A Volunteer Vision

A Fresh Vision for Camberley Youth for Christ

Over the last 25 years, Camberley Youth for Christ has been deeply privileged to serve young people across Surrey Heath — in schools, churches, and the wider community. Through assemblies, youth groups, mission weeks, camps, and pastoral support, we’ve seen countless young lives impacted by the love of Jesus.

But if we’re honest, the landscape has changed.

Today, many churches no longer have the youth teams or paid youth workers they once did. Clergy and staff are stretched, volunteer capacity is thinner, and as an organisation CYFC is much smaller than it has been in the past. Trying to continue “business as usual” simply isn’t sustainable — and it isn’t where God is leading us next

So after much prayer, listening, and reflection, CYFC is stepping into a fresh new vision — one that puts local churches at the very heart of everything we do.

Putting the Local Church First

Historically, CYFC has spent much of its time working directly with young people. While that work has been fruitful, this new season calls for a shift in focus.

Our vision is to become an organisation that spends the majority of its time partnering with churches — building relationships, listening carefully, and responding to the unique needs of each congregation.

There is no one-size-fits-all model. Every church is different. Our heart is to walk alongside you, helping you take the next steps that make sense for your context, your people, and your capacity.

At its core, this vision recognises something vital: discipling young people is the shared responsibility of the whole church. It cannot rest on a single leader, role, or ministry.

A Culture Shift: Raising and Supporting Volunteers

For this vision to work, something has to change — not just structurally, but culturally. We need to see congregations rediscover the calling to invest in young people.

CYFC wants to help spark a renewed volunteer culture by:

• Inspiring people to step forward

• Training and resourcing volunteers well

• Providing ongoing support, community, and encouragement

• Making volunteering sustainable, flexible, and valued

We want volunteers to feel championed, not burned out — to grow in confidence, faith, and fruitfulness as they serve.

Schools as a Gateway for Mission

CYFC continues to hold positive relationships with secondary schools across Surrey Heath, including Collingwood, Tomlinscote, King’s International, and Gordon’s School. One of our priorities is to see this work re-established, but in a new way.

Rather than CYFC running everything centrally, we want to build local volunteer teams from nearby churches to engage in schools — building relationships, mentoring young people, and naturally creating pathways into church life.

We’re also excited about strengthening links with primary schools, particularly supporting Year 6 pupils so that church feels familiar and safe before the transition to secondary school. A simple invitation at the right time can make a life-changing difference.

Growing Young Leaders for the Future

Another key part of our vision is nurturing young people themselves into leadership.

This year we’re launching a Young Leaders’ Academy for college-aged young people — providing space each month to reflect, discern calling, grow spiritually, and develop practical leadership skills.

Our heart is to help young people transition well:

• From youth to adulthood

• From dependence to ownership

• From participation to leadership

We don’t want young people to “fall off a cliff” when they turn 18. We want to see them rooted, confident, and equipped for the next stage of life.

Collaboration, Prayer, and What Comes Next

Some things can only happen when churches work together. CYFC will continue to create opportunities for shared events, worship, training, and mission — including exploring future partnerships and mission trips.

Everything we do is underpinned by prayer. A dedicated prayer community will be launching soon, because everyone can play a part — even if it’s behind the scenes.

As we move forward, we’ll also be inviting churches to identify CYFC ambassadors — people who help share information, opportunities, and vision within their congregation, removing pressure from already stretched leaders.

Join Us in This New Chapter

This is a bold vision — and not an easy one. But we believe it is God-led, deeply hopeful, and full of potential.

If this vision resonates with you:

• Please pray with us

• Share it with others in your church

• Get in touch if you’d like to be involved

We are expectant about what God will do through His people as we work together to see young people across Surrey Heath come to know Jesus and find a place they can truly call home.

The journey is just beginning — and we’d love to walk it with you.