Mission Statement of Oxford Youth Works

A) MISSION

Oxford Youth Works exists to enable Christian adults to serve God in mission amongst young people who are beyond the reach of the Church, through the practice of Christian Relational Care.

B) MAIN AIMS

We seek to provide caring, long-term adult relationships with young people through running a variety of high quality projects.

We operate as a supportive network of people engaged in Christian Relational Care, encouraging critical reflection & integrity of practice.

We are committed to training and equipping Christian Youth Workers through our partnership in the Centre for Youth Ministry.

All who work for or train with OYW are united in seeking the growth and maturity of young people in all areas of their lives; physical, emotional, spiritual, and personal, within their community and in relationship with Christ and the Church.

C) VALUES

We participate in God's mission among young people, through action, example, worship, service and prayer.

We believe young people deserve unconditional love, respect and care, as people created in God's image, with freedom to choose and with responsibility for their own lives and actions.

We believe young people need positive relationships with adults; these relationships are the context for our work.

We believe all those working with young people should receive high quality training, supervision and support.

We work holistically with young people in all areas of their lives, physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual, towards growth and maturity.

We are both proactive and responsive to young people's interests, hopes, dreams and needs.

We seek justice and righteousness at personal, community and structural levels, challenging oppression and hypocrisy both within OYW and society.

We seek to encourage young people to engage with the Gospel and to reflect and act on its challenge to their lives and culture.

We are an open and inclusive worshipping community of Christians from a variety of traditions.

"The Christian gospel tells the story of a missionary God. Relationship is at the centre of the being of God whom we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. We see the God who is three and who is one as he is revealed on mission. We know of God in no other way than calls us and inspires us to reach out to young people. Youth ministry or Christian youthwork is grounded in the missionary nature of God. The mission is God's, not ours. We are called and inspired by God to participate in his seeking of relationship with all human beings. Our practice as youthworkers finds its true rationale in the God who calls us to share in his seeking of young people." Pete Ward (founder of Oxford Youth Works)