A NEW youth group aimed at Year 7-10 students has started up in the Redlands area.
The group, based at Mary MacKillop Parish, Birkdale, will meet fortnightly at the church for spiritual and social activities.
The group will provide opportunities for young people in the area to experience encouragement, challenges and support, and to help them communicate with other young people on a spiritual and social basis.
Birkdale parish adult leader Julie Day said Birkdale already had a strong Antioch group but it consisted mainly of young people aged from 16 to their early 20s.
She said the Luke 18 group was started because there was nothing of that kind in the Redland area for young people in Years 7-10.
‘We wanted to start a kind of transitional group to help the younger children make a connection with the older group,’ she said.
‘We also felt there was a gap for some children moving from primary school into secondary school.
‘Hopefully the group will support them and help them make that move into secondary school life.’
Ms Day said youth leaders have been visiting schools in the Redlands area talking to students about the group and encouraging them to join.
‘We have had a lot of very positive feedback from the community about starting the group.’
Ms Day praised the efforts of youth leaders at St Bernard’s Parish, Upper Mt Gravatt who have been running a Luke 18 youth group since February 2003.
Birkdale’s youth leaders were invited to attend a St Bernard’s weekend camp to get some ideas about running a school-aged youth group.
Birkdale’s Luke 18 youth group will kick off its first weekend camp on July 12-13.
The group is looking for volunteer youth leaders to help out with Luke 18.
For more information about Luke 18 phone Scott and Kandi Barry on (07) 3822 1649 or Jon and Julie Day on (07) 3245 1118.
