Kickstart 2012
Bright and early on Saturday 14th January Off The Fence’s Schools Team put on the annual youth and schools work conference known as ‘Kickstart’. Rightfully named it aims to refresh and encourage Christian schools and youth workers after the Christmas break.
The guests were predominantly from the Brighton & Hove area, however, there were a few faces that had travelled from as far as Ashford and Bognor! At approximately 9:30am Salvation Army Ashford’s fears of a continental breakfast were put to rest as Emma and Les Heal served up a delicious Full English! With the kind support from Starbucks we were able to wash down well cooked eggs with wonderful fresh coffee.
The day’s teaching was led by Dave Steell, the pastor of One Church Brighton. Although Dave is now a pastor and no longer a youth worker he has great knowledge and was able to share his experiences of Church youth work with us. Dave taught us to focus on who we are in Christ and what that means for our individual projects. Although this may seem a passive angle to take with regards to youth work, Dave assured us examining ourselves leads to action. The closer we walk with God and the more certain we are of ourselves the more God is able to use us for His glory. He also encouraged us that we don’t have to do what is pleasing to everybody else but do what is pleasing to the Lord.
In a small break we had ‘Stories from the City’ where we learnt about the plans for new Christian secondary school in Brighton and Hove (The King’s School) and also about Prayer Spaces in Schools.
Dave Steell stepped up again to share from Psalm 23 and how it tells us to look back and see grace and mercy behind us rather than infront . He taught us to be encouraged by what we have already achieved and to be aware that God’s grace and mercy is with us in our work. He taught us not to invent projects and hope that God turns up at them but to work alongside God and what He wants to see happen in the city.
