Magazine Winter '11

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Newest mag from New Generation.

Transcript of Magazine Winter '11

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 2

WELCOME TOTHE NG MAGAZINE

4 NG’s Autumn Calendar5 Editorial6-7 Stories from the NG Family8-9 REACH OUT This CHRISTMAS10-11 Everyone Needs a Bible for Christmas12-13 The Big Five14-17 Young Leaders in the Spotlight18-19 Faith, Hope & School22-23 Meet the NGI Family24-25 Go! Europe26-27 Spread the Love This Valentine’s39-30 All-Year Activist

CONTENTS

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PUBLISHERNew Generation [email protected]

[email protected]

EDITORBrad Hawkes

EDITORIAL TEAMJoel FagerholtLovisa SmedmanHannah ParkinsonMaria VauhkalaJenny CarlssonLydia KelletRichard Louis

DESIGNFredrik [email protected]

David [email protected]

PRINTERHannah Print Ltd

The NG Magazine comes out twice every academic year and is sent out for free to all members of New Generation. It’s here

to help you make the most out of your time in school, or if you’re no longer studying, to help you come alongside those who

are. It’s full of inspiration, tips and ideas that we hope will help you run an effective Christian school group. The magazine is

designed to be a resource to help you be a light for Jesus and make a real difference in your school, college or university.

TWITTER.COM/NEWGENERATIONUK

FACEBOOK.COM/NEWGENERATIONUK

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 3

WHAT IS NEW GENERATION?

New Generation is a cross-denominational movement of young

Christians meeting in peer-led groups with an aim to see the Chris-

tian message of love demonstrated both in word and action in

schools, colleges and universities. Some put up posters, give away

cakes or organise theme days. Others clean up their schools, give

Bibles to friends or speak at assemblies. All of them aim to con-

tribute to a positive environment and make the message of Jesus

available to their generation through prayer and creative outreach.

PrayerPrayer is the starting point for any lasting change in

society, including in our schools. If we’re going to see

British teenagers turn to Jesus, it’s going to take prayer.

The great thing is that prayer is something everyone can

do: alone, in pairs, or as a group. You can pray loudly or

softly. You can pray from a book or a list. You can even

just improvise. That’s the thing with prayer…in the same

way people have different accents and ways of talking,

people also have different ways of praying, and that’s

totally fine. God hears them all.

OutreachOutreach is about making Jesus available. Whether it’s

through one-to-one friendships, evangelistic projects or

social action, outreach is all about finding creative ways

to spread the life and love of Jesus. No one should ever

be forced to believe, but we think everyone has the right

to hear about Jesus and make up their own mind, and

that’s where school groups come in. Our dream is that

every young person in Britain will get the chance to hear

the Christian message at least once a year, whether it’s by

getting a Bible from a classmate, participating in a theme

week about racism or bullying, or through an everyday

conversation with a friend. Don’t leave it to chance, make

sure YOU give YOUR classmates and friends the chance

to make up their mind about Jesus.

So, we think you’re the best possible people to communi-

cate the message of Jesus to your peers, and that setting

up a cross-denominational group that meets to pray and

reach out in school is a great way to do that. We believe

in a generation dedicated to living not just for themselves,

but living for others.

WE ARE THE NEW GENERATION.

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 4

November1 All Saints Day

2 Cookie Monster Day

3 Sandwich Day

13 World Kindness Day

16 International Day For

Tolerance

17 International Student Day

18 Mickey Mouse Day

20 Universal Children's Day

21 World 'Hello' Day

24 Celebrate Your Unique

Talent Day

26 Buy Nothing Day

● We were prepping for the start of the new term when Jenny, our Team Coordinator, decided

she needed to disturb me with a video about some random band from the sticks somewhere. I’m not sure if I ever got around to watching the video, but I do remember the advert before it. It was a Google Chrome advert telling the story of Jamal Edwards, the founder of SBTV; a YouTube channel he started for fun when he was 15. It all began with him uploading a few videos of his mates rapping and doing grime, but after a just couple of months SBTV was getting 1000s of hits. Now 5 years on, SBTV has had around 70 million views and is rated the “most popular media channel for youth”.

I love this story for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Edwards was, and still is, a young person. Secondly, the whole initiative is peer-led. SBTV is all about young people’s passion and creativity, and about

NG AUTUMN CALENDAR

December1 World AIDS Day

2 International Day For The

Abolition Of Slavery

5 Ninja Day

14 Money Day

17 Wright Day

24 Christmas Eve

25 Christmas Day

26 Boxing Day

31 New Years EveRichard Louis • UK National Leader

January1 New Years Day

11 International

'Thank You' Day

16 Religious Freedom Day

17 Cookie Monster Day

19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

21 National Hugging Day

22 Celebration Of Life Day

24 National Compliment Day

27 Holocaust Memorial Day

February14 Valentine’s Day

15 Child Cancer Day

19 Chocolate Mint Day

21 International Pancake Day

22 Ash Wednesday

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 5

sharing things that are important to them. It’s also a story of an unlikely entrepreneur and an unexpected leader, and that’s what this magazine is all about. Leadership is one of those words that conjures up all kinds of different images. When we’ve been in schools or youth groups and we’ve asked young people who they think of, we always get the same types of answers. Someone will always say “Jesus” and someone else will always say “Hitler”...and of course there’ll be a list of other influencers in be-tween, ranging from the Obamas to the Osamas, and other usual suspects. Interestingly, we rarely hear anyone suggest somebody in the room, or any other young person for that matter.

For some reason, leadership has become syn-onymous with adults, and in some ways, that’s not really that strange; many adults are leaders oin-some shape or form. However, at New Genera-

tion, we’re convinced that in God’s eyes, young people are some of the best potential leaders around. We believe that he wants to see more and more young people grow in their faith and take responsibility. In fact, we’re pretty certain that God intends for you to become a person of influence in your school, college or workplace, and that he doesn’t agree with those who say you’re too young, too inexperienced, too spotty (!), or whatever else may “disqualify” young people from leadership. He sees you as a chosen spokesperson for his kingdom here on earth.

That’s why we’ve dedicated this whole maga-zine to young leaders. I hope the articles help, inspire and equip you. If, after reading the whole magazine, you still want more coaching and leader-ship training, then there’s really only one option...come and join our Team and do a gap year with us!

There are these rare occasions in life when you stumble

across something that is really profound on YouTube.

Such an occasion for me, was this summer.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE NG MAGAZINE!

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A group in Cardiff have started something they call "prayer buddies". Everybody in the group picks a person to be their prayer buddy and agree that every time they see each other around the school they’ll stop to pray a quick prayer for each other.

The group at St Mary Redcliffe started the school year strong with 40 people attending their first CU meeting for the term. Wow!

We’re happy to announce that 2 New Generation groups were started in Bristol schools this past September. That means 2 new Bristol schools where young people are actively praying and reaching out to their classmates.

Recently, 3 new school groups started in the Tam-worth area. What a great start to the academic year for the city!

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 7

NG organised a Faith, Hope & School training day in the Canterbury area on the last weekend in Oc-tober. It was a day filled with fun, food, teaching, testimonies and games. Good times!  

The group at Billborough College, Nottingham, organised a Stop the Traffik campaign to help put pressure on Nestle to make Fairtrade chocolate. The group also has a rolling schedule with different types of meetings for each week of the month. They alternate between socials, outreaches, prayer/testimony time and an internal meeting just for the group members. Brilliant ideas.

A Manchester CU handed out sweets to promote that their group had started again on what they called “Sweetest Day”. They also stuck pieces of paper on them saying "Happy Sweetest Day from Free:Life Christian Union". The group said they had people all over the school smiling. Just like that!

The group at Castle School has held several open CU meetings where students in the school could ask questions about God. The response has been really good and they’re already planning some more!

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Christmas ConcertDo you have any musicians, dancers or

drama buffs in your group? A Christmas-

concert will excite your peers, draw atten-

tion to your group, and give you the chance

to share Jesus and His love. If you can, get

someone to share their testimony too. It

doesn’t need to be dramatic...just sharing it

is sure to get the school talking.

Festive FlashmobOften we need to reach out to our friends,

rather than expecting them to come to us.

God meets us where we are, and we should

do the same with our friends. So, why not

organise a flashmob in a public place and

give it some Christmas flavour. It could be

a spontaneous song in the schoolyard or a

carol in the corridor. Or why not mix it up

with some dance moves in the gym or a

group beat-box/Bible verse mash-up? Top

it off with a mince pie giveaway or some

non-alcoholic mulled wine and you’re sure

to have everyone’s attention!

Why Christmas? DiscussionThere’s no question that Christmas is

huge. The presents, the decorations, and the

festive tunes...but what’s the Christ part got

to do with it? Create an event where you

answer that very question. Put a jar in the

library, give a sheet to each tutor group,

advertise your questions around your

college and then get someone in to

address the topic or answer the questions

yourselves. Have a look at our Christmas

posters on NG+ to help you advertise.

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Christmas PartyHow many people do you know that don’t

love to celebrate Christmas, whether it’s for

Jesus or not? So, why not put on a Party

event before you break up for Christmas?

Be as creative as you can and organise

some games and get some food in. And

don’t forget to tell people why you’re doing

it: the real reason for the season.

Charity EventSupporting a charity this Christmas is a bril-

liant way to do something positive outside

of, AND inside, your school. It'll also help

raise the profile of your group and show

your classmates that you care. How about

supporting the local homeless charity or

food bank, or doing a shoebox appeal? Get

some cool and creative ideas for fundrais-

ing (from cake sales to sport events to con-

certs) and show the school how they can

help the disadvantaged this Christmas!

Christmas Goodwill ChallengeChange the atmosphere in your school this

Christmas by creating Christmas goodwill

challenges that you give out with sweets

or cakes for people to pass on the love

they’ve received. It could be something as

simple as "Invite someone who’s alone

or new to play football with you this

lunchtime" or "Write a note to a teacher you

appreciate". What would you like from

GOD this Christmas?

OutreachSo many of your friends are searching for a

genuine encounter with God, and others will

be having a difficult time in their family in

what’s supposed to be a merry time of the

year. Create a place for prayer - a room or

an area in the playground - and expect God

to turn up!

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EVERYONE NEEDS A BIBLE

FOR CHRISTMASJenny Carlsson • Team Coordinator • [email protected]

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 11

T his is why I believe the Bible could (and

should) be at the centre of our Christmas celebrations, and I believe that if it was, it would have the potential to change not only our lives, but the lives of our families and friends as well.

In the few years since we started producing tailored NG New Tes-taments for handing out, we’ve heard story after story about young people who’ve joined the campaign to put Bibles back in our schools and who’ve handed them out to their friends. We’ve heard about young people writ-ing personal messages in them, highlighting verses, wrapping them, hiding them in school-bags, and simply just handing them out as they are for Christ-mas. So many times we’ve also heard how a young person has taken the Bible home, started to read it, and become a Christian.

One of our NG Bibles costs the same amount of money as a Grande Hot Chocolate with Cream & Marshmallows at Starbucks. So, all you need to do is survive without a particularly tasty drink on one occasion

and put the money towards an NT, and you may just change a life for ever. By doing so, you’d be joining with thousands of other young people who've done the same thing across Europe.

Here are a few simple steps to help you hand out Bibles: Take a Step First of all, get together as a group and make a decision to hand out Bibles, or just do it on your own!

Get Some Money If you’re planning big you need to put your fundraising skills into ac-tion and start hunting for money. For ideas, check out our fundraising page on NG+. Remember that you can start by simply buying one Bible with your own pocket money and then build from there.

Make it Personal Maybe you want to wrap the Bible, write a Christmas card to go with it, or highlight some verses. Whatever you do, making it personal will up the chances that the Bible is well-received, and more importantly, read by the person who gets it. Pray Before you get busy hand-ing them out, don’t forget to pray for the Bibles. Do It! Now it’s time to just hand them out, so put your ideas into

action and just do it. Remember to keep praying that God will use them and speak to people as they read his Word.

Let’s bring the Bible back to the centre of Christmas this year!

I grew up in a non-Christian family, which meant that Christmas wasn’t really a

celebration of Jesus’ coming to the world, but more like a competition who got

the nicest presents, who got to put the star at the top of the Christmas tree, and

most importantly, who could get their hands on more of mum’s homemade Christmas

treats! But as we all know, that’s not what Christmas is really about. It’s about God’s

salvation plan and the story of Jesus, all documented and presented in the Bible.

First of all, get together as

a group and make a deci-

sion to hand out Bibles.

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 12

To celebrate our official 5-year

anniversary here at New Genera-

tion UK, we decided to promote 5

big ideas you can use to make a

mark in your school. To make the

initiative possible, we’ve teamed

up with a few of our friends at

other organisations in the UK,

and between us, here’s what

we’ve come up with:

TEST OF FAITHChip Kendall, of thebandwithnoname fame, has a new project he’s running having teamed up with the organisation Test of Faith, and we’re excited to be in on the partnership. The idea is to use music as a tool to explore the relationship between science and religion, and challenge the common perception that they are in conflict with one another. The project consists of Chip K, DJ Galactus Jack, and a scientist, and the three of them will be at your school for a whole day: performing, speaking and doing lessons. If you want to host Chip and co. for a day then you’ll have to put your fundraising skills to the test, as the whole day will cost around £300-400.

YOUTH ALPHAYouth Alpha is an introduction course to the Chris-tian faith, specifically tailored for young people. It usually lasts for 10 weeks, and there are sessions on all the basics of Christianity. Usually people run Alpha courses in churches, but the course is also suited to schools, and recently we’ve seen a couple of groups run one in their lunch club, and it’s been a great suc-cess. What’s more, our experienced Teams are here to help you prepare and effectively run your YouthAlpha, so now it’s easier than ever.

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24-7 PRAYER24-7 Prayer was launched back in 1999 as a student-led prayer movement in Chichester. Since then, people have been praying continuously all around the world, and the movement has impacted countless people’s lives. As well as creating a space for Christians to pray, 24/7 Prayer Spaces have also created a forum for people who don’t normally pray to come and experience this sacred form of conversation. The 24/7 team have loads of experience and ideas and can help set up an exciting interactive space in your school. With 24/7 Prayer Spaces, you can have a room dedicated to creative prayer for one whole week, and not only can it be a CU thing, it can even be part of the curriculum!

MESSAGE BANDSThe Message Trust is an amazing organisation based in Manchester who, amongst lots of other things, put on school concerts all around the UK. Because CUs have an ongoing presence in the school, their bands love to connect with young Christians in the schools they visit so that when people have questions about God in the weeks after the concerts, you’re there to answer them. Join with us and The Message to bring a state-of-the-art band to your school and put on a concert series that your classmates will remember.

THE BIBLE PROJECTIf you’ve read anything else in this issue you’ve probably already realised that we really like the Bible! Together with the International Bible Society we’ve developed a New Testament that’s cool, small and perfect for handing out to your friends in school. The NTs have some great design work throughout, with 64 colour pages featuring testimonies and some ba-sics on Christianity. You can now get your copies for as little as £2.50 each!

✖ If you’re interested in organising one of these projects, get in touch with us at [email protected], and we’ll help you get

started. They’re all great ways to raise the profile of your CU, and create opportunities for loads of people to hear about God!

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 14

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HI JENNY, WE JUST DECIDED THAT YOU CAN

BE THE LEADER OF THE NEW GENERATION GROUP NEXT YEAR. BLESS /LOUISE.

then, and praying for 6 minutes rather than 60. Of course I will always try to be more like Jesus and spend more time with him. But let’s face it, we just aren’t per-fect. In fact, as young leaders, we won’t have everything sorted out right from the start, or have loads of experience and expertise.

That’s fine! Everybody has to start somewhere, and what better place to start than with your own Christian school group?!

Instead of doing what I did, I’d like to suggest that you come as you are, and that you let God use you. Take the opportunity to grow and learn over time, rather than trying to get every-thing in order up front.

LEARNING FROM OTHER LEADERSIt’s a great idea to have a mentor that can help and guide you when you bump into problems, or when you simply want to hear “You’re doing a great job!”. This could be a youth leader or someone older in church with experience in leading people. Most of the time they have loads they can share with you.

With that said, you don’t have to have a specific mentor to get ideas on how to lead...we have leaders all around us every day. If you’re into sport, you can probably learn something about leadership from your coach. If you have an extra job, look at your boss. Whether the people leading around you are good or bad at what they do, you can always learn from them...even if it’s just what not to do!

Another great way to learn is to invite other CU leaders in your town to meet up for a coffee every now and then. You can talk about how it’s going in your groups, compare notes, share ideas, and just pray together and for each other.

There are leaders all around us. Just take a look and learn from them.

Jenny Carlsson

Team Coordinator

[email protected]

WE HAVE LEADERS

ALL AROUND

US EVERY DAY.

That text message was my start as leader of the Christian group at my school. Talk about being thrown in to the deep end! I had no idea what being a leader entailed. Was I supposed to be the one that always prayed the longest prayer? Did I need to lead some worship every time we met? Or was I supposed to be the stressed out organiser that did everything myself?

Well, at least I had the summer so sort myself out...you know, to become a perfect Christian and everything. I mean, if there was one thing I knew about leaders it was they were supposed to be perfect. So, I started by reading 3 chapters in the Bible every day, I prayed for 1 hour, and I tried really, really hard to be that model Christian that would be fit to lead the group when I got back to school.

If I said that it didn’t work, some of you might be surprised. Others might know the situation all too well from their own lives. Before long, I was back to normal, reading my Bible every now and

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 16

HAVE FUN! Leadership is a responsibility, which can sound all dull, boring and heavy, but make sure you have fun as well. Sometimes all the planning and organising and delegating can be overwhelming, so take time and do something completely different once in a while. One group in Wales had a social time at the CU once a term. They’d just do things like bring cakes and food, and they’d get together and watch some funny YouTube clips. This can be a nice break from all the serious stuff, and it’s also a perfect time to invite non-Christians to come and visit the New Genera-tion group.

LEARNING FOR LIFEI know that I’ve gained so much experience from being a group leader in my school, and when I look back, I’m so happy that I dared to take a step in faith and answer that text message saying “Alright, I’ll do it”. Even though I didn’t know what I was doing at the time, so many of the things that I learned during those 2 years have helped me and been useful both as a Teamer at New Generation and in other areas of life. Remember, leading isn’t about being perfect, but about giving God what you’ve got and serving others. It’s a lifelong jour-ney, but like all journeys, you need to start somewhere, so start today!

So, if you’re in a group that’s a bit bigger, get other people involved in the leading as well. You’ll not only get more help with the tasks that need to be done, but you’ll also help the younger ones to grow into the role of a leader, so they can take over when you leave. You’ll avoid the situation I ended up in, not really knowing what to do as a CU leader.

If you’re reading this and you’re in a smaller group, you might be the only leader, but it’s still important to try to get other people involved. Try to delegate tasks and give people in the group different responsibilities. You can have a rota where you put down who's going to share a Bible verse every week, or maybe you can make one person “outreach leader” and let them take responsibility for each outreach you do. By doing that you’ll all get to have a go at leading.

LEADERS IN THE BIBLE We can also learn a lot from the Bible’s stories about people like Esther, Noah, Moses, and Gideon. When we read about people like Gideon in the Bible, we realise that they were often far from perfect in people’s eyes. Gideon was from the weakest family in the country, and he was the weakest and smallest within that already weak family. Not really the kind of natural-born leader you’d expect to change history, right? But God decided to do miracles through this guy. Not because he had the perfect skill-set to lead an army or knew the best warrior strategies, but because he was willing to serve God and trust that he would give him the strength he needed. And he did. The same thing happens today: God gives us the strength we need. Not more, and not less.

I believe that as a young person you can also can be used by God in the same way. If you come willing to serve God, he will give you the strength that you need to lead. PRACTICAL TIPS If I were giving practical tips from my own experience, I’d say the first thing you need to do is to get everyone involved. A New Generation group I met last year had a team of leaders leading, all different ages and all from different backgrounds.

GOD GIVES US THE STRENGTH WE NEED.

NOT MORE, AND NOT LESS.

LEADING ISN’T

ABOUT BEING

PERFECT.

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 17

IONI BELLISWhat’s the best thing about being a young leader? “The best thing about being a young leader is seeing just how much God can use you to impact the lives of others around you, despite your age. It's amazing to think of the things that God can use us for in our future as we become wiser, more experienced and confident, and more open to God's voice.

What are some of your tips for other CU leaders?"My best tip for other young leaders is to keep your focus on God and what he wants done, because it's so easy to become distracted with other things that are less important. Also, it's very easy to become wrapped up in what we think he would tell us to do instead of actually listening and following his lead. Don’t forget that God's the real leader, you're just his representative, and he always knows best!

KEIRAN JOSEPH What’s the best thing about being a young leader? "Although I was not born with clearly visible leader-ship skills, when I came to be a follower of Jesus, my talents were amplified so I could use them for HIS glory! Now I see I can lead and help other people grow in faith.”

What are some of your tips for other CU leaders?“Whether you walk through the corridors of a Christian school or one where you feel like you are the only follower of Jesus; YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We stand together as brothers and sisters across the planet, so be encouraged by that, and remember that through faith and putting your hope in the plans that God has for your CU, great things will happen.

To meet young leaders like Ioni and Keiran, make sure you come to Faith, Hope & School, and if you’re leaving school or college soon

and want to spend a whole year travelling to schools to encourage other young leaders, check out our article with former “All-Year Activist”

Hannah Parkinson on page 29-30.

We asked a couple of other young leaders for some advice and tips on

running a New Generation group. Here’s what they had to say.

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 18

If you haven’t been to one of our training days before, or even worse,

haven’t heard of them, then I suggest you take a moment to slap your-

self in the face! After you’ve recovered, take a moment to read on, as

I’m going to give you a few reasons why you need to be at one of our

Faith, Hope & School training events this February. But first, a few

practical details.

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 19

WHAT WILL THE DAY BE LIKE?I guess the best way to describe the day is to say: It’s all about Jesus, it’s all about your school, and it’s all about you. We believe that as a young Christian you’ve been called by God, not only to try and survive your teenage years, but to have an impact on the people around you and see Jesus do some amazing things in your friends’ and peers’ lives. That’s why we’ve set aside some time especially for you, and why we want to invest in you. We aim to make the sessions as practical, interactive and hands-on as pos-sible, and you’ll get to hear loads of practical ideas and real-life examples. Some of these will be testimonies from other groups around the country, and other things like learning how to fund-raise, and how to plan an effective outreach. One of the best things about the day is that you’ll also meet other young Christians who are also doing the best they can to live out their faith in school. Trust me, you really want to be there.

DO I HAVE TO HAVE/BE PART OF AN EXISTING CHRISTIAN

GROUP IN SCHOOL/COLLEGE TO ATTEND?

No! The day is open for anyone who wants to make a difference in their school. Even if you haven’t started yet, or even been part of another CU or Christian group be-fore. In fact, if that’s you, this day is perfect for you! You’ll get to meet people who are doing exactly what you are thinking about starting to do, so you can exchange ideas and

meet like-minded young people who can inspire you and spur you on.

WHAT TIME WILL THEY BE?It will start at 10am and finish around 4.30pm

WILL IT COST ANYTHING TO COME?

There’ll be a small price attached (£3-£5 depending on the venue) but it will not bust the bank. If for whatever reason you don’t think you can pay, make sure you get in touch with us before the event and we’ll sort something out.

WILL THERE BE ANY FOOD?Of course! What would a good event be without food?! We’ll start the day with some waffles, tea and coffee and move on from there. If you have any special food require-

----------------------------------------Richard Louis

UK National Leader

[email protected]

WHERE WILL THEY

BE?----------------------------------

9TH FEBRUARYSOLIHULL

(Renewal Christian Centre)

----------------------------------18TH FEBRUARY

MANCHESTER(New Life Church Oldham)

----------------------------------25TH FEBRUARY

BRISTOL(St. Michael Church)

----------------------------------

ments then we’d love to accom-modate those, so just let us know beforehand. All food is included in the price. Bargain!

CAN MY YOUTH LEADER COME?Absolutely! In fact, we’d love it if someone from your church could come along. If you’re interested in coming as a youth group, then make sure you get in touch with your youth leader to give them a heads up so they have enough time to either be there themselves or at least find out what it’s all about.

I hope these questions help you get a grasp on what Faith, Hope & School is all about. So if you'd like to get inspired, get resourced and get a whole load of practical ideas, this day is perfect for you. Or, for those of you who’ve been strug-gling to get things off the ground and only seem to come up against problems and obstacles in your CU, make sure you come along too, as the training day’s for you too. We’d love to help you in any way we can.

See you there.

PRACTICAL

YOUNG

LEADERS

TRAINING

DO YOU hAvE INfLUENCE?“LEADERShIP IS INfLUENCE - NOThING mORE, NOThING LESS” – JOhN mAxwELL

FRESH is practical leadership training for 15-21 year olds. It combines solid theological training and relevant, exciting experiences of leadership. Whether you’re at school / uni / work or doing a gap year, the FRESH journey can be part of your

year. We’re seeking to raise up young leaders who have a heart for God, walk with God and change the world as a result.

fOR mORE INfORmATION CONTACT: [email protected]

OR vISIT OUR wEbSITE:www.ShAREJESUSINTERNATIONAL.COm/fRESh

2,3 & 4 YEAR COURSES ALSO AVAILABLE

Stretch Yourself!PLANNING AGAP YEAR?

Join us for twelve months of intense youth ministry and training and discover

just how much you are capable of. Visit www.swym.org.uk for more details.

www.swym.org.ukE: [email protected] T: +44 (0)1392 273560

SWYM Gap Year Ad YW APR 2010_Layout 1 16/02/2010 17:21 Page 1

WWW.NEWGENERATION.CO.UK

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 22

NGFINew Generation Finland has grown mass-

ively over the past 3 years, now consisting

of 60 school groups and over 1000 sauna-

loving members. Just this year NG Finland

has been able to produce 3000 custom

New Testaments, their very first magazine,

and an all-new website that launched in

October. As a Finn myself, I’m amazed

at what’s going on. Currently splitting my

time between administrational work at our

international office in Birmingham and trips

to Finland to support the groups there, it’s a

privilege to be part of the action.

● You might be wonder-

ing what goes on in

New Generation groups in other

countries, and how all the NG In-

ternational stuff works. Well, it’s

a wide and vibrant network with

loads going on, so join me for a

quick journey to the end of the

world and back and see what’s

going on in the NGI Family.

M E E TTHE NGI FA M I LY

This academic year started with a kick-off in the UK and a week of training for some of our international leaders and Teamers. We had people from 7 different countries come together for 5 inspirational days of teaching, training and networking. There were representatives from from NG Finland, NG Estonia, NG Czech, NG Switzerland, NG Germany, NG Sweden, and even a Teamer all the way from NG New Zealand!

NGDEGermany is the latest addition to the NG

Family. After spending 3 years on the

Team here at NGUK, Amos Koch decided

to return to his hometown in Germany and

set up New Generation in Bavaria together

with another former UK Teamer Lennart.

Although it’s their first year back on home

turf, they’ve already got 2 Teamers on the

gap year, and word is spreading already

from school to school in the Nuremberg

area. They also have their first magazine

and a brand new website, so we expect to

see more and more young people motivated

and inspired to start in the their schools in

the coming months.

Maria Vauhkala

NG Finland Coordinator • [email protected]

NGSEFrom one of the most recent start-ups to

one of the originals... NG Sweden has soon

been running for 10 years, and looking

back, the stories that have come from there

have been a huge inspiration and example

to young people all over the world. With

groups in over 500 schools and more than

20 Teamers, the organisation is thriving.

We also have 3 Swedes volunteering for

us here in UK, and to quote one of them,

Jenny, “One of the best things about hav-

ing a group in my college for me was the

hands-on experience in young leadership.

Check out my article on the topic on page

12! =)”. NG Sweden = respect.

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 23

NGNZ The Teamer who travelled the furthest was

Aimee Johnston, who came all the way

from New Zealand to be with us for the

start of the year. Now she’s back in New

Zealand, Aimee’s been busy taking care

of over 10 school groups around Auckland,

and working with churches around the

country to get more groups off the ground.

Aimee was, like Jenny and Amos, a New

Generation group leader herself, before we

even had any Teamers in the country to

support her. Aimee had loads of opportuni-

ties during her time in school to tell people

about Jesus, and (brace yourself!) she saw

over 30 girls come to Christ in her last year

in school. Unbelievable! Even though New

Zealand is exactly on the opposite side of

the world, there’s young people there doing

the same thing as you, and we’re all part of

the same big family.

✖ That’s a little update from around the globe. If you’re interested in finding out more about our international work, or even joining

one of our international Teams, either here in UK or in one of countries mentioned above, don’t hesitate to get in touch! We’d love

to have you, and I can promise you’ll have time of your life! Just email [email protected]

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 24

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 25

● I’m not sure what you think about when some-

one says the word “Sweden”? I have to admit, that before I went and lived there for a few years, my associations were about as cliche as anyone else’s. I went expecting to find myself in a white winter wonderland where I’d most likely ski to work at an IKEA furniture store, dodging reindeer and blonde, Volvo-driving, ABBA-loving masseuses called Sven all the way. I expected to feast on meatballs and raw fish 7 days a week, get into ice hockey, and start talking like Sven-Goran Eriksson or the Swedish chef from the Muppets (not that there’s much of a differ-ence!).

Having spent some time there and immersed myself in both Swedish language and culture (not to mention marrying a half-Swede), not only were many of the cliches disproven, but I also made many new discoveries. Here I was in a country on the cutting edge in so many fields, from technology and engineering to fashion and design. A country right at the forefront of all things functional, whether it be eco-friendly architecture and con-struction and energy-efficient buildings, or smart IT systems and communications. Sweden is a small country with more inno-vation and ingenuity per capita than most, and a nation with so much to teach the world.

Not only do massive companies like Skype, Skanska, Sandvik and Saab have Scandinavian roots, but the New Generation

movement also grew out of Scandinavian schools, starting in Sweden and neighbouring Norway. Now that New Genera-tion is up and running in many more nations, we see new and innovative ideas coming from everywhere, but looking back, so many of the now classic NG outreach ideas and initiatives have come from young Swedes. So much of our inspiration has come not just from young Wil-liams and Jameses, Natashas and Jean-Pierres, but people with names like Johan, Jannie, Stina and Stig (that’s pronounced “Steeg”...not to be confused with the guy on Top Gear!). Whether it’s the prayer hit list or the “I’m a Christian, Ask Me Why” poster idea, we’ve been

stealing stories from the Swedes for years and turning them into international initiatives, and schools all over the world have now been blessed because of it.

So, now that NG Sweden has been running for 10 years, has active groups in over 500 schools, more than 10000 mem-bers, and over 10 national tours and 40 regional conferences under their belt, they’re itching to hit the road and come and meet their brothers and sisters from other mothers and misters all over Europe, and to see what God’s doing in schools beyond the Swedish borders. So, this coming June, 150 young Swedes will be piling into 3 buses for 2 weeks, stopping in 6 cities in 5 different countries to put on events and training, visit schools, do some social action and to hang out and exchange ideas and stories with young people just like you. Keep your eyes peeled for Go! Europe on our website for more info, and make sure you don’t miss out on a great opportunity to connect with other like-minded young people from the NG Family. To quote the Swedes, "It’s going to be epic!"

----------------------------------------Brad Hawkes

International Coordinator

[email protected]

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 26

T he 14th of February is a date most of us are very

familiar with, and whatever our own associations, it’s a key day in the calendar that rarely goes unnoticed. Whether it’s couples expressing their affection for one another, admirers mustering the courage to send that first flower, or singles counting the hours ‘til it’s all over for another year, it’s safe to say it pretty much affects us all. But is romantic love really the heart (heart, get it?!) of Valentine’s, or is there more to it than that? Looking to history we can find stories that go beyond the emotional love we see today, and the story of the martyr Valentine is one of them.

There's some uncertainty sur-rounding his exact identity, but what we do know is that in his days the emperor of Rome, Claudius II, issued an edict that banned marriage. Claudius

considered married men to be weak soldiers, and wasn’t pre-pared to take the risk of his men going mushy! Naturally people were shocked by the decree, but they dared not protest...ex-cept Valentine, that is. In secrecy he would perform weddings for

young couples. But his actions didn’t remain a secret for long.

When Claudius found out what was going on, he arrested Val-entine, but when the emperor met Valentine in person, he was impressed by him and tried to convert him to the Roman gods

to spare his life. Valentine did the same, attempting to convert him to his God. They both failed and Claudius was so angered he gave orders to execute Valentine. Meanwhile, whilst in confine-ment, he and the jailer’s daughter formed a deep relationship. It’s believed that she was blind, and legend has it that after Valentine prayed for her she got her sight back!

When the time came for his execution, Valentine asked for paper and a pen, and he wrote a letter to his dearest friend and signed it with the words we sometimes still use today: From Your Valentine.

Not only did Valentine love his dearest, the jailer’s daughter, but he also loved others enough to risk his own life, and this is the original reason why we celebrate St. Valentine’s Day.

Spreadthe Love This Valentine’s

Joel Fagerholt • Area Leader • [email protected]

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 27

NOTES: Put notes

on all the lockers with

compliments written

on them. Buying heart-

shaped post-it notes

is a convenient way to

save your hands from

blistering up after all

the cardboard-cutting!

FREEBIES: Hand

out cookies, buns or

Bibles. It’s always a

good idea to make

them personal in some

way, whether its writing

names on them or

highlighting particular

verses.

HIDDEN TREATS: Hiding chocolates,

sweets or flowers

around the school

can be surprisingly

popular, but make sure

you ask the head for

permission, whatever

you do.

HUG SQUARE: Make a big square/

ring/heart using

coloured tape and

make the word “hug”

in the middle. Now hug

everyone that walks

through the square

(just don’t hang on too

long, ok?!)

PLAYLIST: Make a playlist and

share it on Facebook.

Choose songs that

aren’t just about roman-

tic love, but also about

sacrificial living.

Ok, so now what?!

It might seem like an overwhelming task to follow Valentine’s example, but the more you think about it, the more opportunities you’ll find. “Yes, but where do I start?”, you might ask. “What should I do?”. Well, before I tell you any stories about what others have done, let me help you get your creativity going. You might just have a bright idea or two of your own between those ears of yours!

●Grab a pen and paper,

and call a friend or two

and start brainstorming.

Just remember that

being more than three

or four people makes it

hard to focus.

●Think about what

resources you have

and what you want

to do. Aiming for the

stars and landing on

the moon is better than

aiming for a treetop

and landing in your

neighbours chimney! (I

made that up!)

●Make a note of EVERY

single idea you get and

let them flow. NO ideas

are bad. Well, not for

now at least.

●Once you don’t have

any more crazy ideas

you can start looking

at your notes and start

about which ones are

actually good ones and

what you actually want

to do.

●Now you can decide

who’s doing what,

make goals for your

ideas, set dates and

decide the other practical

details.

As promised, let me share a few other ideas that have been done before:

If you want even

more good ideas, visit our

website and click the tab

“NG+”. (See the back of the

magazine).

SUMMING UPUsing Valentine’s Day to show others the love we’ve received

from Christ is a great idea and a good opportunity, but remember

that love isn’t always about feelings, love is a verb.

Sources: http://www.novareinna.com/festive/saintval.html • http://www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/history_of_valentine.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine

1 2 3 4 5

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 29

● My gap year with New Generation was the best year of my life to date! I still remember

how nervous and scared I was the morning I was leaving home for the training weeks in Birming-ham, but within a couple of hours of arriving, I was having a laugh and playing a good old game of Uno with the rest of the Team. It was amazing how quickly I felt at ease, and within a week everyone felt like my family. To be honest, I still can't believe how much God brought us together in such a short space of time. Not to mention that fact that as a part of that Team I was able to go out and make a positive impact for the future in my own country.

I learnt so many things teaming with NG...I was given the opportunity to write articles for the website

and the magazine (which, incidentally, was always my ambition since starting my NG group years before), and even to write some new resources for NG+. I got the opportunity to speak in front of various groups of people, from small CUs to a big group of people at a training day. I even got to write a few of my own devotionals to share on some of the group visits.

One of the amazing things I gained from NG was experience working with internationals and people from other backgrounds. It was great to meet people from so many different places, and to be on team with people from places like Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands. It's given me an ex-cuse to go and visit them in their home countries,

HANNAH PARKINSON • Former NG Teamer

Young Leaders in the Spotlight The NG MAGAZINE 30

places I’ve never been to before. The 2 teammates that I shared a base with; living, working and socialising with 24-7, became like 2 new sis-ters who looked out for me, cared for me, and even taught me to make incredible foreign treats, like kladdkaka (Swedish cake, like brownies but better!), which subsequently became one of my top 3 cakes! :)

During the year, I also got to see so much of my country and go to places I'd never been before, like Bristol, where I actually got to live for the whole year. We spent up to 3 days a week travelling all over the south of England and Wales, from Carmarthen to Ramsgate and many places in between. We visited loads of different churches and youth groups all over the place, and I got to learn so much about the Church. When I joined, I came straight from a fairly traditional background and a lot of things scared me a bit in other churches, but over the course of the year I learnt that all Christian churhces worship

the same God, and I was able to experience church and God in new and different ways.

The best thing about teaming with NG was all the young people I got to visit and hear about. People who were younger than me who were doing things I'd never dreamed of when I was at school, and then getting to tell other young people their stories and encourage them that they could do something amazing too! Being able to inspire and support young people was just amazing. One of my high-lights was going to a youth meeting and seeing a girl go from not wanting to tell her friends she was a Christian to deciding she was going to start a group. Another real highlight was seeing God put it on my 16-year old sister’s heart to fundraise £5000 so she could give a Bible to everyone in her college. Those young people and so many more are making a difference in their schools every day, and that God let me be a part of that is a huge privilege. It’s just amazing seeing God at work!

✖If you’re interested in becoming an “All-Year Activist” and joining the Team for your gap year, send an email [email protected]

WE SPENT UP TO 3 DAYS A WEEK TRAVELLING ALL OVER THE

SOUTH OF ENGLAND AND WALES, FROM CARMARTHEN TO

RAMSGATE AND MANY PLACES IN BETWEEN.

Get in touch!

WANT TO ADVERTISE

WITH US?@ [email protected]