AYF is a group for 13-18 year olds and meets at Aldridge Parish Church Centre. Our main meeting is Fridays at 8pm where we have social time, tuck shop and games, followed by our “epilogue” where the worship band leads us and then we hear a short talk about what it means to be a Christian.
We also meet on Sunday afternoons, and have a number of other groups that run like Student Group, Jam Sessions and Kairos. More info on all of these is below.
We are part of Aldridge Parish Church and meet at the Church Centre. Our aim is to provide a safe space where young people can learn about the Christian faith, and to help them to decide, without pressure, whether it’s right for them.
If you want to come along, or find out more about what we get up to, you can find our social media links on the Contact Us page.
If you would like to participate in YF, your parents will need to fill out a YF consent form. These will be handed out at YF.
Where We Meet
We meet at Aldridge Church Centre, The Green, WS9 8UH. The Green is the road to the right behind the Parish Church, and the Centre is the white building at the end of the road. See the map below for directions.
Fridays
Our main meetings are on Friday nights and are open to all Year 9s to Year 13s in Aldridge and surrounding areas.
We are a Christian group but you don’t need to be religious to join us – come and find out a bit more about what we believe or just hang out with friends!
We meet at Aldridge Church Centre at 8pm and finish at 10pm. Please bring subs of 50p per week, unless you are visiting. If you haven’t been before, you will need to fill in a registration form and get your parents to sign it.
After a social time with the tuck shop open, we have an activity or game followed by our “epilogue”. This is where our band leads us in worship and then we hear a short talk from a Christian speaker.
Activities and games we have done recently include:
- Human Hungry Hungry Hippos
- The Wheel gameshow
- Just Dance
- Karaoke
- Quiz night
- Bingo
We have many other special events throughout the year.
Sundays
After Café meets at 12:15pm in the Church Centre, after the 10:25 service. We have lunch together and then dive deeper into God’s word. Sometimes we worship together and play games. Ask the leaders for more information.
Other Groups
“Kairos” is a Greek word which is used in the bible to mean “the appointed time”. Kairos is also a group which meets on Friday evenings before the main YF meeting. At Kairos, we learn about the basics of the Christian faith, and what the bible really says about Jesus. If you’ve never been to church before, are a new Christian or want to go back-to-basics on your faith, ask a leader about Kairos.
Student Group is for anyone in Year 13 thinking of going away to University. This is usually on a Tuesday night and covers all sorts of useful topics, including:
- How to manage money as a student
- How to cook for yourself
- How to balance life and study
- How to continue your Christian journey while at Uni
Jam Sessions are for anyone who is in or wants to be in the band, or for anyone who just wants to come along and play. We usually meet once a month in the Church Centre, for informal worship and to play though a few YF songs. If you want to come and play or sing along, there’s no pressure to join the band. Any instruments and abilities are welcome! Sometimes the jam is inside doughnuts, and sometimes it’s just musical jam.
Our Faith
We’re part of Aldridge Parish Church, which is part of the Church of England. We aim to demonstrate what it means to be Christians by living out our lives for Jesus. The aim of AYF is to help the young people to learn more about Christianity, and to help the teenagers to decide, without pressure, whether the Christian faith is right for them. AYF provides a safe space for young people to discuss these things with mature Christians, and to ask the questions that are normally too big to ask. We always operate in line with the church’s Safeguarding Policy and Health and Safety Policy.
These traditional words set out our beliefs: We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.