THE
Summer 2016
Hello little ones
S
Contents
CONNECTING
03 Hello from Mike 04 Bring on the summer!
EQUIPPING
12 Youth leader to youth leader
ask us around ministry on page
a
06 in case you find that useful
book
called
Supernatural’
‘Everyday
which
is
all
about the Holy Spirit because we’re passionate about each of us growing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and moving in his power in our everyday lives. in the main meeting teaching this summer. As always, we’ll make lots of space for the Holy Spirit to do what he wants
ENCOURAGING
amongst us and we know that this can sometimes lead to some questions, especially for those who haven’t experienced
15 Dates for summer 14 Resources
Andy and I have just finished
This is going to be our theme
06 Preparing young people for ministry 10 Useful info
ummer is just around the corner so we wanted to tell you lovely youth leaders a bit about our plans for Soul Survivor and give you a helping hand as you get your group ready to come.
this before.
REFRESHING
We’ve answered some of the questions young people often
as part of your discussions with your group. We’ve also got details of who will be speaking and leading worship this summer (see page 04) as well as some useful tips from fellow youth leaders (page 12), all important info on new phone charging points and wifi access (page 10), and news about this year’s pop up events (page 05). Don’t forget the fancy dress on the last night will be Noah’s Ark! We can’t wait to see you soon.
Love from Mike
03
Bring on the summer!
We’ve been busy making plans for the summer – here’s some of what we’ve got in store! Teaching
I
n our main meetings we’re going to be looking at what
SoulNet breakfasts
it means to be ‘everyday supernatural’. We’ll be finding out what the Bible has to say about the gifts of the Holy
Spirit and how we can move in God’s power in our everyday lives. We’re longing to do the things that Jesus did and see
Just for you lovely youth leaders we’ll be putting
people healed and set free, loved and transformed in his
the kettle on and ordering in some tasty pastries to
name and we can only do that by the power of God’s Holy
get your day off to the right start! We’ll be looking at
Spirit. We want to raise our expectation that we can see
innovation and taking risks and how we can focus
God’s supernatural power not only when we’re gathered
on people over programmes, as well as hearing from
together but in our normal, everyday lives.
some experienced youth leaders.
In our seminars we’ll be tackling topics like sharing our faith, leadership, social justice, bravery and guidance. We’ll also have the Bitesize stream that feature shorter talks from young speakers. We’re looking forward to having the Archbishop of Canterbury back with us at Week A, as well as Tim Ross who
Worship
communicates the truth of the Bible in a phenomenally fresh and funny way. We also can’t wait to have Miriam Swaffield back with us at every week.
04
We’re really looking forward to having loads of time and space to praise God together! Beth Croft and Tom Smith will be leading us at each week and we’re thrilled that our good friends Rend Collective will be joining us for Week A.
Pop up events
B
oth Colour Chaos and the Silent Disco will return by popular demand this summer! We’re also working on some other special events for the young people, watch this space!
05
Preparing young people for ministry
W
e always make lots of space for the Holy Spirit during the main meetings and, especially for those who are new to this, it can raise some questions. We’ll try to answer the most obvious questions while the ministry times are happening but if you’re bringing anyone who isn’t used to prayer ministry it might be a good idea to chat with them before they arrive and make space to talk things through during Soul Survivor too. Here are some of the questions we’ve found young people often ask around ministry and how we would respond just in case it’s useful in your discussions.
doesn’t love you any less than someone who seems to be meeting with him in a powerful way! If you’d like to be filled with the Holy Spirit just ask God to fill you and trust him that he will. The way we feel and act during ministry times isn’t the only measure of how much we’ve met with God. When we’ve been filled with his Spirit we’ll be changed by him. This isn’t something we can work up ourselves or make happen; as we wait on God, he meets with
us could stand and shake our arms around for ten minutes but what will change us is meeting with God.
us and changes us, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in powerful ways.
try and team up with someone who’s got a bit more experience and confidence than you. We also have an enabling team around in the main meetings who are there to answer any questions you have. They’d be happy to give you any advice you need so just give them a wave to come and help you or pop over and ask them a question at any point.
What if I try praying for someone and I feel out of my depth?
We encourage everyone who wants to, to get involved in praying for others even if you’ve never done it before because the best way to learn is by doing it! It’s always helpful to pray in pairs so
Why do some people do weird stuff during ministry times?
When God’s presence rests on people in times of ministry they may cry, laugh, move around in unusual ways or just be still. All of this is totally fine; we all respond differently and we don’t need to worry that God is going to make us do something strange. The best thing we can do is be open to what God wants to do and not worry about what anyone else is doing. There’s no need to force anything or hype it up. The biggest mistake we can make in prayer ministry is to believe that it’s all about us, when actually it’s all about God. He is the only one who can truly change us so let’s focus on him and be as open as possible.
What if I don’t feel anything?
The first thing to say is there’s nothing wrong with you and God
06
Is it all God? Is it hype?
We try really hard not to hype anything up. We want to make space for God to move and the truth is that sometimes people will respond out of their desire to meet with God and that’s OK. That’s why we don’t solely focus on what happens to someone physically during ministry. Most of
Continued...
07
That’s brilliant! A key part of praying for someone is listening to anything God might want to say. None of us get it right all the time but it’s great to take a step of faith and offer any words or pictures you think you have. A few little tips:
Offer the word gently and kindly, without insisting that it’s from God Only give prophecies that are strengthening, encouraging or comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) Avoid giving any prophecies around births, deaths and marriages In general: go for it! If you get it wrong, it’s not the end of the world. The word might not make sense to someone in the moment but may become significant later on, or it might be one to chalk up to experience! Don’t get disheartened, just try again another time.
08
What if someone gives me a word and it doesn’t make sense?
An important part of prophecy is learning to weigh up any words we are given to see if they are from God. Sometimes a word will make perfect sense straight away, especially if it is talking about a situation we’re currently facing that God wants to speak into, showing us he’s with us and that he loves us. Other times it’s a word about something that might happen in the future. If someone says they think you might go and work in Africa, you don’t need to head home and pack your bags but equally you don’t need to reject it straight away and say it will never happen. Talk to someone you trust, write down words that are given to you and ask God to continue to speak to you in different ways so you know it’s his voice. Remember that God will never, ever say anything that is contrary to what the Bible says – that is always our baseline for measuring any words.
Things to mention...
What do I do if I feel like God is saying something for someone else?
Mike, Andy and Ali will always talk through what’s going on so encourage your young people to listen and then to ask you about anything they’re not sure about.
01
You might want to take some people from your group along to the prayer ministry seminar on the first morning (i.e. Day 2). Ali will talk through the way we pray for people and it should be helpful for anyone from your group who is unsure about what’s happening.
02
We have an experienced enabling team walking round the main meetings. They are there to encourage anyone who wants to pray, to make sure the people being prayed for are well looked after and to answer any questions. If anyone feels out of their depth in any way, encourage them to involve the enabling team. It’s also a great idea to pair people up
03
so everyone can pray with someone who is more comfortable with prayer ministry. It can be easy for people to feel left out when they see God meeting with some people in a specific way and they aren’t feeling anything but encourage your group to stay engaged no matter what. If they’re not receiving prayer, encourage them to pray for someone else.
04
Create some time and space to sit down as a group – or one on one – to chat about how things are going. It might be helpful to ask someone in your group to share how they were meeting with God and give space for others to ask questions (keeping in mind some ministry is of a more sensitive nature so this may not always be appropriate).
05
Why not… spend some time as a group praying for one another and asking God to speak to you before you come to Soul Survivor? Our prayer ministry guidelines are available to download from our website if you want to give copies to your group (see the FAQs on the Summer page).
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Mission at Week A
Useful Mobile phone charging
It’s tricky to live without your mobile so there will be USB charging points in lots of our cafes so you can recharge while you have a cuppa. You will need to bring your own charging cable and, though you won’t be able to leave your phone unattended, we’re hoping this new system will be easier for everyone and certainly cut down on how long it took to drop off and pick up phones before!
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Wi-fi
To keep you connected we have free wi-fi available in the main areas of the Somerset showground (i.e. in the cafes and venues around the food court). In Stafford there will be wi-fi throughout the site – including in the camping areas – but unfortunately we’re not able to provide wi-fi in Scotland.
This summer we’re teaming up with local churches and organisations in Stafford to get involved in some mission work such as making bread for people who are homeless, car washing, litter picking, creating a community garden and helping to host a picnic and fun day for the local community. This will be an optional extra to the programme, will be free of charge, and you can sign up in advance to take part on one day of the week. Check out the website for more details and email mission@soulsurvivor.com to get signed up!
Info
Group leader guides
We’ve got a Group Leader Guide for each event which has all the info you need on organising your group, managing and changing bookings, what facilities are available at each showground, travel info, getting additional pastoral support for your group at the event, and a kit list of stuff to bring. Download the guides from our website and get all the info you need in one handy document!
Programmes
When you get to Soul Survivor you’ll want to get your head around all the venues and seminars that are on offer so get hold of a programme as soon as you can. We’ll be selling paper copies for £2.50 (which are useful for passing round your group and encouraging your young people to plan which seminars they’d like to go to) and you can also download the app for free.
•
Get your group to bring some warm clothes – weather permitting we’ll be having an outdoor cinema and Late Night Worship around the bonfire!
•
Ice packs – we’re trying to make ice pack exchange easier for you by making this available from the Soul Survivor café in the ToolShed during the afternoons and evenings!
•
We’re adding table tennis and pool tables to our sporting line up at Weeks B & C and Scripture Union have got a brand new giant swing that’s just waiting for you to have a go when you come to Scotland!
•
We’ve also got some new food vans coming to Weeks A, B&C to serve you some tasty treats!
•
We’re going back to three seminar slots a day – one in the morning and two in the afternoons.
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Bob heads up the youth ministry at Soul Survivor Watford so we asked him and some fellow youth leaders for their top tips for bringing a group to Soul Survivor.
Before you go
Youth leader to youth leader
Think of the parents. Ensure the safety and well-being of the young people during the week and communicate the measures you’re taking.
01
Set expectations and boundaries for your group around curfews, meetings, meal times etc. Some groups get each young person to sign a copy
02
Hi there!
T
his is where you’ll find the inside info, the best-kept secrets and the ‘must do’s of bringing a group to Soul Survivor.
12
Play ‘angels and mortals’ to get your group encouraging each other. (Each person is allocated an angel who then finds different ways to bless and encourage their mortal, anonymously, during the week).
03
Leaders Send someone from your team to set up a meeting tent before your whole group arrives so you have a base on arrival.
01
Kit list Earplugs and a comfy mat will make all the difference in the world! Take a ridiculous item so that your group can find each other in the main meetings. Plan something that unexpectedly blesses your young people during the week e.g. put a chocolate bar in each of their tents.
02
Have a team meeting every morning.
Make sure each young person has a leader that looks out for them specifically and, if possible, takes each of their young people for a hot chocolate during the week.
03
Food
From one youth leader to another, when I tell my friends that I’m about to take a group of teenagers away for a week of camping, they look at me like I’ve lost the plot! But I can honestly say that when I get home each year (undoubtedly with soggy socks and sunburnt cheeks, and a car boot full of unclaimed tent poles and random lost property), I collapse onto the sofa, take a deep breath and smile. I think about the moments where I watched the young people that I’ve walked with for so long encounter the love of Jesus, get filled with his Holy Spirit and forget everything and everyone around them as they sang songs of worship to God.
The smile then invariably migrates to a laugh as I also remember the ridiculous moments. When so and so fell asleep in the main meeting and farted so loudly they woke up, and when the girls let a couple of frogs loose in one of the boys tents on the last night! In those moments I feel so blessed and privileged to have journeyed so closely with each of the young people over the past few days at Soul Survivor, and that God was so gracious to let me see a bit more of what he is doing in the lives of the young people I love so much.
of the site rules as a sign they have committed to keeping them.
Have some leaders back at the campsite after the evening meeting so that if a young person has lost their friends or need to process anything, they always have a safe place to go (and don’t hide away on their own in a tent).
04
Have a couple of leaders who don't mind being up late!
05
01
If you’ve got a big group take one or more cooks to take charge of all the catering.
02
Eating together helps to build an inclusive environment, as well as providing points in the day when the whole group meets.
03
Keep food simple but have lots of it!
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Resources
Bible in One Year We’ve made a video for each day, unpacking what the Bible has to say for our everyday lives. You can watch the videos at bible.soulsurvivor. com or via the Soul Survivor Bible in One Year app.
Everyday Supernatural We’re passionate about seeing more of God’s power in our everyday lives so Mike & Andy have written a brand new book, out this summer, called ‘Everyday Supernatural’. It looks at what the Bible has to say about the Holy Spirit and how we move in his gifts as well as sharing stories of what this looks like in practice today.
Shop You can also buy resources from our shop including our new live album which will be available for pre-order and after the summer, books, CDs and more. Plus if you want to listen to any of our talks from previous summer events you can download them for just £1 each.
S u m m e r Week A
Wednesday 27th – Sunday 31st July Stafford Showground
Scotland
Saturday 6th - Wednesday 10th August SU venue in Kinross
Week B
Saturday 13th – Wednesday 17th August Bath & West Showground, Somerset
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Find out more at
sou l su rvivor.com
Week C
YouTube (SoulSurvivorUK) We have loads of teaching available on our YouTube channel – you’ll find all our Saturday Celebrations on there, teaching from Naturally Supernatural, the relationship series that Mike and Andy recorded a couple of summers ago; plus worship music videos and highlights videos from last summer that are great to show anyone who is interested in coming along this year. Plus Andy has been doing a series of half-hour talks for Christian TV network TBN UK on the theme ‘God speaks today’; check out his teaching on prayer, the Bible, forgiveness and more on our YouTube channel.
2 0 1 6
Friday 19th – Tuesday 23rd August Bath & West Showground, Somerset
Momentum Look out for brand new Soul Survivor hoodies and goodies at this year’s summer events too!
W
ant some time and space to spend with God or know anyone over 18 who has loved coming to Soul Survivor? Don’t miss Momentum which is happening at the Stafford Showground from Friday 22nd – Tuesday 26th July. Speakers will include Tim Ross from Embassy City Church in Texas, Miriam Swaffield from Fusion, and Blaine Cook who spent a lot of time with John and Carol Wimber when they were starting the Vineyard movement and who has taught us a lot about how to move in the power of the Holy Spirit. Worship will be led by Rend Collective, Beth Croft and Tom Smith.
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Keep in touch www.soulsurvivor.com info@soulsurvivor.com
SoulSurvivorGB soulsurvivoruk soulsurvivorukÂ
Charity No. 1080720.