n:fuse - The New Christian Discipleship + Training Year for 17-21’s, in Leeds and Bradford
We are writing to invite you to evening introducing n:fuse on Saturday 5th February 7-8.15 pm with drinks and chat afterwards at Bridge Street Pentecostal Church in Leeds.
Come and find out about how n: fuse is seeking to be one of the answers to questions posed by youth workers and young Christians themselves to how we give the extra support many young people need to progress into independence and into a confident faith. n:fuse is the result of many discussions between Church youth workers, Space, Transform and Leeds Youth Cell Network over the last three years.
n:fuse; a new Christian ‘discipleship and training’ year based in Leeds and Bradford. n:fuse is aimed at young people between the ages of 17 and 21 who want to serve God and others and are seeking to grow in their Christian faith. n:fuse seeks to help young people overcome life’s hurdles to realise their dreams. It is designed to support a wide range of young people, including those who may not be in education or work, or those taking time out before going to university or the workplace. n:fuse seeks to be a holistic program that can be a route into work or education, whilst also seeking to build character and equip them with far wider life skills.
We seek to achieve this vision by offering a structured programme that aims to help young people to unlock their potential and find significance.
n:fuse has five key aspects. These are: Mentoring, Structured learning including theology and life skills, voluntary placements, and employment and alternative experiences e.g. cross cultural mission, independent living.
Between 7 and 8.15 pm we will introduce the n:fuse vision to you, give you a brief description of the course and its curriculum and allow questions to a panel of n fuse trainees. Afterwards there will be drinks and canapés and chance for conversation, further questions and a celebration of n:fuse so far.
Please let us know if you think you can make it by emailing nfuse.city@googlemail.com or phoning on 07917702922
A Massive Thank you for all your support and encouragement financially and in prayer. We have been really encouraged by all the generosity and support that individuals, churches and Trusts have offered and are aware that we couldn’t run n:fuse without your on-going help – so thank you!
Update from the n:fuse team
We are nearing the end of our first academic term of n:fuse and really want to take this opportunity to thank God for his faithfulness. It has been a fantastic journey so far and we are confident that what God has started in the young peoples’ lives he will bring to completion.
We have ten very diverse young people on the team this year, from a whole range of backgrounds and locations across Leeds and one young man (Malcolm) from Bradford. We started the year with a weekend away in Scarborough and despite the team being so diverse, they got on well and really gelled as a team at this point. Since then we have met on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning at Bridge Street Church in Leeds.
On a Monday we have been looking (with the help of Curate Jude Smith) at ‘God’s Big Story’, starting at Creation and the Fall, and working our way through the story of the people of Israel, culminating in Jesus’ life death and resurrection and finally looking at the church and End Times. This has been a chance for some young people to hear this overview for the first time, and for others to dig deeper.
On a Friday we look at life skills, e.g. by cooking and eating together, as well as emotional intelligence (with Pete Larkum) helping the young people to become more aware of their emotions and how they affect us.
Finally on a Wednesday we have visited and helped at many places and projects around Leeds and Bradford, giving the young people an awareness of our cities and serving where we can. Some of the projects we have visited include RETAS (asylum seekers and refugees), St. Stephens church in Bradford (helping prepare resources for the homeless), St. Georges Crypt, Caring for Life, Preparing and helping run a Demonstrate day in Beeston, and city centre prayer walks in Leeds and Bradford. If you or your congregation knows of a project that could do with a team of enthusiastic young people to lend a hand on a Wednesday morning then let us know.
Each young person also has placements and a mentor. Some of the placements include working at Kidzklub, Space, Romance Academy, various primary and secondary schools, church youth groups, Buttershaw Family Centre, Leeds Youth Cell Network, Vicars Café in Saltaire, and West Grange coffee afternoons in Hunslet. Some young people also have part time jobs and others are working towards this through CV and interview practice. All of this can sometimes take a lot of time and resource management by the young people – valuable life skills that they will need way beyond this year.
Here are some quotes from some of the team about how they are finding n:fuse so far,
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I love the opportunity to explore myself, my faith and my future”. Olivia
“n:fuse is going fantastic and I would like to say if people are thinking of doing it next year, then I would say – go for it, you learn a lot of things you probably wouldn’t know and also its fun and enjoyable”. Laura
Hope you have a great Christmas,
Looking forward to seeing you in the New Year,
The n: fuse staff, Tania Carlisle, Duncan Stow and El Queening
