JOIN A BRIDGEBUILDERS DREAM-TEAM IN EUROPE

The Netherlands & Czech Republic, 1 Aug 2008 - 15 Aug 2009
What is a Bridgebuilders Dream Team?
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A dream team consists of young adults from different countries complementing their talents to build an ongoing and comprehensive youth work in a region. The team starts in August to be involved in summer activities and is trained in September in a center in The Netherlands. In October the team starts its mission with research and/or activities in schools.

The various tasks
A Dream Team complements each other's talents and abilities to accomplish their mission. What do they do and what are the various tasks? Teaching (conversational) English, making a video, planning social projects, build a database of contacts, write newsletters, research the internet, perform or give workshops in music or drama, create cross-cultural programs, teach a Bible study, make and gather surveys for researching the youth culture in the region, lead a group of youth, etc. are part of the many possible tasks of a team.
Their mission
The mission of the team is to build up an ongoing comprehensive youth ministry in a region where the influence of churches is weak or non existent and where youth ministry is marginalized, fragmented, undeveloped, or even absent. The strategy is to start in schools and to network with other organizations and with churches to build a structure that fits the needs and opportunities in a region. The team brings the gifts and abilities of different people and groups together to realize the best possible ministry to youth in the region.

Has there ever been a comprehensive partnership between different youth organizations and denominations to build a ministry together? Yet this type of cooperation is what is very needed in our fragmented world today. Atlantic Bridge offers such a dream to become reality on a very practical level in places where such a partnership is needed to assure success.

Dream teams are needed in two regions starting in 2008.

The Regions
ZEELAND
This predominantly rural Protestant region of The Netherlands is a favorite for tourists in the summer. Despite its history and beauty this region also suffers from a malady consistent with the rest of the country. Churches are having great difficulty holding on to their young people. In this region Atlantic Bridge has developed inroads in the different schools and are welcome guests in classrooms of especially Religious Education, Music and English lessons. Also in this region there are tensions between youth who grew up in this area and youth from refugee families and from Turkish and Moroccan backgrounds.

The task of the Zeeland Dream Team will be to inspire young people in the region in the art of building bridges. The team itself consists of young people ages 18-25 who are from a great variety of backgrounds and from different parts of the world. They actually live out and then teach the mission of Bridgebuilding in the region, gradually implementing the concept of the Regional Youth Contact in Zeeland.

MOST

Most is a city in the northern part of the Czech Republic. No church steeples decorate its skyline; the only church steeple belongs to the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, now a museum located on a deserted spot outside of the city. From the four small churches in this city a total of 200 people attend church on a Sunday, only one of these churches has a small youth group. Since 1996 Atlantic Bridge has been building pathways into existing structures in this region mostly through teams, English teachers and activities in schools.

Starting in September 2008 we want to build an ongoing comprehensive youth ministry in this region by bringing an International team of young people to the region. The team is led by Kendra Hoover, presently a youth leader with Atlantic Bridge in the Czech Republic. The ‘Dream Team’ of as many as 7 young adults will have various tasks in the region complementing each other in their abilities with schools as starting point.

The Most region includes the towns of Most, Litvinov, Zatech, Louny, Postoloprty and can even stretch as far as Lovosice.

Details
The Project
Both teams will engage in Atlantic Bridge summer activities, and in an initial month of training in The Netherlands. As the academic year begins by the end of September, both the Zeeland and Most BB Dream Teams will settle down in their respective regions, getting well acquainted with the area.

The Zeeland team starts with a special Novum schools action week involving artists from different countries; and then start up Bridgebuilders Clubs in three different sub-regions in the area.

The Most team begins with a "Marco Polo" Project, researching various aspects of the youth culture in the region. This is done by visiting lessons in the various schools and giving surveys out to the youth.

Both teams recruit young people for their Bridgebuilders Club -- targeted to start in December.

General Tasks
  • in pairs, lead and/or assist in leading a BB Club
  • implement the BRICKS Curriculum
  • prepare travel or hosting plans for exchanges with BB Clubs in different regions
  • help in the club fund raising activities
  • always build relationships with the club members, encouraging and training them to build bridges themselves, and connect them with young people from other cultures, churches and ethnic groups

A Dream Team will also plan activities outside of the Bridgebuilders Clubs as they see fit and as it fits the goals and purpose of Atlantic Bridge in the region. During the year every effort is made to identify local leaders able to continue to lead the club after the BB Dream team assignment comes to an end.

Accommodation
The Zeeland team lives in one big house together in the center of the small village of Kruiningen while the Most team will live in one or more apartments in Most. The monthly food allowance of the team members is supplemented by occasional dinner visits to the homes of Bridgebuilders or Regional Support team members. Often they share meals together to stretch the budget furthest and for fellowship.
Finances
Dream Team members are responsible to raise their own support, although subsidy is possible for European Union citizens. Non-Europeans, please contact our office for further information about funding. 
 

Join this team and have the exciting opportunity to develop one or more of our key regions through mobilizing youth and training club leaders.
More.

Are you a good promoter or performer? Join this team and have the exciting opportunity to travel among our regions to set up MeetPoints and other special events. More.

Your group has the opportunity to explore several of our emerging regions in one trip; then develop an ongoing link with one region and return for mission trips. More.

Regional Support Team: Do you have a heart for youth work in your region? Consider volunteering some time to help pioneer and support local AB youth initiatives. More.