Forever launches its second team plant in London

Forever, the ministry coordinating Youth With A Mission’s outreach at the 2012 Olympics, has established its second new team in London. The team is based in Crouch End, north London, and combines two of Forever’s focus areas – Children and Youth and Sports.

The team currently comprises Helena Kittle, Forever’s youth and children coordinator and from the UK, and Rebecka Larsson, a member of the Forever sports team and from Sweden. They will continue to do their Forever outreach coordination work, preparing for the thousands of people coming to do the Olympic outreach in the UK this year.

So this new YWAM team fulfils one part of Forever’s vision – to establish new, long-term YWAM teams that have lasting impact in London and the other Olympic host cities. But it also fulfils another part of the Forever vision: the team is partnering with an Ichthus church-plant keen to invest in their few youth and reach out to the local community by organising numerous local outreaches. So it blends YWAM and local church working together for common purposes.

The team will organise local outreaches, such as football events in the park, prayer walks, children’s events and seasonal outreaches (eg a hot cross bun give-away at Easter). As Rebecka says, “I want to see God reach out and bless people in Crouch End with His great love by using sports and other creative ways to connect with the young people.”

Crouch End has many coffee shops and Alexandra Palace Park only a five-minute walk away. Within walking distance are several other parks and open spaces with good resources for children’s and sports events. Two of the team’s nearest neighbours are a secondary school and a leisure centre, with amazing possibilities to engage with people walking by or queuing for the outdoor swimming pool.

Both Helena and Rebecka are looking forward to seizing these opportunities for outreach, both as YWAM and as advocates for their Ichthus congregation. “We want to see young people get to know God and get His heart for their community and friends,” says Helena. “Also to see the church grow as they reach out to their community.”

As well as focusing locally the team is recruiting outreach teams and partnering with churches across London and the UK. They will continue to do this through Forever, but now they will also be able to use links within the Ichthus network to prepare for the Olympic outreach.

YWAM Crouch End perfectly combines the Forever vision of planting new teams in Olympic host cities, of combining a local and a global impact, and of working towards both the short-term and long-term. It is the next step in making the Forever vision happen.

For more information, contact Rebecka on Rebecka@forever2012.com.