At e:merge we believe in seeing the whole life of a young person transformed. One important element of that is spirituality. We see the most significant transformation within the lives of young people when they begin to explore faith and spirituality.
In Bradford, this happens mostly through Xstream – a Friday evening gathering of between 60 and 80 young people coving a range of topics which either start with a part of the Christian faith, or with a significant part of life which we can look at through the lens of faith. On alternate Fridays, Xstream becomes a range of small groups which can take discussion deeper, allow young people to ask the difficult questions and develop strong relationships of support with their peers.
“Without Xstream I would not have the relationship I have with God now or the courage of my identity”
Boy, Aged 17
We have developed a young leaders programme within Xstream which sees approximately twenty 16-18 year olds helping lead small groups, lead parts of the gathering and support other young people. This group have also attending a range of training courses and taken part in some mission work across Leeds and Bradford.
Our community youth work across Bradford is always done in partnership with a local church in the area and we are always interested in working alongside churches and others to develop specific and relevant opportunities for young people to explore faith, to journey with others and thrive.