|PIC1|'Youth Focus Day' was held Thursday at the Christian Resources Exhibition, which included seminars by Children's Ministry, Scripture Union, One Way UK, YFC, and more.

Russell Rook, director of Salvation Army’s youth initiative ALOVE, was among the speakers for the seminars. Rook gave an overview on the vision and goals of the ministry and spoke on the topic: “Understanding and working with teenagers.”

Regarding the challenge of connecting the youth with Christ in UK, Rook told Christian Today: “I think the biggest challenge is the challenge of presence first, and relevance second. It’s about being there. When the Church becomes good at being with them, a lot of issues regarding relevance disappear. It’s doesn’t totally go away... but there’s no short cut to that. You just have to be there for young people.”

One Way UK, Europe’s largest resource centre for creative ministries, entertained the audience prior to the seminar. |TOP| Director Harry Barrett opened with a puppet show, featuring puppet “Broccoli Spears” who sang the Christian version of “Walking on Sunshine.” Barrett talked about his vision and goal of reaching out to children in an exciting way through puppet ministry, and gave various answers to questions asked by seminar attendants who are involved in puppet ministries at their own churches.

The highlight of Youth Focus Day was the Romance Academy seminar, the presenters of BBC 2’s “No Sex please we’re teenagers.” The room was so packed that some attendees had to sit on the floor or listen outside of the room.

Dressed in black shirts with the words “No Sex please we’re teenagers” across, youth leaders and co-founders of the Romance Academy Dan Burke and Rachel Gardener encouraged Christians to work with them on the initiative, which could positively influence the lives of thousands of teenagers for good.

According to Gardener, the programmes are not only
open to Christian teens— but to everyone.

|AD|“We [invite] people who are not Christian to take part in this. And that’s risky. But I believe the values that Christ set out can be for everyone- whoever you are and wherever you come from,” said Gardener.

One of the teens involved in the “No Sex please we’re teenagers” programme, Byron McClean, briefly testified about his conversion to Christianity through the time he spent at the Romance Academy.

“In August, I became a Christian,” McClean, 18, said. “Dan and Rachel helped me to know where I am in life and where I want to go... and I learned to love Jesus.”

The Romance Academy will hold future conferences, to encourage more churches to engage with the youth.

The CRE kicked off 9 May and will wrap up today. The event brings together some 340 suppliers, charities and missions under one roof. Dozens of seminars and presentations will help churches and individuals to be more effective in their ministry. Last year, more than 11000 people visited the show in 2005.