Yorkie Dorkie Porkies Enjoy Catalyst!
In September 2024, four Mustard Seed Community Ministers joined the Catalyst programme a national training course for people who work with children and young people in the local church.
Lee-Anne from North Ormesby and Chris from Grangetown, both in Middlesbrough, Cerrie from Eastfield in Scarborough, and Jodie from Drypool in Hull. They have been meeting with six others from the Diocese each month, with sessions facilitated by Angela Brymer, Diocesan Children and Youth Adviser.
Catalyst is for:
Those who want to be equipped, empowered and resourced to serve the next generation.
Those who want to be a catalyst for change in our churches and communities.
People with a range of experience, from new volunteers to paid children and youth workers.
Lee-Anne shares her experience of Catalyst:
There are videos to watch before we meet each month, and some questions to help us think about our context. When we gather we look at a Bible passage and talk more about what we have learnt from the videos or what we think. One session was around culture and understanding people’s cultures but also setting the culture and I loved that session – we have someone in our group who is originally from another country, and I was able to ask him how he adapted to English culture and what differences he noticed and that was really eye opening.
Just recently most of us went to The Hayes Conference centre for a weekend, hosted by Ridley Hall, where we joined people from other Dioceses who are training with Catalyst as well. We had learning (with sweets on the table at every session!), with speakers about Discipling Youth, Discipling Children and Additional Needs, with resources to think about.
We also had a pub quiz and some time in our Diocesan Groups to think about our own story of Faith where we brought objects to think about seasons or significant moments in our faith journeys, thankfully tissues were available! But to be open and deeply honest was made easier by having time together as a group. We also had indoor campfire worship including hot chocolate and marshmallows!.
The highlight for me was our group – we really connected and built community – we laughed (probably very loudly), we shared life together and I think the longer time together really helped with that. Our team’s name for the quiz was the ‘Yorkie Dorkie Porkies’ and we have a WhatsApp group chat under that name now too. The learning was brilliant, but the growing in friendship with the group was extra special. We have even started sharing what is going on in our parishes and some from our group are planning road trips to check the events out. You really see God at work when you bring people from all over the Diocese with different stories and different parishes together and now it’s as though we have known each other for so much longer.
Huge thank you to Angela for enabling this to happen and to the Yorkie Dorkie Porkies for the laughter and joy!