Chilling out with Church Army

                                                                                                                                8 October 2009

Kinder Kalsi is a Church Army Evangelist working in the Langsett and Upperthorpe area of Sheffield, an Urban Priority Area of the city. Poor education and social problems are rife and there are a lot of young people on the streets every evening with the usual 'nothing to do'.

So Kinder has set up the Chill drop-in on Tuesday nights to give teenagers somewhere of their own to hang out and, very gradually, has begun to build a community. The regular members of Chill have been at the centre of its growth, and the drop-in now opens for two hours and serves food as per their suggestions.

They also opted for some basic branding, and the adoption of the Chill T-shirts for the young leaders means that they are recognised by young people on the streets of Sheffield for their commitment to Chill. That recognition enables them to talk openly to other young people and invite them to the group.

Kinder is also trying to reach non-churched people through opportunities in the local pub, like Beer and Hymns, Carol and Hymns, Posada (pictured here) and various discussion groups. He has also received requests for midnight mass that suggest that fresh expressions is not the only way to reclaim the de-churched.

To see a short film of Kinder in action go to Church Army online.

Please pray for Kinder as he co-ordinates his local school on 18 November during the European Day of Prayer for Schools.