Network Gatherings

Our next chance to get together...

The next time we invite the network of youth and children's workers together again is Saturday 9 March 2019 at the Joined Up Conference in Sheffield.  More details from joinedupconference.com 

Previous 'Gatherings'...

On Thursday 15th November 2018, we met at St Francis Church, Bramley for the first time, for our favourite evening of resources, desserts, worship, training and a catch up with everyone else involved in youth and children's work in the diocese.

Tim Jansen led an hour of mental health training, and we also managed to cram in a truck load of resources, including Christmas songs and videos, Annabel told us about Hope Doncaster, and the Christmas song music quiz finished the night with a singalong and laugh.  Thank you Dan for hosting us!

Here's our resources handout from the evening:

On Thursday 24th May 2018, we met at Holy Trinity & St Oswald's Church, Finningley for a serious look at gender stereotypes, identity and dysphoria.  We also featured Doncaster Messy Church, GDPR and worship was led by Dan Fall.  Thank you Hannah for hosting us!

Here's our resources handout from the evening:

On Wednesday 15 November 2017, we met at Todwick Church Parish Hall for another wonderfully pudding-filled evening of friendship, worship, praying, sharing and learning.

We first looked at how we can raise the standard of our All Age Worship in our churches, sharing how the 'ideas' don't always match the 'experience'.  How sometimes we can be painfully dated in our approach, with some in our churches still tutting whenever some new is attempted!

We looked at some key ingredients for moving our All Age efforts forward, including:  having a core team working on it, planning well in advance, being interactive not performing, using humour, journeying with people, creating a meaningful experience and being relevant.

The second part of the evening was spent exploring a new youth resource called Mission Academy Live - a series of videos helping young people reach out to their friends... 1 in 6 of them would statistically be up for hearing about Jesus from them!

Resources handout from the evening (WORD):

On Wednesday 24 May 2017, youth and children's workers and volunteers from across the diocese gathered at St Peter's, Warmsworth to worship, eat and consider how our children and young people can be 'Rooted in the Church'.  As ever, dessert was on offer all night, CLC bookshop was there and our Centenary Project band led us in worship.

Below, is the main presentation from the evening, around the Rooted in the Church report from the Church of England.

On Wednesday 16 November 2016, 45 youth and children's workers and volunteers gathered together at Holy Trinity Thorpe Hesley for an evening of training, worship, resources, relationship building and desserts!  New resources for Christmas were shared, and we had a chance to laugh, pray and talk with each other.  These Network Gathering evenings are really important for us to develop our ministry with those we work with, and a great way of staying in touch with friends.  The next one is on 24th May 2017.

40 children's and youth workers from in and around Doncaster met together on Thursday 26 May 2016, for the second Network Gathering event in the diocese.  Mike North led the evening at St Francis of Assisi Church in West Bessacarr, where Revd Richard Heard made us very welcome, and curate Adam Priestley shared some stories from Franky's - a youth project reaching out to young people in the community.  One of our new Centenary Project workers, Dan Fall led a short time of worship, and everyone was given the opportunity to share creative ideas around tables while enjoing some yummy desserts.

To stay in touch with news of events, resources and other children and young people’s workers in the diocese, join the following Facebook groups:
Children’s ministry:  www.facebook.com/groups/sheffieldchildrensworkers
Youth ministry:  www.facebook.com/groups/youthworknetwork

Over 50 children’s and youth workers met together on Wednesday 18 November 2015, for an uplifting evening of ideas sharing, connecting with others, prayer and worship.  This was the first Network Gathering event which is part of the new pattern of supporting, encouraging, resourcing and inspiring those who work with children and young people across the diocese.

“There was a lovely feeling of family and unity in the room, and it was great to see so many people sharing ideas, questions, advice and email addresses!” said Mike North, the diocesan Children and Young People’s Advisor who hosted the evening at Todwick Parish Hall.

Free desserts, nibbles and drinks were provided throughout the evening to show appreciation for all that these faithful leaders do in their work with those under 18 in our churches. There were resources available to buy, and a number of invited guests to share about their various areas of expertise.

Helen Cockayne, the Centenary Project Leader was also present to share some of the vision behind the new network of employed workers across the diocese, which will link in with these three annual events.  (centenaryproject.org.uk)