Extreme Hope 08 Southchurch: Get your youth group involved

Dear Church/Youth leader,

 

I am contacting you with regard to Love Southend Youth’s (LSY) activities in Southchurch over the period of the Easter school holidays (Monday 31^st March to Friday 11^th April).

 

The LSY planning team are currently preparing our community work for the holiday period, and we would like to invite you and your youth group to get involved. Working together we can achieve significantly more than if we work on our own.

 

In the past 3 years Love Southend Youth have held several community-based projects and events in the Southchurch area during school holidays. Some of you may have heard of (or been involved with) projects such as Urban Extreme, Extreme Rebuild, Extreme United and Extreme Tuesdays. Together we have successfully hosted community fun days in local parks, street clean-ups, kids clubs, worship/gospel meetings, a beach party, a tea party for elderly residents, and more.

 

Our latest project, which is still in the planning stages, is being called “Extreme Hope”, to reflect the work of Hope 08 locally. Events are also being held under the same title in Shoebury.

 

I would love to see the various denominational groups across Southchurch coming together to bless and serve this area over the school holidays. We all know that our neighbourhood is one of significant social and economic need, and that we, as Jesus’ church on the scene, are called to love our neighbours.

 

Below is a plan of the events we will be hosting over the Easter Holidays; with more volunteers committed to the cause we would be able to look to arrange events for the second week of the holidays too.             

 

·        Monday 31^st March – Community Fun-day in Bournes Green.

·        Tuesday 1^st April – Indoor crafts, games, pampering at Whittingham Methodist.

Outdoor football tournament and other sports at Bournes Green.

·        Wednesday 2^nd April – as above.

·        Thursday 3^rd April – Community Tea Party in St Edmund’s Community Centre (TBC).

·        Friday 4^th April – Work Party and Acts of Kindness in the St Luke’s area.

·        Friday 11^th April – Evening event with DJ Squeaky Clean & Resolute @ Plaza Centre.

 

We currently have a relatively small group of enthusiastic volunteers from a small number of Southchurch-based church and youth groups. We would love to see this group extended and involving other local church and youth groups. Would you and your youth be interested in helping us to serve, bless and love our local residents by joining up for some or all of these events? If so, please contact me (Steve Dalley) on the following:

 

Land line:     01702 461616 (SCF Plaza Centre – daytime).

Mobile:         07948 271383 (call any time!)

E-mail:         steve.dalley@lovesouthend.org (I check this regularly!)

 

Also, are there areas of your church’s outreach and community work where you are struggling for volunteers? Do you have plans/vision but lack helpers? If so, feel free to get in contact with me and it may be that Love Southend Youth could support you for a period to assist your on-going work in the community.

 

I would love to hear from you so please get in touch. It would be great just to spend some time getting to know you and finding out what God is doing in your church/youth group at the moment.

 

God bless.

 

Steve Dalley,

Love Southend Youth (Southchurch Planning Team)

Southend Christian Fellowship