Family Resources:
Oak Youth

This is week seven of the youth Alpha Course - ‘Who is the Holy Spirit and what does he do?’.

The Holy Spirit is… God with us. He is God with you! 

And he is a person – a he/she, not an it – the third person of the Trinity

If you ask God into your heart, The Holy Spirit is your source of strength and freedom. He brings change in our character. The Spirit gives us power to serve, and he fills our hearts with the love of God.

Bible Verses – please read these before Sunday

Acts 1:4 - 5 and verse 8

Joel 2:28 – 29

Ezekiel 36:26

Luke 4:18 - 19

Here’s a question – When you try to imagine the Holy Spirit, what images or words come into your mind? Please write them down and share with us on Sunday.

Meeting this Sunday 20^th June 7-8:30pm

Our first week meeting back at our church building!!!! 

Please make sure a parent will be able to drop you off at 7 and pick you up at 8.30.

Please make sure your parents “check you in” just before they drop you off – you won’t be able to join us otherwise: 

https://theoak.ChurchSuite.co.uk – they will need to have a login

Or the Church Suite app

Events - 

See you soon
Rachel & the Oak Youth team

This is week six of the Alpha Course & this week in Oak Youth we will be looking at ‘Why & how do we read the bible’.

You might have heard the bible described in a variety of ways. Some call it God breathed or the very breath of God, God inspired or the word of God. Others call it the good book, the living word, the holy bible. Whatever we choose to call it, Christians believe that the bible is the actual word of God spoken through a variety of men including Jesus (God himself) & written down by scribes. In fact you can see some of the earliest copies of the original manuscripts (known as codex’s) both in a museum in New Jerusalem, Israel & in the British National Library in London - definitely worth a visit!

Here’s a question - If you were stuck on a desert Island, what three things would you bring? Would one be a bible? I’d love to know your favourite bible verse. Why not look it up and share it with us in our time together?

Looking forward to seeing you. This week we will be meeting at the same time, same place. See you on zoom at 7-8:30pm for one last week!

See you soon
Becks & the Oak Youth team

P.S. Next week we’ll be at the church building for Oak Youth at our usual time of 7pm so make sure you get signed up via church suite! 

Myself & the Oak Youth team wish you and your families a fun and restful half term and look forward to seeing you again on 13th june, where we will continue our Youth Alpha series with episode 6 on ‘Why & how do I read the Bible’.

In the meantime, continuing with the theme from our previous session, why not take some time out over half term to pray using the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Remember to ‘keep it real’, it’s not just about giving Him a list of needs (although He wants to hear them), it’s about building a relationship with almighty God, friend of sinners.

Until next time,
Becks & the Oak Youth team

P.S. Don’t forget you can use this simple framework to help you talk to Jesus - praise, thank you, sorry & please.

It’s week five of the Youth Alpha course & this week we will be looking at ‘How and why do we pray?’

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Ask your siblings, friends and other family members which super power they would choose? I know what I’d choose!

Why not have a read of some or all of the following verses in the bible & get to know some of the prayers prayed in the bible by people like Jabez - 1 Chronicles 4:10; Jesus - Matthew 6:9-13; Jonah 2:2-9; David - Psalm 3 & Hannah - 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

I cannot wait to talk about prayer with you all this week! We’ll be on zoom, usual time - 7-8:30pm Ish. See you then, much love.

Becks

P.S. We’ll also spend some time chatting about what the next half term looks like for us as Oak Youth.

This week in Oak Youth we will be asking the question, Why did Jesus die?

What a question?! Did He die of old age or sickness? Did He did of His own free will? Did He choose to die for someone else or did He do it for himself? What was His purpose in dying? What was the point? And why does it matter to you? Where did He die? Is it significant?

Take some time to think about Jesus’ death. It’s not the nicest thing to think about anyone dying & perhaps more difficult during a pandemic but I promise life on earth was changed for ever since His death and you’re going to want to understand why!

See you on Zoom, usual time & details. Looking forward to seeing you all!
Becks & the Oak Youthteam

This week will be week 2 of Youth Alpha - Jesus - Who is he? 

See you Sunday on zoom 7-8:30pm as usual.

Rachel & the Oak Youth Team

Our next zoom gathering will be Sunday 25th April at 7pm. Look forward to seeing you then!

Becks & the Oak Youth team

Why not spend some time with The Holy Spirit this week, thanking & praising God for leaving His spirit with us on earth.

Read: 1 john 4:13 and 1 Corinthians 2: 12

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for leaving your spirit with us so that we can know who we are and understand you more.

Our next zoom gathering will be Sunday 25th April at 7pm. Look forward to seeing you then!

Becks & the Oak Youth team

The aim of this weeks session is to look at some of the Psalms of David and to take encouragement from the fact that when he needed help, he asked God for it and God helped him.

Read: Psalm 21:1-7, Psalm 86:1-7, 15, 17, Psalm 118

Read & Reflect:
It’s amazing when you read through the Psalms how relevant they continue to be and how the Psalm writers come across as so ordinarily human. One minute they’re really up beat, confident, saying how much they’ll go on loving and trusting God, then in the next Psalm they’re asking God for help because their strength has gone and they’re on the brink of destruction. It’s comforting to know that their faith was also stretched when they were under pressure.

In the Psalms included in this session David states his appreciation of all the help God has given him through his life. Even though he has been in perilous situations he doesn’t dwell too much on the dangers he was in but interprets all these circumstances as occasions for praising God for His help. He uses this testimony as a way of encouraging others to praise God.

So often we wallow in our own misfortunes, don’t acknowledge the help God gives us or ignore it altogether (see story quoted in Digging In ‘But the Lord helped me) – very rarely do we see our misfortunes as opportunities to praise God.

David is also quick to point out that his victories over his enemies only come about because of God’s help. How quick we are to tell others of our successes whilst leaving God out of the equation. So as you read these Psalms through in preparation to lead the session be challenged to be as thankful as David, as trusting as David, as willing to give the credit to God as David is and as willing to admit that you have to seek God for help.

When we see each other’s honesty, this can encourage us to apply the same Biblical principles to our own lives. To ask for help from God is not a sign of weakness but a sign of a healthy, trusting, vibrant faith.

Pray: take some time to praise God for being the helper, for always being with us even when it’s difficult and don’t forget to ask God for help with what ever you need, He is listening.

See you soon,
Becks & the Oak Youth Team

P.S. why not watch the film ‘Up’ with your family this weekend? Here is the clip where Russel tries to help

Hello everyone,

For those of you who weren’t with us last Sunday, we said a ‘goodbye for now’ to Katie as she takes time to have a family and a warm hello to Becca Latz.  Katie has been part of the Oak Youth team for a while now but is taking some time out to have a baby. Becca joined the Oak Church this time last year & loves working with young people, can’t wait for you to meet her!

Instead of our usual Sunday night youth zoom gathering, this week we will be joining with the wider church Hub family to hear news from around the world and to pray for the nations. These times of connection with our bigger family are precious and unique -we hope you can make it!

All the details you need to access the event have already been sent to your parents. In the meantime, why not find a psalm to read or listen to a worship song & share it with us next time we meet?

See you there at 8pm!
Becks & the Oak Youth

This week is about the story of Ruth. She's persevering and kind. She embraces challenging situations that she could have walked away from, just so she can be there for Naomi, her mother in law. She embraces working hard to make ends meet. And she embraces the chance to ask for a start to a new life by laying at Boaz's feet.

PRAY: Get a pen and paper and a quiet space. Ask to be left alone for 10 minutes if you have to! Set a one minute timer (on a phone or actual timer, or use a clock/watch).

1 min - sit quietly and notice your surroundings.

1 min - God "so loved the world" , think about how that includes you

1 min - thank God for good things (a food, person, place, experience)

1 min - ask God about something you're finding hard. Note it briefly.

1 min - ask God what He might say about the situation you thought of above. Write any thoughts that come to you.

That's 5 minutes in prayer - good stuff! For the last bit, check that what you've written is filled with love, as God's character is. Do your notes match with what the bible says about God, or what the bible says about the situation you're thinking of? Talk with an adult about anything that is on your mind afterwards.

WATCH: Watch Ruth's story  read it in Ruth chapters 1-4.

MAKE: a bracelet. Use 3 even strips of paper and make a plait how to plait is here: or just make a simple band and look up and write Ruth 4:14 on it, draw on it. As you are making it, think about situations in life and how God promises to walk with you, if you let Him. Think about how you can be there for family and friends - a call? A funny video? A note? Bringing shopping? Sending this bracelet to them?

We hope to see you on Zoom Sunday evening too!

Katie for the Oak Youth Team

It’s ‘dress up Sunday’!  No pens & paper this week, we’re going all out silliness! You will need a silly hat, wig or outfit to wear throughout  the session. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

The aim of this weeks session is to see how David remained true to the desire to do God's will – not always getting it right, but recognising his mistakes and coming back under God's will.

Read: 2 Samuel 6 & 20 - which verse speaks so you the most & why?

Worship: can you learn the dances?

Undignified  and Deep Cries out 

Prayer: thank you Jesus that when we confess our sins, turning away from the things that hurt you, you are faithful to forgive & forget our sins as far is the east from the west. Amen.

Can’t wait to be together with you all again on Sunday evening. Don’t forget your wig, it’s going to be epic!
Becks & the Oak Youth team

We would love Youth to join in the family meeting tonight. 

Could you spend 10 minutes at some point praying for and praising God for your friends and family in the midst of the pandemic. 

This week we are hearing about a character from the Old Testament of the Bible, Esther (So great she had a book of the bible named after her!). And discussing the qualities of courage, hope and trust.

Please print out this script, or have it available on your phone to read out. No rehearsal necessary! 

Please also bring a pencil/pen, a sheet of paper, and a bible to our zoom call 7 - 8.30pm on Sunday.

Read: Esther 2:5 – 2:23 and Esther 3:13 - 4:17.

Watch: A film of Esther’s story          

Talk: Courage – search for quotes from famous people of what courage is, and discuss which you think best reflects Esther’s courage, and yours.

Make: Baking challenge – to make Haman’s pockets

Haman is the villain of this story (Esther 3:1-15). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat and are eaten at the Jewish celebration of Purim, because Esther, a teenage Jewish girl trusted in God and her cousin Mordecai and saved her people from certain death.

The recipe is here

Please note it suggests leaving the pastry in the fridge overnight before baking.

God bless your week!

Rachel and the Oak Youth team

Please bring a pencil/pen and a sheet of paper, a bible and your favourite Christmassy toy to our zoom call 7-8.30pm on Sunday.

The aim of this session is to learn that Jesus’ birth was the fulfilment of a promise from God to save his people that had been made a long time ago.... and that Jesus is still our saviour today

Read: Please read these pairs of verses before Sunday evening. They show how Jesus’ life was a fulfilment of prophesies made 700 years before

Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:18-23

Isaiah 35:5-6 and Matthew 11:5, Matthew 12:22 

Isaiah 40:3-5 and Matthew 3:3

Isaiah 49:6 and Luke 2:30-32 

Isaiah 50:6 and Matthew 26:67

Listen: To this song which reflects Isaiah 9:6         

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Pray: Find out what Emmanuel means and then ask Jesus into your heart to be with you always

God bless your week!

Rachel and the Oak Youth team