Bath and Wells is one of five dioceses in the country chosen to pilot the new cascade model of Launchpad, a programme designed to support church leaders who want to start working with young people and who would like to have the right knowledge and insight to form a strategy and action plan.
The Launchpad scheme, run by Youthscape, has already been successfully piloted in the dioceses of Blackburn, London and St Albans. So far, the scheme has helped 140 members of clergy formulate plans to work with young people in their parishes. Inititally St Albans, London, and Blackburn dioceses hosted Launchpad, with Youthscape delivering it. The new cascade model, being trialed in Bath and Wells, will see dioceses partnering with Youthscape but delivering Launchpad themselves. In this way each diocese can tailor Launchpad to fit their local context.
Launchpad offers another way of supporting and encouraging clergy and their churches to engage in ministry with young people (aged 10+). It is not aimed at churches with a thriving youth ministry or those which have a paid youth worker, nor is it about setting up large youth clubs or open youth projects. Instead, Launchpad aims to support churches with no, or few opportunities for youth ministry, by helping them to create space and time to simply journey with small numbers of young people using their traditions and limited resources.
Bath and Wells launched the first cohort of Launchpad with ten members of clergy from different parts of the diocese. Tony Cook, Head of Growing Faith and Everyday Faith and Adviser for Bath Archdeaconry, who led the sessions said, “It has been so encouraging and truly inspirational. After visiting each parish to better understand each context, the group came together fortnightly in five 2-hour lunchtime sessions.
“We explored the changing world of young people today, what matters to them, how they grow physically, emotionally and spiritually, and discussed how youth ministry might play a part in their lives. There were elements of guided learning and signposting to theories and resources. However, much of the time was spent in fruitful conversations about the genuine desire to help young people know how much they are loved by God.”
The five sessions plus a celebration evening form part of the Launchpad journey. This is backed up with a firm commitment from the Go Team, with the support of Youthscape, to continue the journey with each church as they seek to minister amongst the young people in their local churches, communities and schools.
These are some of the views expressed by those who took part in Launchpad:
- It was a chance to reflect together about what is practically possible within my context.
- The realisation that the days of big programmes and set piece youth ministry are over for many churches.
- The recognition that working alongside young people is contextual and may not look like what we might assume it would.
- I found this Launchpad course very affirming in helping me learn and think about our engagement with young people. There is no magic wand, but you are encouraged to take small, manageable steps in seeking to share God’s love with young people. I would recommend this course to anyone who wishes to ‘launch’ out into ministry with young people.
For more information about Launchpad in Bath and Wells, or to register interest in your church being part of a future Launchpad cohort, please contact Tony Cook or the Go Team.