Connsbrook Avenue Congregational Church,

Belfast, Northern Ireland. UK.

'Preaching peace through

Jesus Christ'

Acts 10v36

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YOUTH

 

Here you can find out

what is going on in the church  for young people ; and,

what is going on  in the Congregational Union of Churches for young people.

Check out the new Trekkers Group 3 page [still under construction]

 

 

Children and Young People at Connsbrook

 

At Connsbrook Avenue, we really value our involvement with the whole family, and we are always glad to have families joining with us in our Sunday services.  A crèche is provided for the youngest children on Sunday mornings, whilst the morning service includes a young people’s address and an opportunity for children to follow the sermon with a specially prepared sheet. 

We run a number of activities for children and young people: 

Trekkers is our club for children and teenagers.  Groups one and two (for children at primary school) meet on Friday evenings from 7 pm – 8.15 pm.   They enjoy programmes of games, singing, memory verses, Bible stories, quizzes and craft.  Group three is for those in secondary school and meets on Fridays from 8.30 – 9.45 pm.  Their programme includes talks and discussions about the Bible, a wide range of team games and other games, quizzes, craft and tuck shop.  They also enjoy frequent outings.  Each group is co-ordinated by a church member and has a number of leaders from the church, working under the guidance of the minister.  Special Trekkers services are held at Christmas and at the end of the summer term. 

16+ is our new programme for those aged sixteen and over.  We plan to meet on a monthly basis, alternating on a Saturday evening for a social event and on Sunday following the evening service.

 Teenagers also attend a range of different events during the year which are organised by ‘After 8’s’ (a partnership of evangelical churches in East Belfast) and by Congregational Youth, part of the Congregational Union of Ireland to which our church belongs.  

 Mums and Tots meet on Thursday mornings from 10 am.  This gives mums and carers a chance to relax and chat over a cup of tea, whilst the pre-school children have space to play with large and small toys and to enjoy other structured activities, as well as their mid-morning toast!

The church operates a Child Protection Policy which is overseen by two Child Protection Officers.

Summary of Activities:

Mums and Tots                                                           Thursday 10 – 11 am.

Trekkers: Group 1 (P1-P3)                                         Friday 7 – 8.15 pm

                Group 2 (P4-P7)                                         Friday 7 – 8.15 pm

                Group 3 (Year 8 upwards)                          Friday 8.30 – 9.45 pm

 

Dates for your diary

 

Mums and Tots begins again: Thursday 15th January 2009 (10 am)

Trekkers Service : Sunday 5th April [6.30pm]

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Congregational Youth

Within our Congregational Union of churches, there are two elements which are aimed at the younger generations: Congregational Youth and Congregational Young Adults.  The events for both groups are planned and run by the CY committee, which is made up of youth leaders from a variety of churches, and headed by an appointed Chairman.  There is also a Young Adults Co-ordinator, who oversees the running of Young Adults events.

Congregational Youth events are aimed at the teenagers within our churches and church work.  There are a number of events during a year, including two rallies, usually January and May, a barbeque, a quiz, and a 5-a-side football competition. 

At the rallies, there is usually a speaker / number of speakers, who are given a topic for the evening by the Committee.  The host church provides music and refreshments.  Recent events have included missionary evenings with representatives from organisations such as CEF, Asia Link, and OMS, an evening focusing on relationships with local organisation Love for Life, and a challenging look at how to be a daily witness. 

The other CY events are relaxed, social events, designed to bring the young people together to have fun and make new friends from different parts of the country. 

Attendance at any of these events varies between 70 – 150.  No matter the numbers, these evenings are always encouraging and a blessing.

Congregational Young Adults is a more recent addition to Congregational life.  It was designed to fill what was seen as a gap in our churches for people in their twenties and thirties.  YA meets every other month on the last Saturday of the month, usually for a social evening involving an activity of the host church’s choice and food from a local takeaway!  Past events include crazy golf, paintballing, bowling, table quizzes, dodgeball, and many other varied activities. 

These evenings are always hugely enjoyable, with between 20 and 30 attending from a number of different churches, and many good friendships have been made and cemented here. 

Also, once a year the group goes away for a weekend, where Bible study is the primary aim, and relaxation the second!  There are very few other structured activities beyond the meetings, in recognition of the fact that people are busy and that weekends are precious.  These times are full of real blessing, refreshment, and fun. 

One of the best things about Young Adults is the warmth and welcome there – each time, there are usually people who have come for their first time, and they always enjoy the warmth and the company of the others.  But there is always room for more!

If you would like further details on any aspect of Congregational Youth, please visit our website: http://www.congregationalyouth.org

 

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