Why pioneering youth and children’s work matters
Why pioneering youth and children’s work matters
Innovative and contextual approaches to ministry with children and young people have never been more urgent.
by John Wheatley,
The UK is increasingly post-Christian. Ninety-five per cent of young people never go to church, are raised by parents without church ties, and traditional youth ministry is failing to connect.
Children and young people today face increasing challenges: inequality, deprivation, and marginalisation from church and society.
Post-Christian Britain requires a model of ministry that responds to the specific needs and cultures of local communities and engages children and young people in their own spaces.
Through the lens of mission
In Portsmouth Diocese one of our students, Tanya Simpson, is engaging children and young people in a diverse range of activities, fostering connections with mid-week groups and creative outreach in local schools.
Tanya says: “I am meeting the children and young people where they are at – from the toddler group in the church hall to creating a bit of chaos in school.
“I had been looking for a course of study that would connect with my practice, take my understanding of the Bible deeper, and look at ministry with an outreach lens.
“The CMS course ticked all the boxes. I have only completed the first module, and my eyes have already been opened.”
New opportunities for faith
Over the last decade we have been developing pioneer approaches to work with children and young people. One of the core strengths of pioneer ministry is its commitment and adaptability to marginalised communities.
Our students have been creating new opportunities for faith WITH children and young people in untrodden spaces.
A pioneer approach to CYP (Children and Young People) ministry shifts the focus from outreach to discovery; uncovering new ways of being the church that deeply connect.
Our CYP pioneers are dedicated to journeying with young people on the edge, nurturing faith in non-church settings, and creating social good in local communities.
The change in approach releases creativity, cultivates leadership skills and values collaboration with local communities.
Growing cohort of youth pioneers
This September, 10 new CYP students embarked on their journey with us. Our unique programme looks at CYP practice through a mission lens, integrating studies in childhood, youth culture and professional practice with theological foundations, Bible in context and pastoral care.
It’s time to transform ministry with children and young people. Our dedicated training course equips ministers with the creative and contextual skills needed to nurture new faith communities and create social good in our neighbourhoods.
Church Mission Society’s unique model integrates children’s and youth work with pioneer ministry, enabling the church to invest in the future of children and young people beyond our usual reach.
John Wheatley joins CMS Pioneer Mission Training
We are pleased to announce that CMS graduate John Wheatley is co-leading our pioneer children’s and youth ministry programme.
John joins us from Frontier Youth Trust and is a former MA student with CMS. John is a pioneer youth worker on an estate in Weston-super-Mare.
John describes his time as a CMS student as paradigm-shifting: “We had just moved to the estate, and I was wrestling with how theology might be relevant out here on the streets. CMS helped to place my youth work in a mission frame. I grew through the programme, and my practice is more authentic, ambitious and creative as a result.”
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Old, new and unexpected treasure: graduation 2024
Dr Cathy Ross, leader of CMS Pioneer Mission Training Oxford, listens to students reflecting at our 2024 graduation.
