Don't miss the trip to Bristol! Get your parents to sign a form and give
permission and turn up at 7.30 outside Rose Cottage. It will be great!
Don't be late or you'll miss the Minibus!
New Youth Director
Welcome to Sam Ludwell our new Youth Director who has just joined the team from January 1st. She is fantastic and can't wait to meet everyone and get going.
Sam is origionally from Northallerton, North Yorkshire and moved to Bath when she was 18 to to her year out before university with Bath Youth For Christ. She got married to Luke in 2004 and they live in Twerton with there dog Tess.
During the year she was part of a creative arts team teaching Dance, Drama, Music, R.E.and P.E. also taking after school clubs, assemblies and Christian unions in all of the secondary schools in Bath.
After this year she then did a degree in youth and community work and applied theology where she continued working with Youth For Christ as her placement. During this time she took hip hop and street dance lessons in the local secondary schools, set up and ran a Christian youth project, NRG, ran after school dance lessons for 5 different age groups, carried out discipleship/one to one work and continued to run Cafe Base, a Friday night music and comedy cafe for teenagers. During her degree Sam also took on two additional placements, one assisting the art teacher at Lansdown tuition centre, working with teens who had been expelled from school, The other placement at a drop in cafe in St Paul's, Bristol working with homeless drug addicts and prostitutes, many with mental health problems.
After graduating Sam then developed her dance work and brought all the dance groups together to create 'Motus Dance Academy' which runs two nights a week, the material learnt goes towards an annual dance show and fundraiser. Sam also carries out one to one time with the dancers and once a month has group time with them which also teaches them how to cook health, balanced food as well as exploring faith and life issues.
Over the last year as well as running Motus Dance Academy and teaching dance at the YMCA gym, Sam worked at South Side Youth Centre in Twerton/Whiteway. There she worked with the youth exploring various issues and helping to provide a place to go for the teenagers in the area.
Now Sam is heading up the youth work here at St Michael's, so far focusing on Monday evenings:
5 - 6pm 'Twerton SAFE club
An after school club for year 7s held at Rose Cottage. The young people come and have there dinner and have various activities and discussion.
7 - 8pm 'BA2 Crew
A group for yr 8+ again exploring different issues and doing various activities ranging from trips out swimming, ice skating to photography projects and quizzes.
There is also Sundays Youth Cell - for those young people in the Church currently at secondary school. Bible Study, Prayers, Discussions and activities.
Sam currently works 20 hours a week here at the Church (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday) and the rest of her week is spent teaching dance at the Acedemy and YMCA gym. If you would like to know any more about the youth work including the dance academy then you can contact her at dancinginc@aol.com
Baptism
We are holding a Baptism service on Sunday 27th January in our morning service and a number of Young People are coming forward to make this incredible statement about who they are and who they belong to. If you want to find out more about all this talk to Sam or Richard
Young people
When we think of church many people instantly think of a building and the things that go on inside it. We want to change that idea and turn it on it's head. We want people, when they think of St Michaels, to think instantly of people - people like themselves - people making a difference. We hope that St Michael's is different. We love to get together to worship God and to encourage each other as we attempt to follow Jesus' teachings but we don't want to be known primarily for our services. We want to be known for other things - friendship, concern, authenticity, community, enthusiasm, joy, giving, life. Having said all this, we know we're nothing special - just a group of ordinary people - like you.
Useful websites for children and young people
Here are some of the best websites that can help you with specific problems or questions. Most of these websites also have links to other very useful websites.
- Access a wide range of online services for young people.
- Information and on health, money, work, leisure, sex and relationships, housing and much more
- Has links to loads of other useful websites
- Confidential advice and practical help for young people aged 13-19
- Information on topics such as careers, learning, health, housing and your rights
ChildLine
Call 0800 1111
- A free 24-hour helpline for children and young people
- You can call about any problem, at any time day or night
- ChildLine's counsellors are there to help you find ways to sort things out
- Their website can also offer you help and advice
- Advice for 12-16-year-olds on all sorts of issues, including bullying, drugs, relationships, exams and difficulties at home
- Provided by the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
Citizens Advice Bureau: Advice Guide
- Advice and frequently asked questions on issues to do with family, health, housing, education, money, rights and the legal system
Criminal Justice System Online
O.i. from the Who Cares? Trust
- The website that is all about being in caree
- Information on health, education, free time and having your say
