gins!Fall - school starts, days shorten, the temperature drops and all our Youth Unlimited programs get in to gear again. This fall looks a little different for Youth Unlimited here in Langley, with some changes being exciting and new, and others a bit of a challenge.
First of all, we welcomed three new Lifeteams students to our team this year. Lifeteams, for those of you who don’t know, is a year long youth ministry training program with Greater Vancouver YFC, which I did five and a half years ago. The students get hands on training through class time, assignments, adventure/outreach components, as well as their ministry placement. Our three students, Jessie-Marie, August and Charlotte, are a welcome addition to our team, and I’m excited to work with them throughout the year.
Another exciting change is Momentum, Langley Youth Unlimited’s student leadership team. The student leadership team was started last year by our Lifeteams students, and is being further developed this year by Danny. Momentum’s six high school students meet regularly and have assignments and placements within existing Youth Unlimited programs. Danielle and Dan, two of the 2007/2008 Momentum participants will be helping out at Art: After School this year.
One not so happy thing this fall is our lack of a double decker bus to run our Friday night program with. The bus that Langley Youth Unlimited purchased has had numerous issues in it’s refurbishment and repair, including mulitple breakdowns and vandalization.
We still hope to get the Bus program up and running as soon as possible, but in the mean time we are helping out with a program called Night’s Alive at Langley Meadows Elementary. It’s been a good way to stay involved and lots of fun to hang out with the kids, but we are definitely looking forward to getting that Bus up and running!
Another interesting change has been my switch out of Communications with YFC. Right now I am only working one day a week with YFC, and with that comes a lot of adjustment - I’m definitely learning to manage my time more effectively! I’d like to be able to increase my time with YFC, but right now lack the funds to do so. For more information on this, please read the note entitles "Changes" below.
Art: After School
My weekly art club started up this year on October 4th. For those of you who remember, last year we started the year with only two students involved. That number quickly grew and rounded off to approximately 12-15 students each week.
I expected a bit of a slow start again this year, but was almost overwhelmed on the first day when over TWENTY students showed up!! Our tiny kindergarten room is bursting at the seams, forcing me to rethink and restrategize how Art: After School is run; it’s a good problem to have, but a challenge none the less.
It’s an interesting mix of kids this year, spanning grade four to grade seven, with approximately seven boys and thirteen girls. Some of the students from last year came back, there are a couple from art camp this summer, and a few who are brand new.
We are looking forward to an exciting year full of good discussion, drawing, painting, and trying new things!
Here are some of the themes we are exploring this year:
• Working Together
• Self Image
• Giving
• New Beginnings
Please keep Art: After School in your prayers as we delve in to these topics and try to think creatively.
Changes
Recently I resigned from Communications at Youth Unlimited and am focusing on youth work in Langley. In my role as Communications Officer, part of my salary was covered by the organization, but as a Youth Worker I am required to fund raise my entire salary, plus benefits as well as any ministry expenses. As you probably know from reading my updates, I’ve been working on this for a long time, but I still have a long way to go. Thanks to current supporters I currently have enough in monthly funding to work one day a week, but I’d like to increase my time. I’ve included an Information Package with this letter that outlines my funding needs, as well as the options for giving. Please have a look at it and consider getting involved in my work with Youth Unlimited. If you already support me, THANK YOU!!!! and would you prayerfully consider someone else who might be interested in partnering with us in this work. I’m honoured to be a part of the lives of youth in Langley, and value your involvement.
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If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.
