Youth News, August 2021
A New Year; A New Vision
connect with friends and God and make an unforgettable impact on the world
Pastor Alex Hogendoorn and his wife Julie will lead the youth group this year. Most of the kids in youth ministry have grown up knowing Pastor Alex through Preschool, Boys Club, Adventure 68, or when he ran Lazer Fish (a laser tag outfit.)
The WEEKLY PROGRAM will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 7:00pm at Fellowship Church.
Our message this year is that God changes the world through changed people. So as we meet each week, we will always strive:
create a community where each kid belongs
help cultivate their faith in God
give kids tools to change the world around them
Towards this we have two major events planned: The 30 Hour Famine and Vacation Bible Schools in Prince Rupert, Hartley Bay and Kitkatla.
Critical Incident Debrief
You should all have heard now the circumstances around the departure of Nathan. This came as a surprise to us all. If you have not heard, call me (Pastor Alex) personally: 778-884-0735
The kids need a space to talk about this.
We will hold a critical incident debrief for the kids in September. I will lead this. Youth leaders and parents will be welcomed, but this is primarily for the youth.
The date will be announced once I’ve figured out everyone’s schedules.
Keeping Youth Safe
Given recent history, we will be as vigilant and transparent as ever and even more so. Fellowship Church has a “Plan to Protect” program that requires all volunteers to be trained and screened with criminal records checks—and all our records have always been up to date. Even so, these systems can be improved. So here are the changes we are making this year to make the teens in our ministries safe:
Greater Transparency - Parents will be invited to our Plan to Protect as observers; your feedback and questions will be welcomed. Parents will also be welcomed to observe our program in action. Our policy is currently being amended; the update will be published on this blog when it’s been approved by our board and insurer. (Early September.)
Amended Registration/Consent Form - Please review the new registration/consent form for 2021/22. This form gives parents and guardians more control in the information shared and makes greater commitment on our part to transparency.
Online Conversations - In getting information home, our primary target audience will be parents and guardians. We will not permit online conversations between children and any of our volunteers or staff except to a) pass on information or b) coordinate for events or mentoring conversations. Any online conversations will be fully disclosed upon a parent or guardian’s request.
If a mentoring conversation is requested, a parent or guardian will be informed before it takes place. Those conversations will happen either over a phone call or in a suitable public space—we have a whole policy on this.
Any other questions? Email Pastor Alex (alex@prfellowship.ca) or call him at 778-884-0735.
Follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/prfellowshipYouth
