Youth clubs have impact on estate

Young lives are being impacted and changed on the Heartsease estate in Norwich by two Christian youth clubs being run by Danny Doran Smith at Witard Rd Baptist and St Francis.

Frankies and The Pen are the two clubs being run by Fusion youth worker Danny, who works as part of Norwich Youth for Christ and he is excited by the numbers of young people who are attending the clubs.

There is a monthly prayer meeting attended by people from both churches to pray for the work. At one time there were only five young people under 16 years old at Witard Rd and now there are more than 22 in church every Sunday. Nearly all have come from the outreach done on the estate, and Danny has seen all of them making a true commitment to follow Jesus.

A Youth Band has been formed from around 15 young people, and they hold an evangelistic bi-monthly service at one of the three churches on the estate. Young people from all around are encountering God in the worship, evangelism, Word of God and learning about God’s love.

Cell groups have been set up and these are being led by 16 year olds, who are being discipled and are responsible for equipping those in their groups.

Danny has set up a mentoring scheme in one of the schools he works in.   He is currently mentoring four young people who have come from some difficult backgrounds. Some are in care homes, and some with parents who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

He is currently involved in running a Christian Union at Thorpe High with a young man he mentors. At the moment they have just split the CU into two separate groups, which are drawing in around 30+ young people every week.  

Recently last week Danny saw nine young people become Christians through one of the Christian Unions. On the back of that, both Danny and the young man are starting a Youth Alpha every week which will meet at lunch-times.

Danny, and a new Fusion worker at Heartsease, have just started a Youth Alpha course after school. They plan to start one at lunch-time in Heartsease Middle.

Kate, Danny's wife, has recently taken over a youth group which meets every week, and at the moment she is seeing more than 35 girls come along. Three of them have become Christians and are at church every Sunday.

The young people from the No SWET group, which meets on a Sunday morning at Witard Rd Baptist, recently went away for a weekend to Sheringham. Here are some of their thoughts:

“During the weekend, we had an amazing experience with God.   We were by the sea and I realised for the first time just how awesome God is. After being asked to spend some time alone with God, we all came together and our youth worked prayed, asking the Holy Spirit to come and for us to hold out our hands.. He then started speaking in another language. Some people started to cry, then I started. I felt God move so powerfully in me that I fell to my knees.”

“Although I have been attending church for almost four years, I have only just joined the No SWET group. Going away with them really helped me to get to know them a lot more.   Before I went to Sheringham, I believe in God but had no real proof. But over the weekend, I got to know God a lot more and on the last day, I realised that all the amazing things that had happened to me over the weekend were proof that he existed.”

And this from an 11 year old: “In the last few months, through Frankies girls club and No SWET, I have come to understand that God is real, that he loves me and wants to be part of my life.  I have accepted him into my life and I believe in him.”