Amy

‘We know that young people have really struggled during the pandemic. Because we couldn’t meet with them in big groups, we gathered together a small group of girls, who we really wanted to hone in on, invest in, and see grow,’ said Amy Charlton, talking to Hope Together about how her Youth Life Group has used the ‘Youth Wellbeing Journey’ over the last few months. ‘This was the first resource we’ve gone through with them, and it was a really great way for them to get to know us, and for us to get to know them – beyond just the surface level.’

Connecting when we were disconnected

24-year-old Amy works for CROPS, a Christian Educational Trust, which aims to communicate and demonstrate Christian truth and lifestyle to children and young people in schools across Peterborough. Amy’s Youth Life Group consisted of a group of girls from school years 10-12, from across different churches in the area, who gathered together on Zoom. The Youth Wellbeing Journey is an eight-week long video series, filmed from the perspective of four young people, focusing on different aspects of God’s plan for our wellbeing.

‘It was much more natural than I thought it was going to be – I was initially a bit nervous!’ said Amy. ‘But actually, the videos made it really simple. The girls hadn’t really thought about their wellbeing before – they were just kind of getting on with things. But when we started to go a bit deeper, thinking about how we work, and different aspects of our wellbeing, they started to have new realisations. For example, when we talked about “vocation”, we realised they’d never equated the idea of calling or purpose with the practicalities of having a job. They started to see that they could have a “calling” to be a nurse, or a teacher – not just to go into ministry.’

Creating a safe space for questions

The relaxed format of the series seemed to work well for Amy’s group. ‘I liked the way it was laid out – with a little bit of video, a bit of activity, and questions. You didn’t have to focus for a full twenty-five minutes, which I can’t even do myself, let alone young people! So I thought the way it was split up was really handy.’

The highlight for Amy was the week that focused on relational wellbeing. ‘That was probably the moment when they opened up the most and were able to say, “I really struggle with my friendships and my relationship with God”. That’s a really honest and vulnerable thing for them to say. It was almost a relief and a comfort for them to be able to say that, and for us to be able to be there for them and pray for them – even on Zoom. I won’t forget that time. The week after, some of them came back saying, “We’ve got more questions to ask about this!” – and you know it’s working if they’ve got more questions.’

Building strong foundations for future relationships

The Youth Wellbeing Journey has helped build relationships and open up great conversations with Amy’s group. ‘I think it’s been a great tool to use to work out some basics for the girls,’ she said. ‘Now, we’re asking them, “What do you want to hone in on even more?”’

So, what would Amy say to someone thinking about running the Youth Wellbeing Journey? ‘Definitely do it! I would definitely recommend it. I think it’s great for them to learn about where they’re at in their wellbeing, but also how our relationship with God fits into that and how he wants to help us on that journey. Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed.’

Click here to find out more about the Youth Wellbeing Journey, or to sign up to run it with your youth group.