Yesterday I met with Dave Gow, who heads up ‘Word of Life’ ministries – who serve any youth ministry interested in their help. It’s an amazing offer – so here is a summary of what they do and can offer.

  • If you want your group to grow, sometimes you will need help. In this instance, help is offered.
  • Check out what they can do – then have a pray. They’re connected / helping youth group already in
    • Whangarei
    • Auckland
    • Various places in Waikato
    • Te Puke
    • Hawkes Bay
    • Carterton
    • Nelson
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Dunedin
    • And even Gore and Milton (which feels like another world to someone from the upper North Island – but is a stunningly beautiful and ‘free’ / spacious and fun place to live)

About

Word of Life Ministries is a non-denominational work, purposed to serve existing youth ministries.

What they uniquely offer is a support to your outreach focus – no matter what denominational movement you come from. Invite them in, and they’ll bring ‘the goods’!

 

In summary of what I see in their work

  • A sizable team, annual interns and established systems – which makes them a dependable resource, and probably under-utilised by the wider body of Christ!
  • Outreach equipping – They can visit your youth group to ‘take over’ a week of your programme, to equip your youth for personal relational (gentle) witness to their friends.
    • This is a valuable offer!
  • Helping you run a superb and focused youth outreach event – They can turn up to help you run an outreach event that will attract a crowd.
    • g. “ORIGIN” – For example, they have an event programme they can turn up to run called “ORIGIN”, including various activities for a crowd of youth – within which the gospel is communicated in an engaging way, with opportunity for any who are interested to respond.
    • g. “YOUTH NIGHT” – is a similar fun programme. They can turn up with various inflatable things – including sumo suits etc… to enable a really fun programme – again, within which the gospel is communicated in an engaging way, giving those interested an opportunity to respond.
    • >> These are truly valuable offers of help!
  • Youth camps for outreach – They can support you to run an excellent outreach camp to which friends are invited and Christian messages appropriately shared and discussed in a way that will connect / be meaningful.
  • Children’s camps for new connections for your church – They can support a church to run a camp that attract attendees, with results by way of increased children and family involvement in Mainly Music, Sunday church and children’s church – and any other connection points you have for serving needs (Icons, Rally etc.).
    • …and they can also help you train your young adults (or adults) with the specific skills needed  to help run these camps – if you bring some young adults along, so you are set up to sustain some really fun camps into the future!
  • Mission trips – They facilitate trips. If you are in a smaller or medium sized church, this could give you a way of enabling every one of your youth to go on a mission trip somewhere in the age 14 to 18 age bracket – even if it is only 2 of them per year. This experience would be a wise and impacting thing to add to your goals and hopes for the youth you disciple!
  • As extras there is also…
    • A leadership conference – to help you as a youth leader, with your team, get on top of some of the core challenges of leadership including getting your youth actually doing regular devotions / Bible reading, discipling them with sensible and engaging weekly content, and also being effective in outreach.
    • An internship programme for young adults or youth leaders – maybe best suiting those interested in focusing specifically on ‘outreach’ as a ministry area, to develop expertise with which you too can serve the wider body of Christ.

Regarding scale, last year ‘Word of Life Ministries’ helped to facilitate or run 50 youth events – so they have capacity.

They are a resource available to youth groups of any size – so why not make the connection to receive some help?

A wise person knows when and where they need help – and invites it.

While your denomination offers you some support – what difference might specific help with outreach make for you and your youth group?

It’s a valuable offer and you have nothing to lose!

See https://wol.org.nz for more – then, why not get in touch with them?