Teens in Mission in Southampton

OM Lifehope

Teens in Mission in Southampton – Summer 2008

What a great week we had in Southampton!  Thirty one teens and their leaders from nine different nationalities joined this TiM (Teens in Missions) experience.

Daisy Dip

This was the fourth year that OM worked alongside Bob and Collette Light and a team of local volunteers for a week of outreach in "Daisy Dip", a local park on the Flowers Estate of Southampton.  Hundreds of free hamburgers and sausages were served to the community.  For many of these families in this socially deprived area, this week of fun was the highlight of their summer.  Activities included games, sports, a bouncy castle, nail painting, face painting, hair braiding, balloon modelling and much more.  There was a great atmosphere, as a live band played worship music and enthusiastic local church members danced with great energy. 

Prayer Tent

There was a constant flow of people going into the prayer tent to receive prayer or talk about God.  Several people requested specific prayers for healing.  Many people testified of healing and answered prayers. Over the week, seven people made a commitment to Christ.  Most of these took place at the prayer tent.  One was of a young lady who had recently left home and was very lonely.  She kept coming back, gave her life to the Lord and at the end of the week she was baptised.  Another one was a postman who was well known in the community.  It was also a joy to see a couple come to Christ together at the prayer tent.  God was obviously at work in these people's lives.

Games

Ellie, one of the TiM participants, made friends with a young girl who came to the Dip to join the daily activities and games.  This girl asked Ellie questions about God and heaven.  Ellie enjoyed spending time with her because she could show her the love that God had for her.

Eastleigh

A second team worked with a church in Eastleigh.  The focus was on reaching out to pre-school children in the morning, older children in the afternoons and teens in the evening.  They had a variety of fun activities including bouncy castle, face painting, games, crafts and sports.   In the evenings, a double decker bus with computer games downstairs and a chill out zone upstairs attracted a number of older teens.  It was a good opportunity for the team and local helpers to connect with many families in the community.

One of the TiM participants, Lucy, enjoyed getting to know the younger teens at Eastleigh.  She invited them to come to the evening activities for teens. Throughout the week, she talked with them.  At the end of the week, they said they wanted to join the regular youth events.  They were talking about re-arranging other activities so they could attend and Lucy was really encouraged by their enthusiasm.

The Big Red Bus

The third team worked with the Big Red Bus Ministry.  For the past two years, local volunteers have taken the Big Red Bus into the Mansbridge estate to reach out to the community.  During the week, fun activities for kids took place including games, sports, face painting and balloon modelling.  The Big Red Bus attracted many teens in the evenings.  It was good to build on the relationships already established by this local ministry.

One older lady got to know the team through the Big Red Bus.  Each day, she brought her grandchildren to the kids’ activities.  The team played with the kids and some of the helpers talked to her.  She told them about a lot of problems in her family.  On Thursday, some of the helpers prayed for her and she made a commitment to Christ.  Helen, one of the TiM participants shared, "It was great that I could make a difference and help the workers.  The local workers could talk with this lady because I was playing with the children.  I was encouraged because I was part of the process."  God worked in arranging this situation in His perfect way.

One of the TiM participants was really impressed with this ministry.  She said "It was sooooo wonderful!  The red bus team is something really special and I even cried when we had to leave.  It was also a big challenge and we learnt many things.  I'm thinking and praying about returning to be involved in this ministry for a few months.”

Needy People

This week was challenging for the teens as they reached out to some very needy young people.  At first they were a bit surprised by all the bad language and bad manners of the local people.  As the week went on, they were able to connect with some of them and saw God break down some of the barriers.  They were encouraged in their faith.  Matty shared, "My relationship with God has become a lot stronger because of what I experienced this week.  God gave me His guidance and His strength."  Tobi said,`          "I really felt God by my side.  I saw him moving in people and changing lives more than I have ever seen before."  Teens also commented that seeing Christians work in tough areas like this one was an inspiration.  Anna shared: "This week, I have learnt that even in rough areas, there are people who love and bring hope.  These people just keep loving, even when kids are being cheeky and swearing.  Because of this, I found it easier to serve and get on with the kids.”

Baptism

This outreach finished with their usual baptism service. 

At the end of the week, many of the teens travelled together as a group to TeenStreet in Germany.  There was a great sense of excitement at the next step in their journey!

If you would like more information about outreaches like this one:

        contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

         or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (for longer term opportunities)

Credit: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
© 2008 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
It is a condition of use that you (i) always credit OM Lifehope as the creator of this work, and (ii) e-mail the copyright holder detailing what you are doing with this image, before any display or public distribution.