We need each other…now more than ever.
What a difference a few weeks can make! Kids and youth workers are completely rethinking the way we reach this next generation and many of us who are parents will have our children with us whilst we also work from home and try to stay connected with our families and friends and church and community. It’s quite a big ask and parents are inevitably feeling slightly overwhelmed by it all.
What a great opportunity to think creatively and see what new ideas we can develop to reach this next generation and support the parents with the only physical contact most in this generation are having right now.
Whether you are a parent or a kids or youth worker, we are all looking for meaningful ways that we can support and encourage our kids and youth. Our network of Black Country churches and charities has taken on a whole new purpose as we share resources and support each other through an unimaginable shift in society. We need your help though. If you have any ideas that might help someone else, please share them! We have a Love Black Country Next Gen Facebook group that you can join or send us an email.
It is amazing how one little seed of an idea can open our mind to a whole new way of thinking. I chatted on the phone yesterday with a kids leader who said she was PRINTING and then POSTING resources out to the church families as she knew a digital link would be less likely to be used. What a fantastic idea! I hadn’t even considered going ‘old school’ and buying a stamp! It has led me to think through other ‘old’ methods that we could resurrect as well as embracing the new ones that we are blessed with.
So whether you have an app that you are using or just a simple idea about how we can show the love of Jesus to our families, please let us know – share your seed of an idea and imagine what could grow as a result. And please know we are praying for you and the Next Gen team are here if you need a FaceTime chat or even a letter in the post – please get in touch.
Please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Still together…just apart…for a while.
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Together Apart 4 – A Year in Lockdown - We're happy to announce that we will be hosting our 4th regional Together Apart gathering on Sunday 9th May at 6pm, live on Facebook and Zoom.
Increasing need for education chaplaincy as schools return - As they return to school on 8th March after months out of formal education, thousands of children and young people across the Black Country will require far greater support than simply what school teachers are able to offer. Local churches can provide essential pastoral support for schools through chaplaincy partnerships and this has never been more essential than it is now.
Together Apart 3 – Watch it again! - On Sunday 21st February, we hosted Together Apart 3, a virtual gathering on Zoom and live-streamed to Facebook. The evening saw hundreds of Christians from churches all over the Black Country to celebrate the things that God is doing in our region and imagine what else He may have planned. You can watch the full meeting here.