Some of the topics we have studied include:

• Bible characters
• The life of Jesus
• Poverty and the developing world.
• Life issues.
• Fair trade issues. - What the bible says.
• Some of the youth were part of the make poverty history march in Edinburgh last year.
• We believe that it is important to speak up for the people in the developing world.

1 John 3:16-18
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

Isaiah 58: 6-7
"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:   to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families."   

Psalm 146:7-9
"He stands up for those who are beaten down.   He gives food to hungry people. The Lord sets prisoners free.  The Lord gives sight to those who are blind. The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless.    The Lord loves those who do what is right. The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land.  He takes good care of children whose fathers have died. He also takes good care of widows. But he causes evil people to fail in everything they do."

SPONSOR A CHILD
The youth group is sponsoring a young child from Bolivia through World Vision.

His name is MAXIMO.

We have raised money to sponsor Maximo through serving a breakfast in the church and also the donations we got at Christmas when we opened the haven for soup and mince pies went to Maximo too.  We are planning more fund raising events.

Maximo sent us a Christmas card; he had drawn his handprint on the front of it. We have sent him a present and we got a letter back from him saying how please he was with his new football.

Here is a bit more information about Maximo and where he lives:

Maximo was born in 2001 and lives in Bolivar, Bolivia. The high Andes of central Bolivia is home to the farming communities of Bolivar.

People are very isolated in this mountainous region, and struggle to make a living from whatever they can grow in the poor quality soil.

The main problem facing local communities are poor health and malnutrition, especially in children. People don’t have access to clean drinking water, or basic health services. Few people can read or write. There is huge need for training and appropriate technology to improve farming methods. Other needs include access to electricity, and road transport.

With funding through child sponsorship, World Vision is working in partnership with the local communities to tackle these problems and improve the quality of life for the families of Bolivar. Today in Bolivia, world vision cares for over 250,000 needy children in around 260 projects.

As a youth group we are proud to help sponsor Maximo.

We are involved in other parts of church life. We regularly hold coffee mornings and breakfasts in the church for fund raising, recently fundraising in support of one of our teenagers who is in Africa doing mission work at the moment.

We are involved in the worship group, help work the sound system, and help in Sunday’s school too. Also last year our church had a bring and buy sale in aid of the Tsunami relief funds which we were involved in. We have joined with other local Y.F’s for fellowship and fun times, and also have been on youth weekends to abroath and Newcastleton.

Youth Links - see the Links Page