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YJourneyYJourney is the youth wing of Journeying. It was set up in 2009 tocomplement
the mission of the main 'parent' organisation, by offering similar
experiences for under-18s. Jon Wilkinson, the current Team Rector of the Parish of Gateshead,
is spearheading this initiative; he is one of our leadership team and
is committed to reaching young people with the message of the gospel in
ways that are relevant to those youngsters. Young people need different
experiences to older people - and YJourneyseeks to provide these opportunities.
Already
there are in existence several organisations in Britain that offer
something appealing to youngsters in a Christian context e.g. Scripture
Union holidays, CYFA holidays; many other Christian outdoor activity
centres are dotted around the UK where young people might camp or stay
in log cabins and take part in a number of activities - raft building,
gorge scrambling, archery, kayaking. The evenings often include a talk
aimed at helping the participants to learn more about God and commit or
re-commit their lives to Christ. Many churches take their own youth
groups away to a wide variety of places and so it looks as though the
youth of Britain are well-catered for.
So what makesYJourney different?Being part of Journeying means that YJourneyreflects
the ethos of its parent, for whom key words and phrases are ‘small’,
‘informal,’ and ‘off the beaten track'. These are reflected in any YJourney activity so that the spirit of Journeying is honoured. YJourney ran its first trip in the summer of 2011.
The type of holiday undertaken does not follow the large scale celebration model. It
doesn't seek to ‘convert’, but explore (faith, people,
the natural world etc.) It's small-scale (up to 12 people) and
off the beaten track, though just how far off the beaten track one can
go with under 18s in the 21st century is carefully considered;
furthermore the limits of exploration set by current Health and Safety
guidelines are strictly adhered to. Leaders are experienced and
CRB-checked youth workers. There are stringent safeguards put in
place regarding insurance, parental consent forms etc and we are certain that this new wing of Journeying is operated according to the best practice available.
We
value your continued prayers, as we
continue to seek to reach
teenagers for Christ in this unique spirit of adventure.
YJourney 2011
The first trip was to the Yorkshire Dales in 2011 - a very successful venture with hugely positive feedback. So much so that.......
YJourney 2012
...the second full-scale 'time-away' took place in Cumbria 2012 - a very successful venture, as the photographs below show. The group linked with youngsters from Warrington for a day on this occasion and we hope that this co-operation might continue.
The Group....
The blessing...
The trustfulness...
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YJourney 2013
N I G H T H A W K S
Subsequently Jon and his team organised a Nighthawk adventure
walk (yes, an overnight walk!) in 2011 for 13-18 year-olds under the close supervision of qualified adults. So successful was it that another took place in 2012 and it is now a regular part of the annual cycle.
Nighthawks 2012 : Friday 29th June
Walking south from near Berwick to Lindisfarne, eating breakfast on the beach at dawn followed by a walk across the pilgrims’ way to the island.
 the dawn breaks
 sunrise worship
  the way of the pilgrim
Nighthawks 2013 : Friday 28th June
YJourney have planned another ‘Operation Nighthawks’ overnight walk for those
aged 12-18, this time along Hadrian’s Wall Path. We will be walking the night of
Friday 27th June into Saturday 28th June. The route starts at Brocolitia Roman
Fort, and finishes at East Wallhouses, with a sunrise service and breakfast
along the way. There will be pick up and drop off points in Gateshead and
Newcastle. The cost is £20 - contact Jon Wilkinson (0191
4773990; jonlibby.wilkinson@tiscali.co.uk) - but click (on form and details) to get more info. When you have filled the form in send it to Mark Harrison (markmarkyha@aol.com) or Jon Wilkinson.
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