"Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds."
Psalm 71:17
Our youth ministry exists to REACH non-believing youth, to CONNECT them with other Christians, to help them GROW in their faith, and to challenge the growing to DISCOVER their ministry and HONOUR God with their life.
Our W_C Weekend Away is coming up at the end of October, and we'll be getting some great teaching on 'Revelation: New Jerusalem.'
This year's W_C Weekend Away is coming up on the weekend of the 28th-30th of October. Join us at Elm Tree Fam in Ashford, Kent for a great weekend of fun fellowship, and teaching on Revelation: New Jerusalem! The cost of the weekend is £40 if booked before the 12th of October, and £50 if booked after this date!
If you're interested in coming or just want more details, you can find a registration form here !
Here at Christ Church our youth is headed up by our youth pastor alongside a youth apprentice and a fantastic team of volunteers.
Have a look below to see who we are.
Youth Pastor:
Peter Nevins
Peter has been the Youth Pastor at Christ Church since his arrival last summer.
Peter and wife, Kristin, were both born and raised in Christian homes and came to faith at an early age. Their growing up years and youth were marked by coming to faith in Christ at an early age and regularly participating in the various ministries and activities of the churches they were brought up in.
Kristin grew up in the Chicago area and Peter in the Indianapolis area. Both graduated from College in 1998 and they met at Toccoa Falls College (University) on the first Sunday of school at the campus church. Peter eventually transferred to Crossroads Bible College and they married shortly thereafter. They have now been married for over 10 years and have 4 children: Solomon (9), Ezekiel (6), Mary Jane (4) and Eliana (2).
Peter began Youth Ministry at a local church when he transferred to Crossroads Bible College. In total he has served for over 11 years in local church ministry in capacities primarily related to Youth Ministry (ages 12-18) but also including students, young adults and weekend or retreat speaking/preaching. In addition to the 11 years of local church Youth Ministry he has also spent 5 years teaching New Testament Survey at one of Indianapolis' top 5 private schools which is accredited both publicly and privately. in addition to this employment experience, he has coached both soccer and lacrosse as well as participating in leadership and serving roles in youth para-church organisations such as Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Peter and Kristin have very much enjoyed getting going with life and ministry at Christ Church this summer and are excited for the years and ministry to come!
Youth Apprentice:
Sheridan Wilkinson
Sheridan is the Northern member of our youth team, and has been involved at Christ Church for a year now. Previously involved in Childrens ministry, Sheridan moved across to helping with the Youth ministry 4 months ago and is staying here for another year to help with the Youth on a full-time basis.
Sheridan was born in Yorkshire, not too far from Bradford/Leeds, and lived there for 15 years, before moving to Louth, Lincolnshire (Still Northern, but slightly further South!), and living there for a further six years before joining us here at Christ Church in Sept '10
Having studied at college for two years, Sheridan completed a BTEC National Diploma in Sport, and finished a qualification in Sports and Swedish massage. In his spare time, Sheridan can be found, sleeping, watching TV, playing computer games, spending time with friends, and being involved with other church activities and is looking forward to a full year of work in the Youth Ministry.
Youth Volunteers:
W_C:
Laura Amatt (3rd year RH Student)
George Chapman (Youth - Fuel)
Jess Hewitt (2nd year RH Student)
Ben Perkins (Youth - Fuel)
Paul Thompson (Computer Nerd/Geek)
Pathfinders:
Amy Pitter
Laura Amatt
James Bunyan (3rd year RH Student)
Fuel:
Mark Cowles (Pharmacist)
Caoline Cowles (RH Student - Masters)
Paul Simpson (Church Warden)
Paul Thompson
During term time we run groups for 11-18 year olds. Please click on the relevant button below to find out more information.
There are also a variety of camps and weekends away which either we run or encourage others to go to.
Click here for more information.
25th January: W_C - Guys who got it pt. 1
27th January: Fuel - Guys who got it pt. 1 (AT SANTANA)
29th January: Pathfinders - Why should we pray?
29th January: Fuel Family Time - Why should we pray?
If your child currently attends one of our weekly events, please could you fill out a registration form and bring it along to the next event. The form can be found here . Thank you!
Parent's Events!
This page is dedicated to Parent's Events and other things that are going on that Parent's might need to be made aware of!
This page is dedicated to different upcoming Youth Events/Socials! You will be able to find details and timings etc. of these events that may (though not always) differ from original meeting times!
Coming Soon! Our Christmas Lock-in! We're going to be going Ice Skating in Bracknell, eating pizza, playing games, watching films, sharing gifts, and generally having a blast! The cost will be at £10, which will cover the Ice Skating, pizza etc. Friday 16th to Saturday 17th December. It's gonna be great!
We have a couple of forms that we need you to fill in and return for us on the evening They can be found here and here.
Last year, we held 'A Passion for Music: Battle of the Bands', and we thought that we'd do something similar this year too. Except this time there's a twist - acoustic bands only! We thought that we would give you a little challenge, and acoustic's the way to go.
So, want to sign up your band for the Acoustic Cafe with Battle of the Bands, whether it be 2,3,4,5,6+ of you? Send us a quick email containing your details, to let us know that you're interested and so that we can email you any further information that you may need.
But of course, if you just want to come alng, hear some awesome bands play, chat with the person next to you and drink milkshakes, then great! That's fine too.
It is free entry, so don't worry about booking tickets, but - there will be drinks and food available to purchase; ranging from milkshakes to cheesecakes, so don't miss out on that.
There will also be a short talk by Paul Dutton (the current Youth Pastor) on exploring just who exactly is Jesus, as well as a couple of testimonies (that's people's stories of why they call themselves Christians) from a few of the youth, here at CCVW.
Hope to see you there, and check back here for any updates.
*Instruments allowed - All stringed instruments (e.g. acoustic guitar (including electro-acoustic), cello, violin etc,), congo drums (we have these) and other forms of percussions, piano (we have one). We'll also permit the use of electric bass. We do have our own sound system, so please don't bring any of your own amps or instruments that we have said that we already have...thanks*
Fuel is for 14-18 year olds who are interested in getting to know who Jesus is and what he has done for us.
Join us on Sunday evening from 8:00 to 9:30pm after the evening service. We use this time for meeting together in small groups, to encourage and disciple one another and to build each other up in the Lord.
We also meet on a Friday evening, from 7:30-9:30pm to play some crazy games, eat some pizza, have a laugh, and to have some time of teaching so we can learn more about God and who he is.
W_C/ Pathinders is for 11-14 year olds who are interested in getting to know who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Join us on a Wednesday evening (W_C) from 7.00 to 8.30pm. We usually engage in some sort of crazy, outrageous, or just plain silly activity followed by time to percolate on God's goodness.
We also meet for Bible study for those who want to really grow deeper in their walk with God. This takes place from 11:10am to 12:15pm (Pathfinders) during the Sunday 11am Service in the upstairs 'Living Room'.
Welcome to SOUL
Soul is a resource produced by Christianity Explored to help youth explore who Jesus is, why He came and what difference it should make to our lives.
This page has been designed as a guide for the sessions we are covering in our youth group using the SOUL DVD.
Please use the buttons on the left to find the appropriate week.
On the left of this box are two tabs:
Upload - Click on this to read the Christ Church leaders
introductions to the week.
Download - Click on this to read the overview of the DVD talk.
Upload
•Christianity is not about rules or ceremonies. It's all about Jesus Christ.
•If were here by chance, we have no real significance or value. But God created us so we matter enormously.
•We all face death sooner or later. Since we all have to die, what's the point in living?
•The Bible says we don't really start living until we know the One who made us, and live how He made us to live.
•But how can we get to know God? We need Him to reveal Himself to us. Mark says Hes done that for us by sending Jesus Christ. If we want to know what God is like, we must look at Jesus.
•Thats why "the Gospel about Jesus Christ" is good news.
Taken from CY
If I asked you to describe what you really liked about your best friend, what would you say?
Isn't it interesting that you tend to describe your friend's character and how they behave, things that they do, rather than commenting on the way they look?
We don't actually have a physical description of Jesus, like in the song 'the Real Jesus' by downhere, Jesus wasn't white - as often depicted - with blonde hair and blue eyes, btu we do know alot about his character and what he did, and these qualities tell us some important things about him.
In Mark 2:1-12 we read of Jesus having the power to forgive sins (Sin is not just the wrong stuff that we do, but also our attitude to God. Sin is us saying "Shove of God, I'm in charge, No to your rules!"). Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sins, and hence the teachers of the law were right to ask "Who can forgive sins but God allone? This means that when Jesus says he can forgive sins, he's saying that he is God.
Jesus healed the man who had needed four friends to carry him showing that he has the same power to heal that God has and hence proved that he had power to forgive sins, too.
Also in Mark 4:35-41 we also learn that Jesus had power over nature. Jesus controlled more than just the sea, he had power over the wind too. He told the wind to stop and the waves to be still.
Interestingly, the disciples refer to Jesus as a teacher, but if Jesus really was just a teacher he wouldn't be able to control nature at the sound of his voice and save the disciples from the storm.
Check out download for more instances of where Jesus reveals his identity.
In conclusion everyone who saw Jesus do these things was astonished, because they're things only God himself has teh power to do. Only God can forgive sins. Only God has power to heal, to control nature and to command evil spirits. Only God has power over death.
But Jesus has this power too. Mark is making something very clear to us - that Jesus is God. And if Jesus is God, then can you afford to ignore him?
Parts taken from CY
•Mark 1:1 says that Jesus is the "Christ" - which means the chosen one of God, God's promised King - and "the Son of God". Mark shows us that:
• Jesus can forgive sins - Mark 2:1-10
• Jesus has power to heal - Mark 2:11-12
• Jesus has power over nature - Mark 4:35-41
• Jesus has power over demons - Mark 5:1-17
• Jesus has power over death - Mark 5:35-42
• Jesus came to deal with our biggest problem: our sin
(Mark 2:17)
• Each and every one of us rebels against our loving Creator. That rebellion is what the Bible calls "sin".
• Sin is a serious problem that will lead us to hell. If we continue to reject God, then He will respond to that decision - and reject us.
• Only Jesus can rescue us from the problem of sin. Jesus came to rescue rebels.
What would your first reaction be if you heard that someone had come back from the dead?
Most people would say that it is impossible, or certainly not believable. So what would you need to know in order to be convinced that someone had actually risen from the dead? What if someon eyou trust had seen it, like a close friend or an eyewitness in a court case?
It's actually reasonable to be sceptical about someone coming back from the dead - because no one else has. The fact that Jesus came back from the dead highlights his unique identity - after all, no one else is the Son of God!
In Mark 15:42-16:8 we read an account of Jesus' resurrection (Jesus comig back to life, defeating death) throughout this passage we can read of evidence for Jesus' death and resurrection; from the women who went to his tomb and found it empty, bar an angel telling them Jesus had risen, to Pontius Pilate who wanted to know for sure that Jesus was really dead.
So the question that is left, is why does Jesus' death and resurrection matter at all?
It matters because, if his death and resurrection happened as Jesus said it would, then we can trust Jesus on every other point. Jesus says who he is and what he has come to do; to pay the price for our sin, and that he is ruler over everyone and everything - even death; he proves that he will return to judge the world. (Acts 17:31)
•If Jesus has not risen from the dead, Christianity collapses.
•The resurrection proves that Jesus is who he says he is, and that his death was a ransom fo rmany.
•Jesus did die: Pontius Pilate, the Roman centurion, Joseph of Arimathea and the women were all certain that Jesus had died.
•Jesus did rise: the tomb was empty; Jesus was seen alive by hundreds of people; many of whom were later killed for insisting that he was alive.
•The resurrection proves that Jesus will come again as Judge of the whole world (Acts 17:31)
•The resurrection means that death has been defeated. If we trust in Jesus, we can have confidence that God will raise us from death.
Introduction
Week 1: Christianity is Christ
Week 2: Identity
Week 3: Mission
week 4: Cross
Week 5:Resurrection
Week 6: Grace
Week 7: So What?
The SOUL resources have been reproduced with the kind permission of Christianity Explored.
www.ceministries.org
Camps
Here you can find out about all the camps on offer; those organised by CCVW Youth Ministries or camps that we recommend outside of CCVW.
What is Contagious?
Loads of young people. One incredible book (the Bible). Deep study (5 hours of it). Much crazy fun. Small groups. Awesome truth. Plenty of food. Big Teaches. Passionate leaders. Stretching questions. Hard work. All sorts of music. Great friendships. Relaxing Afternoons.
Put it all together and the result is CONTAGIOUS - The Bible-Centered Youth Conference. A fantastic week where you will be fired up to love and live for the Lord Jesus Christ.
This year the teaching will focus on 24 hours in the life of Jesus.
Where is Contagious?
EAST (Ages 14-19) - Monday 15th to Sunday 21st August 2011
Once again it will be at the fantastic venue of Culford School in Bury St Edmonds.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6TX
01284 728 615
Website: www.culford.co.uk
How much is Contagious?
For the whole week (Monday to Sunday) it costs £225.00. For more details see here .
What is the Keswick Convention?
The Keswick Convention has been going since before your parents were born! Its a great week of Bible teaching for 0-100 year olds in the heart of the beautiful Lake District. Thousands of people go, and theres a big variety of stuff you can do.
The youth programme was excellent last year, but if you want to slow the pace down a bit you can pick and mix to find what suits you best. Also on offer are the masses of activities that the Lake District offersWell be renting our own hostel again and well be doing our own thing.
This is a really good opportunity to get away as a youth group and get to know each other better.
If you are in Year 9 this year and will be moving up to Year 10 then we'd also like to invite you to join us so that you can get settled into Fuel ahead of time.
How much will it cost?
For the whole week it will cost you £100; that's including accommodation, food and transportation.
To sign up for this years trip to Keswick please fill out a form, which can be found here , and hand it to Paul Simpson at Church.
What should I bring?
We will be very full so please bring only what will fit on your lap!
•Sleeping bag, pillow case, towel, clothes for wet weather (and mud!), swimming stuff, walking footwear and clothes
•Games, things to do inside and out (but nothing too big!)
•(as always) Bible, pen, notepad
•Money for lunch each day (unless you want to make yourself a sandwich in the morning) and a bit for activities, books, drinks etc.
What is the Whitcamp?
Whitcamp is a camp for boys only, aged 11-16. There are loads of activities to do, varying from field activities, games, and trips to swimming and canoeing.
As well as aiming to provide an enjoyable time for young people, WhitCamp aims to encourage them to understand that the teaching as found in the Bible is important to them, and that it is a challenge to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. An evening club is held each day which includes worship and a short (about 10 minutes) talk based on the Bible. There is also a ten minute morning Bible study period.
Contagious?
For 5 nights away from home, this week will cost £105 which includes food and all the activites involved.
If you're after more information, please visit their website by clicking here .
Contagious East 2011
Keswick 2012
Whitcamp 2012
A selection of talks from Esther taken from youth led services.
Esther 1:10-22 Download the Handout
Esther 5:1-8 Download the Handout
Esther 8 Download the Handout
To download visit
cc-vw.org
A series of talks on the 7 letters to churches of Asia Minor from the Book of Revelation.
Philadelphia Download the Handout
Laodicea Download the Handout
A series of talks from our Youth-Led Services on Acts!
Esther
Revelation
Acts
See below for some useful resources
Parents Page: Information for parents
FAQ: Questions about the Christian faith
Parents Page
FAQ
Worship Music
Bible Study
Articles
Christ Church Virginia Water Website:
www.cc-vw.org
Christianity Explored Website:
www.christianityexplored.org
Soul - Christianity Explored Youth
www.ceministries.org/soul
Click on a question to display the response in the right hand window
Baptism
What is baptism?
Christian Living
Is it ok to date
non-Christians?
God
Can God create a rock He
can't lift?
Heaven
What is heaven like?
Baptism in an outward expression of an inner commitment and change.
What does that mean?
Best to think of it as a bit like an engagement ring. An engagement ring is a public declaration of your relationship; likewise baptism is a public declaration of your relationship with Jesus, that you are one of His followers.
So does baptism make you a Christian?
Not really, no more than wearing a ring on the third finger of your left hand means that you are engaged. It only has meaning if it is a true expression of a new relationship with Jesus. Baptism is not a magic event which gives you a free ticket to heaven. Again you can wear an engagement ring on your finger; it could be the most expensive and fanciest ring you could find. But one day, when the groom is about to get married and you go up to him and say, "You must marry me, see I'm wearing the ring." He will reply, "Go away, I do not know you." And you will be left outside.
But the one who wears the ring because they know the groom, will be at the wedding. Baptism is only for those who want to be followers of Jesus, who want to be 'married' to Jesus, who want live their lives in submission to Jesus. If this isn't the motivation behind baptism then...it is pretty pointless...you'd be better off just having a bath.
Who should get baptised then?
Anyone who wants to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
When should I get baptised?
