Estate Outreach

Bangor Elim has been running a Drop-In for children aged 11-16 years old for a number of years in the two local estates of Breezemont and Bloomfield. God has opened real opportunities for volunteers in the Drop-In to build strong relationships with young people, parents and other people within the estate.

The Drop-In is a safe place for young people to come along to meet with their friends, enjoy tea & toast, play some PS3/Xbox and relax. The Drop-In also forms a safe environment for young people to explore their faith. The time and effort of the volunteers who attend the Drop-In is really appreciated by young people from the estate, many of whom feel that they have been forgotten or are undervalued. In turn, this regularly leads to conversations about our faith and why we’re so keen to turn up every week to see them.

Over the last year, the Drop-In based in Bloomfield estate has been able to hold music and video workshops with the young people and an intergenerational project that encouraged young people to engage with older people from the estate. This intergenerational project has also allowed the church to build relationships with older people from the estate. A range of organisations and individuals have come along to speak to the young people about issues including drugs, relationships from a Christian viewpoint, and what it is like to live a Christian life in a secular world.