52 questions
4 themes
1 pack of cards
This excellent resource has been produced by schoolswork.co.uk, a brilliant organisation based down South and doing amazing work in secondary schools as well as producing some great resources. The playing cards were developed as a resource following work with young people struggling to communicate their emotions and thoughts. Each of the playing cards has a question on it to prompt discussion in various contexts:
-Group work
-Mentoring sessions
-Card tricks
-Card games in a youth group
-If you need to fill a few minutes at the end of a session you are taking, have some cards with you and divide up some appropriate questions between the young people for them to discuss in groups
In all of these settings and more, discussion naturally flows from the questions that appear, whether its through a favourite card game, a trick, or just taking a card from the pack and seeing what happens. The questions are divided into four categroies which correspond with the four different playing card suits:
DIAMONDS: questions about you
SPADES: questions about others
HEARTS: questions about the world
CLUBS: questions about beliefs.
You can find out more about the playing cards on the schoolswork.co.uk website where you can also buy them. We will also be getting some packs in the resource room for you to borrow or buy. To be honest at £5 (including postage and packing), it’s worth having a pack of your own to use whenever you like.
We have run a weekend for young people during April for a number of years now. It has evolved year on year and this year is no exception. Working with Bishop Geoff we have developed a weekend for young people who have recently been involved in the process of Confirmation. The dates for it are 23rd – 25th April, 2010. Entitled ‘Y Church’, the weekend will look at what God thinks about the church, what the Church is for and what impact young people can have on their own church. The weekend will combine worship, teaching and outdoor activities to give the young people a fun, engaging and challenging weekend. We acknowledge that Confirmation services happen at different times of the year and the weekend will cater for those who have been confirmed already or those who are still in the preparation stages. Those who aren’t involved in Confirmation at all will still be more than welcome to attend as well. We are also encouraging the leaders of the groups to come along with their young people as a way of strengthening the relationships in the group and in the church. The cost of the weekend is £80. Initial enquiries should be made to either Jill Ivison or Carole Williams at Church House and they will fill you in with the necessary details. Watch this space for future updates.