Area Development aims to encourage and help parishes and pastoral areas to develop a vision and programme for youth ministry. We hope that, through the support of parish or pastoral area groups, young people can experience a sense of belonging and be enabled to grow as members of the Church community in faith and service. The training and support of adults is an important part of this process.

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Although young people are the best people to evangelise their peers, they need the encouragement and help of older people. All those in the parishes who are involved in ministering to young people are invited to come together for networking and support.

Youth Ministry Co-ordinators – There is a growing awareness in our diocese of the need to reach out to young people and to encourage youth ministry to develop both in and out of school. Most of our secondary schools now have a School Chaplain and this part of our diocesan youth ministry is continuing to develop. Diocesan Guidelines have been prepared which aim to help the process involved in such appointments and to enable an effective network with a common vision to operate throughout the diocese. They also address the need to develop good employment practice and to ensure the provision of on-going development and support for those employed.