It was a crazy idea that we came up with this year while consuming highly caffeinated drinks before presbytery. Many meetings later we, the training team from JYMC*, came up with GOING SOMEWHERE...

We were seeing that young people often feel (or get) pressured into youth leadership roles because they are the only ones around between fifteen and twenty-five. We were also seeing that youth leaders are often under-trained, under-supported and overwhelmed. They often leave their roles prematurely, or even worse, leave their church.

So for a change instead of just whining, we actually did something. We dreamed, and after a few meetings, we developed GOING SOMEWHERE.

We wanted to build realistic and fantastic expectations of youth ministry and give young people a sense of the magnitude of their role. We wanted to provide a creative and open space to explore leadership, as well as teaching practical skills. We also wanted to build up a real community and support network for leaders, not just a nice fluffy idea. Thus an unashamed two-fold purpose emerged: that the programme was not to be just about developing leaders, but also about providing food for young people, (spiritual nurture as well as cake...)

The first ever GOING SOMEWHERE has just finished. It ran over eight Tuesday nights plus one weekend away and a 'Yay for You' service. We prayed that at least 12 people would come along and were blessed with an average of 25 people from 11 different parishes in the region.

Each night involved couches, coffee, strong raro, fellowship, a devotion of sorts and most importantly - training input. Each night was a different topic, taken by a different person from the regional Presbyterian community. The topics were things such as: So what is our Job? Surviving in the Church, What is Worship? and Youth Issues.

We are currently revising and developing the programme so it can be used in other regions. As part of our follow up plan, we have two indoor netball teams. Go the Presbyterians!

Contact Mo for more info on GOING SOMEWHERE - 04 381 8299 or mo.mansill@presbyterian.org.nz

*JYMC is the Joint Youth Ministry Committee of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches in the Wellington Region.

Craig Hamilton Age 17 Miramar Uniting Church.

"I met a really nice new bunch of people and I got to know people that I already knew even better; it may sound cheesy, but one of those people was myself".

"I certainly came to grips with the dos and don'ts of running a camp, - like when you're tramping always making sure you've got enough people to be able to carry someone out, (Ha ha)".

"We learnt good practical stuff and there was room to make mistakes".

Nga Larsen Age 17 St John's in the City

"It was great that a whole lot of teenagers could meet up, become friends and begin to work together as a sort of little leadership community".

"Coming from a non-Christian family I found it really good working with other Christians brought up differently to me. It was good to see how we can all work together even with quite different backgrounds".

"As youth we really appreciate any support and knowledge given. This course gave us a network of people who care about us and the ministry we're in".

Tino Ang Age 18 Johnsonville Uniting Church

"Twelve months ago I would've said I wasn't a Christian, I hadn't even been inside a church. I had an encounter with a Presbyterian in McDonalds! I've been a youth leader ever since. I didn't really know any other young Christians. At the training sessions I was pleasantly surprised to find amazing young people, and people so passionate about youth leadership in the Church. I learnt that leadership is about sharing your gifts and building a team environment. God has given us all unique gifts and by working together we can accomplish anything".