attends is bound to have an absolute blast! More than that, it is an exciting opportunity for them to hear the Gospel!”

The United Nations, since 2000, has declared 12 August as International Youth Day (IYD). This is to raise awareness about the issues young people in different countries care about the most. Youth organizations and organizations working with young people are invited to highlight the efforts of young people in creating a better world.

The World Council of Churches has put together an International Youth Day Toolkit to help youth workers prepare our churches to engage in youth issues.

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/youth/iyd-2020-toolkit/

SU camps are looking a little different this Winter as you can imagine, but they will be awesome as always.

Be Scene

Wellington
13-16 July 2020 (Day camps)
School Year 9-13 in 2020
$85

https://www.sunz.org.nz/youth/sucamps/sucamps-winter-2020/be-scene/

Do you love everything about the stage and acting? Then this camp is for you. Come along and join with other young people each day and have fun with all that is drama. Learn how you can use drama to worship and serve God. Meet new people, make new friends and grow in your faith as we dive into drama and the Bible. Please note this is a day camp, not a residential camp.

Re:create

Online camp (held on Zoom)
6-9 July 2020
School Year 11-13 in 2020
$60

https://www.sunz.org.nz/youth/sucamps/sucamps-winter-2020/recreate/

Join us for four jam-packed days of activities and connection as youth from across the country plug in to meet together and recreate community as we know it! Through Zoom calls in the morning (9-11am) and evening (7-9pm), we’ll be interacting in a variety of fun and safe ways – from creative challenges, to engaging with Creation, to thinking big thoughts… and everything in between. The sessions will consist of engaging faith-based videos, plenty of time to chat, and activities to get your minds racing and bodies moving both during the sessions and in the hours in-between.

Please register by 1 July so that we can get your activity packs delivered before camp!

Prerequisite: You need to have the use of a device that is able to connect to the internet via zoom.

Reset

Online camp (held on Zoom)
6-9 July 2020
School Year 7-10 in 2020
$60

https://www.sunz.org.nz/youth/sucamps/sucamps-winter-2020/reset/

Have you always wanted to go on camp but don’t see yourself as the outdoor adventure type? Do you like to meet new people but struggle in a crowd? Are you someone who enjoys being online? Are you sick and tired of rainy winter days spoiling your holidays? Then this camp is for you. Come and join us on-line and meet with young people from all around New Zealand for 4 days of exploring faith, fun and making friends.

Please register by 1 July so that we can get your activity packs delivered before camp!

Prerequisite: You need to have the use of a device that is able to connect to the internet via zoom.

As things progress with Covid-19, if it comes to the point we can no longer meet physically together. It’s good to think through how your group can gather online in different ways.

A couple years back I took a small group of 12 teenagers through the NUA material from SU. We watched the videos in a living room, ate food and had great faith conversations, it was so good. I think I paid $40 for the NUA material, but SU have got in contact with us, because the NUA material along with other resources is on a free app called VOKE.

In the app, young people can either go through the material on their own, with another person or it can be done as a whole group.

I think this is a great resource that could be very beneficial to youth ministries if they have to stop meeting together.

NUA

Apple: https://app.appsflyer.com/id1056168356?pid=VokeAppSite

Android: https://app.appsflyer.com/org.cru.voke?pid=VokeAppSite

Easter Reader is designed to help individuals and churches reflect on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

The readings start on 1st March and work their way up to Easter Monday on 13th April, spanning 6 weeks.

For many of us, Easter comes and goes so quickly we barely have time to stop and consider again the breath-taking wonder of what God has done for us through Jesus.

You can download the Bible2020 Easter Reader below.

The Easter reader invites us to slow down and enter the story of Jesus afresh. Each week of readings begin with a short reflection, which introduces the readings for the week.

The Easter reader (written by the Scottish Bible Society) suggests four simple, open questions, the first of which is, “What jumped out at you for the first time?” to help us hear God speak afresh through his Word.

The readings themselves cover three broad themes:

The Son – Meditating on how God reveals himself to humanity through Jesus, Jesus’ ministry of teaching, healing and exorcism, and the words Jesus uses to describe himself.

His Kingdom Comes – Proclaiming the truth that the Lord is king over all the earth, reading of God’s promise of a coming king, Christ’s declaration and explanation of the Kingdom, and culminating with a glimpse towards the day when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, when he will reign for ever and ever.

A Triumphant King – Journeying through the Easter story, exploring the reality and wonder of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Here is a map of all Easter Camps happening in New Zealand.

Click on the map for details.

View Easter Camps in a larger map

If your easter camp is not on the map, please send details to gordon@pym.org.nz

God-talk is an initiative of the ‘All Together’ team, initiated by Dave Mann and the Shining Lights Trust.

The resources have been created by a team of current and past youth leaders.

In the GOD-talk leadership video series, Youth leaders will be provided with 12 leadership-training video-tutorials (with discussion guides) on how to (i) build an outreaching culture, and (ii) how to attract crowds and facilitate some great programmes.

Leadership

Jasmin and Tim are the hosts of the new fortnightly podcast, ‘Youth Ministry in New Zealand.’ Their vision to see everyone who workswith young people in Aotearoa equipped with relevant resources.

The Podcast aims to equip inspire and uplift all those working with young people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Each episode will include a conversation with those from around the country who work with young people in a variety of contexts.

Jasmin in a Presbyterian Youth Pastor working for the whole community of Marton. Tim is an Anglican Priest in the Rangitikei, with 10 years youth work experience.

They started this Podcast because they saw an opportunity to capitalise on the wealth of experience and wisdom in New Zealand. And a need to address our own unique context.

You can subscribe to the podcast by searching through your usual podcast app or

iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/youth-ministry-in-new-zealand/id1439756211?mt=2

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/044a9l3f8aOalEyZsrKADl?si=Q7kd1hlXRM–Ubgy3EZ1UQ

Website:

Www.ymnewzealand.org

Example Podcast with our very own Matt Chamberlin:

Once again, we have been staggered by the post feedback we received from Connect 2018. We’ve been contacted a few times since Connect asking for some of the content used.

We have put together a folder that has content such as the epic Prayer stations from the Saturday night, the wording to the Mihi Whakatau including the grace, Abby’s mainstage prayers and a good number of the workshop handouts.

Once again, we have been staggered by the post feedback we received from Connect 2018. We are so thankful for each person who attended, because we know the awesome vibe we had at Connect came from you.

Connect has been based in El Rancho in Wellington for the past 3 years and before we sign on the dotted line to run Connect 2019 at El Rancho, we thought it was a good time to pause, reflect, survey our people, and seek God’s will for the venue for next year.

For both Matt and I in our quiet time we have had a sense that Connect 2019 should happen on our national Marae in Ohope. We have a sense, this would be an amazing shared experience for us, and on top of the usual Connect experience, we would engage and be upskilled on our bi-cultural commitment.  We could really explore what God mission in Aotearoa looks like in 2019.

At Ohope, participants would have the option of sleeping marae style, or in bunks, or staying in local B&B’s, hotels, cabins etc.

We acknowledge getting to Ohope isn’t as easy as a major centre, and this may affect attendance. Whakatane has a little airport with planes coming in from Auckland. Rotorua and Tauranga have airports an hour and a half away. There are also well priced bus services leaving from Auckland and Wellington that go through Whakatane or Rotorua.

So we want to ask you our whanau, what is your take? How does this idea sit with your soul? Does it feel right, that for a one off, we should run Connect at our national Marae in Ohope? Please answer this survey here.

See Survey here