Young people in the Wakefield area have been learning about the Christian faith and helping out in their community, as part of a course run by the Every Good Work project.
The Acorn Course has been specifically designed by the Every Good Work project as a discipleship course designed for unchurched young people to participate in social action projects and learn the Christian faith.
Over a six-week period eight young people recently took part in the course, followed by a weekend away.
Each session included the young people volunteering at a social action event, followed by a time of learning and reflecting together.
The Revd David Gerrard is Vicar of St Catherine’s Wakefield, as well as the Area Dean of Wakefield, and is the Project Lead of Every Good Work.
Revd David said: “Over the six weeks the young people helped at community allotments; served food and washed up with Refugees and Asylum seekers; helped with the Community Awareness Programme in Wakefield, which is a charity that supports those struggling with homelessness, addiction or chaotic lifestyles; worked with Christians Against Poverty, a charity helping those struggling with debt; worked in an elderly care home, helping with the people there; and worked in the Food Pantry at St Swithun’s Community Centre, helping in the area of food poverty.
“After volunteering the young people would then have a time of reflection and learning.
“The six weeks covered topics including creation, Abraham and the people of God, Jesus’ ministry, Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Church and the new creation.
“Each topic had activities, a video input and a time of discussion together on the topic. The evening also included prayer together.
“This was all followed by a weekend away at Bolton Abbey. 
This included fun activities, but also had time for the young people to think through how they might help their communities, and invited them to make their own response to Jesus and to plan what their own worshipping community might look like.
“Six members have now formed their own worshipping community, and we will be running the course again next term with a new group of teenagers.”
Every Good Work is a project funded and run as part of Barnabas: Encouraging Confidence, supporting three churches to disciple young people, develop youth leadership and social action, and establish an interns hub, as part of a long-term vision for thriving churches.
It looks to develop young leaders who reach out to incomers showing them an engaging church which shapes the city.
Three benefices, St Catherine’s Wakefield, St Helen’s Sandal Magna and St George’s Lupset, have been the starting places for Every Good Work, providing discipleship and community for the young people involved.
Barnabas: Encouraging Confidence is the way in which the Diocese of Leeds is supporting churches to move forward in mission, ministry and sustainability, in a way that is prayerful, intentional and, within the grace of God, possible.
Barnabas offers every church resources and support at different levels, with a view to us all working towards the diocesan vision of Confident Christians, Growing Churches, Transforming Communities.
To find out more about Barnabas: Encouraging Confidence, please click here.