Belfast
On hiatus…
As of summer 2010 YWAM Belfast has been on hiatus. The core team has moved to help establish the YWAM ministry in Rostrevor, Co. Down. You can read more about the An Cuan centre in Rostrevor on the main ministry page.
We would love to be back in Belfast some day. First we would need a new team of passionate and gifted people who want to see reconciliation, justice, and peace prosper in Belfast.
Past projects (2002-2010)
Take a look at some of the things we have been involved in the past, since 2002 when YWAM in Belfast was founded.
Community Initiatives in West Belfast
We live and interact in some of the more challenging neighborhoods of Belfast, with most of our staff living around the Shankill Road – a working-class neighborhood that is somewhat infamous but often overlooked, even though it’s minutes from city centre. We’re actively engaged in partnerships with a variety of churches and ministries to reach this area. Our current outreaches include:
- Feed Café – A partnership with a local business to facilitate a cool little cafe on the Shankill, which is a place for good food and drinks, prayer and conversation, creativity and community, and building bridges of healing and reconciliation into the wider community. As we wrapped up our involvement with Feed in 2010, they continue to thrive under their own vision.
- Community involvement – An important aspect of our ministry here is the missional lifestyle of our members and interaction with our neighbours as we live amongst them. In addition, individuals are currently leading worship in churches, networking with pastors, and partnering with prayer rooms.
We are open to new ideas and visions!
Forgiveness Education
YWAM Belfast previously partnered with the International Forgiveness Institute and Peacelines, a local charity which stemmed from YWAM Belfast, to offer forgiveness education around Belfast in primary and secondary schools. The ministry connected with teachers to implement a curriculum examining what forgiveness can say to our own interpersonal relationships, as well as relationships within the wider community or cultural setting. This work has been taken over by other charities (the International Forgiveness Institute and Corrymeela Community currently help implement the Forgiveness Education Programme in primary and post-primary classrooms around Belfast).
Training and Workshops
Since 2002, we have been running Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) focused on reconciliation. We have also been regularly hosting a Faith & Conflict Conference, looking at the Church’s mandate in reconciliation and conflict.