Our Vision
We want to create opportunities for children and young people to experience life to its fullest, explore the Christian faith, and encounter God for themselves. We do this by:
| Seeking |
|
| Sharing |
|
| Sending |
|
Our Values
Our values inform every part of how we work and all Beyond Youth team members, including volunteers, are expected to embody these as they walk alongside children and young people. These are:
| Love |
All of our relationships are rooted in love for God, each other, our neighbours and our communities. We don’t expect to all be the same all the time, but we do seek out the treasure in each other and the places we work. |
| Welcome |
We want anybody who encounters Beyond Youth activities or team members to know that they are truly welcome as they are (to “Be You”). We want to make sure people can access our activities regardless of ability, and engage safely and fully whoever they are. |
| Community |
Children and young people are important, not just for who they will become, but for who they are. As we welcome them, we have the opportunity to learn new things from them just as much as they can learn from us. We are committed to being a multi-generational community where everyone grows together. |
| Creativity |
When new communities gather, new things happen. We want to respond to an ever-changing world and make sure that the activities we run and the spaces we create are ones that are creatively established and promote yet more creativity. |
Our Methods
We work towards our vision through a variety of activities. First and foremost, and then at every stage, the focus is on the young people in front of us. The activities we run and the methods we use should all be shaped by the needs and personalities of the young people with whom we are walking.
Some of the activities we run will be in schools, such as leading collective worship, running after school or lunch clubs, being a pastoral presence at lunch or break times, or taking part in trips and lessons with the school.
Others will be out in public places, mostly through detached youth work. In detached youth work we spend time in young people’s spaces (parks, football pitches, benches, bus stops) with games, refreshments and a listening ear. At other times we may run pop up activities in these places.
Other activities will be in centres. These may be church buildings or community buildings, and will take one of a few forms. They may be forms of worshipping communities focused on children and young people, or drop in clubs for whoever wants to come, or activities structured around particular groups of young people.
Finally, we may spend time outside of the area on trips and residentials. Taking young people away provides plenty of opportunity to deepen relationships, try new things, and explore faith and life with a different perspective.