Vocalise: A resource from Capital Youth

Vocalise is a free, self-filmed video resource created by young people to help adults in every church connect with teenagers. Find out more below, watch the 'vlogs' and sign up to run the session in your church community.

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Access the full resource

Sign up and we’ll email you the link to download the 13-minute session video and leader’s pack that contains tips on how to use Vocalise, along with ideas and questions to help you engage young people in a session everyone will benefit from.

What is Vocalise?

Vocalise is a series of short videos filmed by five young people that explore what it’s like to be a young person who goes to some form of church or youth group today. The questions are simple, the answers are unscripted and the footage was decided by the young people involved.

We’ve taken their videos and turned them into one short session that will help anyone start meaningful conversations with young people in their church.

Vocalise is designed to be used with a group of young people, but you can also use it to reflect by yourself, or start a discussion with your PCC or small group. Whether it’s three people around the kitchen table or 20 at a youth group, this resource will help young people share and open up new opportunities to listen.

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“I have found watching these videos hugely interesting as the young people talk about their faith and how they are living it out in London today. I hope this resource will help us have good conversations with young people in our churches.”
+Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London

The aim is simple: we want to help you get to know the young people in your church better. This won’t solve all the issues regarding youth work – it’s one step in the right direction, but the focus is building a better relationship with the young people in your church. That’s it.

How Vocalise can help

Get to know young people better

Vocalise is designed to open up conversations about what matters to people and creates the chance to talk about life outside church, before delving more into the faith-based stuff. It’s not a teaching resource, it’s a relationship tool.

Create a safe space to share

Vocalise can help things stay appropriate in the way you open up personal conversations. By creating a safe space where young people can share their experiences and ask questions about faith and church, you’ll be helping them express their faith and build trust.

Talk about our faith in action

Vocalise will open up discussions about where we see the need for Jesus in the world. This simple conversation point will get you talking about the importance of sharing our faith, as well as demonstrating it in the world.

Find out how church impacts people

Vocalise will open up a conversation about how church has an impact on each of us in different ways. By reflecting on your experiences together, you’ll have a productive conversation about how young people feel about church and what would make them feel more a part of it moving forward.

Why make self-filmed videos?

Every church can become a community that is welcoming to young people – where they are loved, supported and valued. But knowing where to start can be difficult. This resource provides a first step; something that will help you begin to listen to young people and understand their lives. The beauty of this resource is that we’ve barely shaped the content at all; it’s all thoughts and experiences shared by the vloggers. we think young people will relate to these and be inspired to think about their own experiences as you watch the videos with them.

Watch the vlogs!

Below you can watch some of the vlogs that the young people involved created, all by themselves (we added a bit of polish). We hope you enjoy watching! Sign up to receive the link to watch the other two vlogs and access the full resource, including the session video and guidance book.

Isabel’s vlog

Isabel shares some of her daily joys and challenges, has a discussion with her Muslim friend about faith and talks about the importance of Jesus’ presence in her life.

Ed’s vlog

Ed takes a trip to Wimbledon, makes pasta for the youth group sleepover and has a chat with his youth worker about the environment, mental health, miracles and God’s love.

Phoebe’s vlog

Phoebe takes a trip to her nan’s, tells us about family life and her love for music, and shares where she sees the need for Jesus in the world.

Josh & Aaron’s vlog

Josh and Aaron head to Turkey after finishing their A-levels and share what inspires them about Jesus, why church is important for them as Christians and what’s had an impact on their faith.

Access the full resource

Sign up and we’ll email you the link to download all four vlogs and the session video, along with a pack that contains all the ideas you’ll need to engage young people or others in your church with this resource.