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Do you want to help young people grow in faith? Our Youth Adviser is delighted to offer a training course on 25 February and 25 March at the St Philip Howard Centre in Crawley for anyone involved in working with young people. If you are a Confirmation Catechist, or you run (or are thinking of running) a youth group then this is the course for you!

Training will be facilitated by David Beresford of the Catholic Bible School who has vast experience of working with people of all ages and helping them explore and understand our beautiful faith.

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The purpose of the course

All the evidence shows that our current practice of Catechising young people is not as effective as it could be. This is not through any lack of enthusiasm or dedication on the part of the Catechists, but because society has changed, and we need to adapt with it. This course will help you to really understand the current situation, and how we can minister to teenagers at this turbulent yet exciting time in their lives.

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Who is the course for?

Confirmation catechists, Youth Group leaders and anyone interested in helping young people grow in faith.

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What can I expect?

This two day course will have two distinct outcomes. Day one will focus on the theory, we will look at the latest research and at Church documents, discovering that they work hand in hand to teach us how to engage young people in the faith. Day two will be an opportunity to explore the more practical aspects of ministry, and how to turn theory into reality.

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How does the course fit into the bigger picture?

Bishop Richard’s Pastoral Plan emphasises the need for cradle to grave catechesis and formation for all Catholics. This course will empower participants to give life to this vision, by giving them the tools to accompany people in faith on their journey through their teenage years. Pope Francis says that “Those of us who are no longer young need to find ways of keeping close to the voices and concerns of young people. “Drawing together creates the conditions for the Church to become a place of dialogue and a witness to life-giving fraternity”. We need to make more room for the voices of young people to be heard: “listening makes possible an exchange of gifts in a context of empathy… At the same time, it sets the conditions for a preaching of the Gospel that can touch the heart truly, decisively and fruitfully” (Christus Vivit 38)

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To Book your place click here, for more information contact our Youth Adviser Lizzie Wakeling;

E: lizzie.wakeling@abdiocese.org.uk.