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OXYGEN's MIND THE Gap Year

Oxygen (Kingston YFC) have partnered up with the CMS (Church Mission Society) to provide ways in which young people wishing to take a Gap Year can both travel abroad as well as spending time working out their faith and hope in this country.

those joining the Oxygen MIND THE GAP team will be given a chance to live, serve and build relationships with young people around South West London as well as travelling as part of a CMS team to seek hope in other places in the world. As they do work home and away they will be joined by other Joshua’s, young men and women from other parts of the world, who have come to seek hope amongst young people in the UK, before they themselves return home to seek transformation.

For more information on the Oxygen MIND THE GAP Scheme Contact 020 8547 0566 or email mindthegap@oxygen-online.org

the basement interviews

Looking for a GAP YEAR Male!

Quiz Night
Originally uploaded by Oxygen KB YFC

Male GAP YEAR Worker Wanted
Its funny how things turn around, this time last year we were finalising out plans for the Oxygen year ahead and were aware that with the amount of positive work we had emerging with teenage girls we needed to recruit one more female Gap year worker to support us. As a result I sent out a similar email and prayer request to this, and within two weeks we had recruited not just one, but two workers, Amy & Leticia who have helped us develop our work with vulnerable young women throughout the last 12 months.

Now its 2008/9 and as we complete the same process 12 months later we are aware that our needs have changed we need to find a male gap year worker who can join our work and provide a support to the equivalent work we do amongst teenage boys. This work, that takes place on the streets and through extended schools activities at Coombe Boys and Hollyfield, requires a young man who can act as a positive role model to the young men we encounter. We want someone who can support and listen as well as maybe play music, football, Wii whilst creating chances to share about life and God. We want someone who loves Jesus and who wants this love to inspire them to make a difference in others lives.

Could you therefore pray for this, and could you also encourage any Christian young men you know that may be looking for a Gap year place and who want to make a difference for Jesus that maybe God has created an opportunity for them in Kingston!

More information on the Oxygen GAP year post can be obtained from www.oxygen-online.org/mindthegap or by calling 020 8547 0566

Free Young Composers Course

Kingston Youth Service are running a free day’s course for Young Composers at Hook Recording Studio, on Saturday 9th August 10 am – 4pm. The day is a practical one with young people learning new techniques and skills for composing. All the students will take away a CD of their work.

Details of the course can be found on www.summerunilondon.org

Kingsnympton Project Coming together

The Oxygen Kingsnympton Summer Project is taking shape. Taking place on every week of the summer holidays, several times a week the Summer Scheme will seek to meet, engage and work with the young people from the area in a action packed scheme of creative, interactive and positive activities. At the end of the summer we aim to build towards encouraging the young people we have worked with to be involved in putting on their very own community event where they can bless their area.

Please pray for helpers to be involved in the Summer Scheme. We need

A new Youth Venue for Kingston

You are invited to tell us what does Kingston really need, what are the challenges of working with young people in the town centre and what can the churches do to respond to this, engage with the young people and see them come to a full life of faith in Jesus.

These are the questions that we are hoping you can held up address at a special time of prayer and consultation for Kingston Town to be held at John Bunyan Baptist Church next Monday evening. This gathering will also provide chance to explore preliminary ideas and implications for a new after school youth café and venue that could be established in central Kingston in the forthcoming year.

Our suggestions are that a new youth venue would comprise of a drop in 'starbucks' style youth venue, with space for young musicians and artists to perform and places for young people artists to exhibit. We also hope to be able to develop mentoring and youth support services from this centre that will help young people overcome barriers they face, give them the opportunity to consider the big topics in life and point them towards Jesus. From this good foundation of a creative, supportive youth centre the possibilities for future growth and development are vast

Would you consider joining us to share, but also pray for Kingston’s young people. Our meeting is to be held between both between 8 and 9pm on Monday 14th July in the basement at
John Bunyan Baptist Church, on the corner of Hardman and Cromwell Road. See location here

Together with the prayers, ideas, support and direction gathered we then hope to be able to create a new kind of youth venue that will provide positive and creative activities for the hundreds of young people who frequent Kingston Town Centre and see many young people come to find faith and new life.

Kingston’s Roadshows 08

Over the course of the last 2 weeks Oxygen has joined in with the council and met over 1,200 people from across over the Borough. By being involved in the now annual Kingston Extended School Roadshows we have had a (free) chance to meet, engage and involve young people and their families in our after school club as well as the forthcoming Sacred Space Art Competition.

These roadshows provide an ideal opportunity to encounter people from many different walks of life and to share a little but of what we are doing in giving young people the opportunity to discover and follow Jesus. Next year I would really encourage all people running local project with children, families and young peoepl to be involved.

Staff Recruitment Update

It has been a busy term as we have sought to complete the appointment of our Gap year Workers as well as work with our partners to appoint workers at St Peters Norbiton and the YMCA.

This process now approaches it conclusion in the next 10 days. We have a couple of GAP year interviews taking place this week and then interviews with St Peters and the YMCA this week and next.

Please do pray for us as we make the significant appointments. Pray particularly for the appointments running the Rm1 Project in Hollyfield and the church workers at ST Peters. These project leaders will play a vital role in leading and directing Oxygen’s work in the year ahead.

More on the St Peters post here

More on the Rm1, YMCA post here