COMMUNITY BASED YOUTH WORK
HELPING TEENS MAKE INFORMED CHOICES
WITH FAITH BASED PROGRAMMES
Being a teenager is a lot of fun, but it's not always easy. Young Life believes that teenagers benefit from the influence of caring adults. That's why spending time with youth and helping them achieve their goals and values is at the heart of what we do.
Young Life partners with a number of churches that hold a variety of events and youth communities that any teenager in East Auckland can attend. To be listed on Young Life's website, the youth community must have at least one member of their youth leadership team go through a Youth Work National Certificate, Level 3 which covers among other things, the ethics of working with teens.
These East Auckland Youth Communities are welcoming and safe environments where teenagers can enjoy being with their mates. However, college students (at the schools where Young Life has formal paid youth workers) may not even be aware that there are youth group/community activities available to them, as we do not promote these at schools. The church based events and gatherings are separate from the work in the school, however, they do provide an additional social option for youth in the area. One of the highlights of being part of a youth community is time away at camp where students experience an unforgettable week of adventure, fun and surprises.
Every church partner of Young Life respectfully inform participants about spiritual issues and the Christian faith, but there is never any pressure for participants to conform to the ideas being shared. Teens of any belief or faith background are always welcomed into the youth communities and given space to make their own choices. Parents are also welcome to visit these churches to see if the church lines up with their family's beliefs and values.
Young Life currently recommends the following East Auckland Youth Communities: Click Here
“Being a teenager is a lot of fun, but it's not always easy .”
Mike Turinsky, YLNZ Trust