There’s no better way of putting our faith into action than by acts and deeds of service to communicate the heart of the Good News. Finding practical ways to reach out to the community that everyone can get into.

In 2011, [out]work[ed] saw young people engaging with various projects being run by local churches across Coventry to bless their communities, from garden clean-ups to community tea dances. And this year, [out]work[ed] is going to be even better…

In response to the Olympics coming to Coventry, the dream for [out]work[ed] 2012 is to see hundreds of Christians throughout Coventry engaging with the people who live in their communities through the medium of sport.

We would love to see local Christians of all ages, armed with sports equipment and refreshments, engaging with their community in EVERY PARK & PLAYING FIELD in Coventry over the 3 days of the project.

There are all kinds of ways that churches can follow up any new relationships that develop during [out]work[ed]. Maybe you could run a youth cafe each evening of the project, or hold a community BBQ on the Friday afternoon.

However you choose to get involved with [out]work[ed], we’d love to hear from you and help your project to have a significant impact

We realise that each local project will have it’s own unique style, but there are a number of things we can guarantee:

1. [out]work[ed] will be inclusive -  Anyone that can pick up rounders bat, football or hand out drinks can get involved.
2. [out]work[ed] will be loads of fun – Get your church & friends involved and have a great time in the process!
3. There will be long-term results – [out]work[ed] is a perfect opportunity for the local church to build some amazing new relationships with their community.
4. Finally, [out]work[ed] will be effective – not only for the communities impacted but for all of those involved, gaining hands on experience in sharing God’s heart, and ‘walking the talk’.

Getting involved…

If you are able to run an [out]work[ed] project in your local area let us know by downloading a project information form

Other info…

When: 25th – 27th July 2012 (non-residential)

Cost: TOTALLY FREE!!

Download our official Press Release

Download our sample info letter for parents

The plan is that, along with an elite group of trained athletes (joke!!), Jon will be cycling from the West coast of England to the East over the course of just 3 days, in an attempt to raise sponsorship that could pave the way to a new employed worker joining the CYFC team and the start of another ‘hub’ of work with local churches and schools within the city.

For the full story, click here.

To sponsor the team online, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/seaYFsea

Organised by Coventry Youth For Christ, and working in partnership with the Cathedral and churches throughout Coventry, the “[out]work[ed]” initiative will offer young people the opportunity to put their faith into action by volunteering on a number of exciting community based social action projects or “missions”, designed to leave a positive city-wide legacy and reconnect local churches with local people in their communities. Ranging from litter picking and free car washing to organised tea-dances and culminating in a huge city centre clean-up project on the final day, [out]work[ed] is a initiative that is set to raise eye-brows across the city.

“[out]work[ed] is an amazing opportunity for young Christians across our city to stand up and be counted, showing God’s love to people in really practical ways and hopefully building some long-lasting friendships in the process.” – Jon Mills, Director, Coventry YFC.

“The city centre of Coventry is in real need of some TLC, and it’s great to see young people investing back into their city in such a practical manner. It’s got God written all over it”. – Keith Parr, Youth Worker, Coventry Cathedral

[out]work[ed] takes place between Wednesday 1st and Friday 3rd June. More information is available online: www.outworked.co.uk

Sound good?

This weekend is your LAST CHANCE to sign up. Whether you’re a youth leader or part of a youth group, if you want to be involved then don’t miss out, sign up now!

Wait, you need more information? Have questions? Or maybe your just ready to get signed up!

Take a look at www.outworked.co.uk where you can get all the information and contacts you need as well as follow links to get you your place on J7 [out]work[ed]!

Don’t forget to keep checking our Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates and exciting news regarding this event. We don’t want you to miss out!

This week, as part of our Easter programme, we explored the theme of ‘new life’ with our young people at lunch club. Whilst having a discussion we planted sunflower and sweet pea seeds in little pots for the girls to take home. It was a great activity to accompany the theme and was really engaging…if a bit messy!

Just a reminder that there will be NO Junction 7 [up]lift[ed] on Sunday 24^th April (Easter Sunday). Please ensure that your young people/ youth leaders know this to avoid any confusion!

At the last Junction 7 [up]lift[ed] we decided to explore some fresh ways of journeying  with young people who attended. Primarily this meant no formal talk but plenty of opportunities for young people to engage with the theme through various learning style based activities. The evening was very enjoyable and great conversation emerged from simple acts which were both encouraging and enjoyable, we pray that this event continues to grow and develop over the coming months!

All of the activities that CYFC engage with across the city are only made possible through the generous donations of individuals who stand with us in our mission to reach young people with the gospel. If you would like to join our team of supporters, enabling us to reach more young people then please do get in touch or check out our website.

Over this term, we have been inputting an Easter theme into our lunch-club sessions at Tile Hill Wood. Last week was Easter ‘nest’ cakes and this week we took in more food, but with a difference. We provided the girls with a ‘multi-sensory’ experience of what the last supper would have been like. Horseradish sauce and parsley accompanied the grape juice and crackers and a mixture of different tasted and smells were explored. As well as being a lot of fun, talking about the true meaning of Easter really engaged the students in conversation and gave them an opportunity to ask questions and explore. Please join us in praying for these sessions over the coming weeks as we continue to explore the theme of Easter and the heart of the gospel message.

Every Wednesday, we run a lunch-time club in Tile Hill Wood School. Over the next few weeks we are introducing an Easter theme to the sessions in which we aim to help the young people explore the true meaning of Easter. This week we had some fun making cup cakes with the old faithful ‘shredded wheat and melted chocolate’ recipe. As well as being a lot of fun, it was a good opportunity to build on the relationship’s we have with the young people there and we hope to continue to do this over the coming weeks as we approach Easter.

J7 [out]work[ed]…

It’s great to see people signing up for our social action project happening in June. Just a quick reminder that if you are taking part, whether you’re a youth leader or young person, please don’t forget to book your place! You can do so by following the link below: http://www.covyfc.org/?page_id=332

If you’re a church youth leader or leader then we hope to be getting in contact with you over the coming weeks regarding J7 [out]work[ed] and other events we hope to be running. Please feel free to share any questions or queries you may have with us, either directly with a team member or by emailing info@covyfc.org.

We would really appreciate you continued prayer for this event as the team plans and prepares over the coming months for J7 [out]work[ed].

J7 [out]work[ed]

There’s no better way of putting our faith into action than by acts and deeds of service to communicate the heart of the good news. Finding practical ways to reach out to the community that everyone can get into. [out]work[ed] will give team(s) of young people the opportunity to get together and decide to do exactly that (in partnership with the local church)!! This might include litter picking, scrubbing off graffiti or even repainting a wall. It only takes a couple of hours but makes a significant albeit short term impact on the people that live in the area or happen to be out and about, making them raise their eyebrows and quietly take it all in. Details of this 3 day project are still being finalised, but there are a number of things we can guarantee:

1. [out]work[ed] will be inclusive -  Anyone that can pick up litter, wash a car or scrub a wall gets to take part.
2. [out]work[ed] will be loads of fun – Just get involved with all your mates and have a laugh in the process!
3. There will be visible results. Problems that local residents have been looking at for months, such as an alleyway filled with rotting mattresses, kitchen sinks and other rubbish, can be cleaned up in a couple of afternoons.
4. Finally, [out]work[ed] will be effective – not only for the communities impacted but for all of those involved, gaining hands on experience in sharing God’s heart, and ‘walking the talk’.

When: 1st-3rd June  (non-residential)

Cost: TOTALLY FREE!!

Sign up now

Considering running an [out]work[ed] project in your local area?

Download a project application form here

With the deadline for project applications fast approaching, the team are getting very excited about our social action project happening in June. J7 [out]work[ed] is an opportunity for young people to reach out and impact their community. This could take many forms depending on the project they will be working on, but could include painting walls, washing cars or litter picking. With the projects based in churches around the city young people will see visible results and the impact on the local community.

If you are interested in hosting a project or taking part in J7 [out]work[ed] please don’t hesitate to contact us! Check out our ‘Events’ page where you can download project application forms or sign up! (http://www.covyfc.org/?page_id=332).

Got questions? Email us at info@covyfc.org.