Youth work factory

TRAINING for leaders and BRIDGEBUILDERS

August 13th – 16th 2020
Youth leaders from different denominations and cultures in Europe and North America meet in The Netherlands from August 13-16 for a training and a project to review and re-ignite the concept of local youth ministry within our fragmented post-Christian western youth culture. After the week of training, each team (there are two leaders per team) starts and leads a new youth group in their respective towns, churches and countries. Together these leaders form a team in THE YOUTH FACTORY to help each other overcome the various obstacles to be expected when bringing together young people with a 21st century mindset. In the summer of 2021 they meet together again at an International Youth Festival in the middle of Germany; but this time it will be together with their Bridgebuilders Clubs. The place of the training is Kruiningen, in The Netherlands.

There are Seven Different Tracks covered during this week:

1. Comparative analysis of the 21st Century youth culture
2. Understanding the Bridgebuilders youth missions concept
3. The importance of our European Christian heritage in relation to youth ministry
4. Connecting youth from different cultures and churches
5. Working with the Bricks cross cultural training curriculum
6. Local Impact: innovative support strategies for creating local impact
7. Rebuilding a Biblical foundation in a secular generation

Just Twelve teams

This is a pilot project. We are targeting and selecting just twelve different teams of youth leaders from at least seven different countries in Europe and North America to start new local Bridgebuilders clubs in twelve local community settings. We especially target major denominations and youth organizations to participate in this project to get acquainted with this missions strategy. Each participating church or organization sends two leaders to be trained to start a Bridgebuilders Club under their umbrella.

Two leaders:

Per team there are two leaders. One is the front leader with pastoral skills and the ability to lead and build a team out of very different individuals. The second is the practical enabler and logistics manager who is also a networker able to gather a support team from the parents and from the community.

Two years:

Although the training is initially only for a week, it continues all year around till the end of the project. From the Vierslag center a support network provides ongoing technical and content support through video’s, CD’s and Cluster Region meetings or weekends during the year. A two year commitment for a youth leader today may be unreasonable to ask but is very necessary for the local stability we are trying to develop.