Training Opportunities for volunteers

Here is a list of opportunities to explore:

The principal Christian youthwork training course that has national respect and acceptance is called 'Spectrum'. This training programme is recognised by all the main denominations and some agencies.  The course is currently 30 hrs tutored plus preparation and follow-up.

Foundation Degree in Youth Ministry (new for 2007 entry) at St. Mary's College, Twickenham, London combines academic study with vocational experience over a 2 year period and is aimed at volunteers and paid employees.

Engage! Certificate in Christian Youth work is offered at the Centre for Youth Ministry (CYM) and is a partnership of 6 organisations - Frontier Youth Trust, Youth for Christ, Oxford Youth Workds and 3 theological colleges.

What every volunteer youth worker should know, Youthwork - The Partnership - 9 sessions which can be organised weekly or combined for full days

'elivate' - Moorlands College - typically 5hrs study time per wk with supervised practical work in placement & 2 residential weeks.

Church Colleges - Certificate in Christian Youth Work at Chester College, delivered at Warrington campus - evenings plus a weekend/2days

Roman Catholic Approaches to Youth Work & Ministry - Ushaw College, with Catholic Youth Services, and the Catholic Association of Youth Ministers and Advisers (CAYMA)- 3 residential weekends over a year, a practical placement, journal and assignment.

If any parish wishes to send a worker on such a course, the best step is to enquire of Pam who will find out the nearest venue and dates for a course being run. Again, it may be necessary to go into London or Birmingham.

Mission Teams

Already mentioned once or twice, these are teams of young people, often living in a community setting, sometimes part of a diocesan structure and sometimes part of a 'movement', who will come to your parish or school for a week (or weekend) and conduct a more-or-less intensive programme of work with your own youth workers and young people. The idea is to motivate and equip the people who will remain in the parish, and to excite / inspire by showing what can be achieved, e.g. by putting on a youth service or Mass.

The nearest ones are from the Sion Community at Brentwood (01277 215011) (who also have a base in our Diocese, at Chalfont St Peter - 01753 888322), the SPEC Team at London Colney, St Albans (the Westminster Diocese youth retreat centre - 01727 828888), and the Jesuits at Southwell House in N London (Fr M J Smith, SJ - 020 7435 8534). There are also the Nottingham Pilgrims (01629 57704) up north.

Inviting a Mission Team requires a lot of planning and preparation on the part of the parish, and can involve a fair commitment of finance, as these teams often depend on fees from parishes and schools for their living expenses, and have to charge realistically. It may well be found difficult to book such teams from outside the Diocese as they are very popular and busy.

The local Youth 2000 group based in Northampton (01604 519078) will come into your parish and share their Eucharistic and Marian devotion, plus their great enthusiasm , and help with the establishment of a youth prayer group. The national Youth SVP organisation will support you well in the establishment of local branches.

International Training

Kerygma Teams are a dynamic training group within the international lay missionary organization, Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Centred around empowering young (and not so young!) Christians to effectively communicate the Gospel in a Catholic setting, their Discipleship Training Schools normally last between 6 and 9 months, and take place in a variety of locations worldwide. An exceedingly comprehensive course, the DTS doesn't come cheap, but does involve practical short-term missionary experience and all associated training (personal faith development, communication skills, a range of performing arts, and Catholic-based theology).  Upcoming schools in Australia, Belgium and India - all come with a strong personal recommendation by Matt!