2. Church on the Edge
• On the Edge is part of the wider Frontier Youth Trust and Church Missionary Society
project ‘Church on the Edge’ (CotE).
• CotE seeks to bring about an expression of church with young people were they can
explore what it means within their culture and setting to be church.
• This is the starting point for the work of On the edge.
3. City on a Hill
• Youth work and the process of youth work can be Church.
• An image for the Church can be both the city on the hill and the journey to that city
(Matt. 5:14).
‣ Church as both the process and the outcome.
‣ The Journey and the destination.
Taken from ‘Off The Beaten Track’ by Richard Passmore.
4. The Vision
Taking into account the vision of CotE. As well as church being journey and
destination
The vision of On the Edge is:
‘To be and grow a relevant expression of church with young people.’
6. Aims: Bringing it together
By bring together the aims of CotE:
‘develop a fresh approach to challenging young people’s behavior through good
youth work processes with the critical intention to grow a relevant expression of
church with marginalized young people.’
And
‘The project (CotE) will seek to work within a professional framework and believe
good youth work is participatory, empowering, educative and promotes equality of
opportunity. We seek to enhance the personal, social, emotional and spiritual
development of young people that they may realise their full potential.’
7. Aims: Bringing it together
And integrating them with the vision of On the Edge
‘To be and grow a relevant expression of church with young people.’
This then leads us to the key aims of On the Edge:
‣ Building meaningful relationships with young people.
‣ Helping young people to become autonomous individuals.
‣ Making it possible for young people to respond to the claims of Christ.
8. Breaking down the aims
• Building meaningful relationships with • Making it possible for young people to
young people. respond to the claims of Christ.
‣ Relationship is the core of all youth ‣ By making this possible we are seeking
work and ministry. Without relationships to empower young people with
between young people and workers information so they can make their own
there is no youth work. decisions regarding Christ. By
responding, they may choose to be
followers of Christ.
• Helping young people to become
autonomous individuals.
‣ An autonomous individual is someone
who has developed an ethical
framework and can act on it to take
control of, and be responsible for
themselves and their actions.
10. Achieving our Aims
By recognising our aims we can then examine appropriate ways to fulfill them by
developing objectives.
Vision: To be and grow a relevant expression of church with young
Aims Objectives
• Make contact with new young people.
Build meaningful relationships with young people.
• Build on existing relationships with young people.
Working with young people:
• Emotionally
• Socially
• Physically
Helping young people to become autonomous individuals.
• Academically
• Politically
• Empowerment
• Explore with young people ‘the meaning of life’.
Make it possible for young people to respond to the claims of
• Enable young people to gain relevant and appropriate
Christ.
exposure to the Christian faith.
12. Annual Plan: Aim One
Aim Objective Method
Networking with areas were young
people have contact
Make contact with new young
Involvement in Schools.
people.
Detached/Street work
Bus Breakfast
1 to 1 work
Build meaningful relationships
with young people. Chagford Friday night meeting
Drewsteignton Saturday night
Build on existing relationships meetings
with young people.
Day Trips
Youth Meals
Hotspot Nights
13. Annual Plan: Aim Two
Aim Objective Method
Working with individual young
Emotionally people in need
Youth Fest
Socially
Joint group events
Develop relationships with the REC
Physically
Helping young people to
become autonomous Use ICT/media were possible.
individuals. Have involvement with media
projects.
Academically
Make contact with schools and
seek regular involvement.
Politically Speak project
Empowerment Youth Forum
14. Annual Plan: Aim Three
Aim Objective Method
Actively use informal education to
Examine with young people ‘the explore ‘the meaning of life’.
meaning of life’. Start monthly film club to explore
Make it possible for young ‘deeper’ issues.
people to respond to the
claims of Christ. Enable young people to gain
Be aware of possibilities for
relevant and appropriate
‘informal’ discipleship.
exposure to the Christian faith.
