Joe's Escapades 25/26

King’s Church Youth Group

Our church youth group has continued Thursday night meetings this year, looking at spiritual practices, symbols in the Bible and this last term looking at God’s steadfast love through Ruth and Daniel. Not only that but we have had lots of socials, including bake off, nerf wars, ice skating and escape rooms. 

We also had a first for our youth, joining in with City Life Church to run a weekend away! It was the most wonderful time, water fights, walks, karaoke, plenty of games and food as well as time of deep connection with God and one another, presenting the opportunity to ponder the big question of why we are here. This year I have seen our young people grow so much in confidence and friendship, it has been a beautiful thing to witness so thank you very much to those who support our church’s best generation (which I am included in)!

Young Life

In October 2025 we started an outreach club at King’s Church Centre on Friday nights, seeking to be a ‘third space’ for those I and the Young Life team had met in the last year of going into Oasis Lordshill and establishing connections in the community. This club has gradually grown, at times seeing over 20 young people (only two of whom are from our church) and openly sharing the gospel with young people caught in a hopeless world. From this we have started a Bible study group after Club, this is for the young people who are or are interested in following Jesus from what they have heard, reading through the gospel of Mark and seeing the importance of Church, with a few coming to our Sunday service and some going to the churches of other leaders! 

In January we began the term by starting a new Young Life drop-in at Colne Avenue Baptist Church in Millbrook, God provided dramatically with team and funding to allow this project to begin. We have seen why as he continues to draw more and more young people from this area into the church building for an hour and a half of fun and games, a safe space for young people to find refuge from the harsh realities of life. Numbers have been growing oftentimes seeing over 40 young people! This last summer term we had over 90 different young people from the community. Praise the Lord for his faithfulness to an area with so much need and how he has graciously provided all we require. 

The gem of this year was our Young Life Day Camp in February half term where we had OVER 100 young people come along for our week long non-residential camp. Each day was full of crazy activities such as nerf wars, scavenger hunts in the city, a carnival inside church building and a banquet followed by a silent disco. We also had a talk each day sharing the good news. At the end of the week we gave the young people an opportunity to respond and we had 18 young people that we know of making commitments, many for the first time! Lots of these young people have since been plugged into discipleship groups and some have even begun attending church, moving from death to life in Jesus. During this week two of our young people (brothers) found out their mum who had been unwell had died. They returned to camp the next day and heard about the reality of sin, how God had no intention of making the world to be so full of hurt and pain. Myself and Riyah were invited to the funeral and walked the boys out as they said goodbye to their mum. By no means did I expect this to be a part of my job but what a privilege it is to walk alongside these young people even in their lowest moments.

I sometimes feel tired, I often know there is nothing I can do to fix or solve what young people are going through. But I feel so honoured that I get to be the person who sits with them, who listens and points them to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. That I can point them to the one who can bring light, light which the darkness cannot overcome.

Thank you. I appreciate all of you so very much, without your many prayers, your financial support and the time which many of you give it would be impossible for me to do this. Please pray that this coming year God will continue to guide me, to reach the lost for his glory and model Jesus in the lives of those who are so far from him. Please also pray for energy and strength as we look towards summer camp in the coming weeks and months. We have possibly 25 young people coming to our outreach camp for those aged 11-14, most of whom have no background or experience of God. Pray that they see the reality of their need for Jesus, that they would be drawn by his beauty and begin the adventure of faith which we are all on!

If you would like to meet for coffee to chat more about my work then please reach out on joe@kings-soton.org.uk or just catch me in person, I would love that!

King’s Church, God bless you all.

Lots and lots and lots of love,

Joe.