PIETA Prayer Resource & Schools Competition

For more information on the “Pieta” project, including downloadable teaching resources click HERE

The competition for Pieta Art will launch on 5th January 2023, and all entries are to be submitted by 26th April 2023.

Keeping our Young People Safe and interrupting Youth Violence

Families are hurting in our city.

Over 30 young people have died in our city in the last year alone as a result of serious youth violence.

For many reasons including broken relationships, discrimination, poverty, addiction, mental health, poor housing and lack of support, so many of our young people are hurting. And some are hurting each other.

And that was before the added extra pressure that the pandemic has put on our young people.

We cannot ignore what is going on in our communities and whilst pondering how we got to this place of ‘crisis’ the question that everyone is trying to answer is: ‘What do we do to make things better?’

We’re challenging churches to pray. Regularly. Persistently. Urgently.
We’re working with both parishes on the ground, and expert external partners who are providing solutions.
We’re supporting and encouraging more initiatives to ensure that our young people have safe spaces to be.
We’re also looking at our response to the wider structural issues that are causing the violence on our streets with young people.

Tackling things in these ways means we pray and hope with confidence for a safer city for all our young people and their families.

What can we do as Churches?

Firstly, you can pray.

Can you plan to pray for our city’s young people, privately and in your church gatherings? We’re putting together some prayer resources for churches for corporate prayer, so you don’t even need to know where to start.

Secondly, you can watch this powerful and compelling conversation between Bishop Rob and and our previous Development Worker Natasha about the importance of getting alongside our children and young people in keeping them safe. Serious Youth Violence is all of our responsibility; and all of us can play a part in responding.

Finally, we’d love to support churches to take practical action.

We have three specific projects we are seeking to encourage into life in the next 3 years:

Education Centres in partnership with TLG
Encouraging Mentoring of children, young people and parents with our partners TLG, XLP and Safe Families
Opening Safe Spaces for Young People after schools

For more information on each of these click below:

Education Centres

TLG Education Centres enable churches to bring vital support for disadvantaged and excluded young people at crisis point in education.

We are seeking to set up Diocesan Education Centres in at least 3 locations. Get in touch if you want to find out more.

Find out more

Mentoring

One person helping one child, young person or parent who is struggling. Often all it takes is just one hour a week. We’re partnering with brilliant organisations offering training and support to become a mentor.

One person at a time, you can make a difference.

Find out more

Safe Spaces for Young People After School

Churches across London offer homework clubs, youth drop ins and games clubs in those vital hours for youth safety: between 3.30pm-5.30pm. A chance to build relationships and connect, and keep young people safe.

Could your church do the same?

Find out more

Podcasts

The BIG Picture

Lent Apppeal 2021

the Diocese of London Lent Appeal 2021 was around Challenging Youth Violence.

Click here for resources sermons and materials from this appeal.

Lent Appeal 2021: Challenging Youth Violence

Pan London Serious Violence Summit 2018

Over two hundred and fifty people from churches across London gathered at Southwark Cathedral on Tuesday 13 November for a summit on the increasing violence in the capital. Recognising that this is not an issue for London alone those present sought to find ways of working to seek to halt the violence and killing.

Resources from the event are below.