Matthew Loader and his team mate Jess Tanner – two youth workers at Emmanuel Chapel – have launched a youth cafe targeting school-aged youth (11-18 years old). Read on to find out more in Matthew’s own words.

 

My name is Matthew Loader one of two new youth workers at Emmanuel Chapel in Henbury North Bristol. My team mate Jess Tanner and I have been developing the youth work since joining Emmanuel in September 2009 and are both currently studying for degrees in Youth/Community & applied Theology with Centre for youth ministries. We have recently been granted some funding to help with the launch of a youth cafe which we hold on a Friday night. The money received from Chrysalis grants will help bring in a range of resources for the cafe including, furniture, lighting, games and much more. The grant has also enabled us to invite N.G.M (New Generation Music and Mission) to deliver an hour session during the youth cafe, which has seen a large number of young people expressing interest. As a consequence the cafe is developing extremely well seeing our core group from ‘youth drop in days’ mixing with the influx of new members taking to the modern dance. This has built on existing work undertaken by Jess and I as we contact young people in the community of Henbury via detached work, schools work, volunteering with the Youth Inclusion Project, a Sunday afternoon group with Spiritual direction and of course the Youth cafe.