The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), Rt Rev Dr Richard Kerr, has praised the work of BlueHouses, also known as Ballysillan Youth for Christ, while on a visit to the Centre at the beginning of his week-long tour of the Presbytery of North Belfast.
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Moderator commends the vital work of BlueHouses
Since 1993 the BlueHouses has been a beacon of faith, resilience and transformation in Ballysillan. Its mission is simple yet powerful: to walk alongside young people and families, creating safe spaces, trusted relationships, and opportunities for lives to be changed through faith, hope and love.
When the Moderator visited the Centre on Monday (7 September), he heard about the many youth programmes that are being offered, which range from a drop-in programme for three different age groups, a dedicated schools’ work programme partnering with primary and secondary schools, and the provision of 1-2-1 mentoring to support children who find the traditional educational environment more difficult.
“It was a privilege to witness first-hand the vital work that BlueHouses has been doing in this area of North Belfast for over 30 years, as it meets the social, emotional, physical, educational and spiritual needs of children and young people,” Dr Kerr said.
The ministry of BlueHouses stretches across the parishes of Ballysillan and Eglinton, and both congregations have volunteers who offer their time and skills to support the work being done by the Centre.
Peter Thompson, the Centre Director, described how BlueHouses provides an essential mix of community work and youth ministry. “We are located in an area of Northern Ireland that is in the top 10% of deprivation in the country. This means that we have many challenges to address, from child poverty, family breakdown and housing instability, to poor mental health, educational disadvantage, and addiction problems.
It is into this environment that we aim to bring the hope, healing and love of Christ, as described by our strapline, ‘helping people reach their potential through faith, hope and love’. So, while we try to meet the practical needs of those in this community, we trust we are also illustrating why we care.”
While the Centre delivers Alpha to year 11 boys in the local high school, it’s work in the community also meets a variety of needs. Its counselling service provides a space for those in the community to access professional counselling with their own in-house counsellor; there is a friendship group for older women, and a mums and tots group. Their community liaison project responds to the practical needs of individuals and families in the area, such as help with include money and debt, benefits, food and basic necessities, jobs and employment, and drugs and alcohol issues.
Speaking about his visit to BlueHouses, Dr Kerr said, “This is more than a Centre this is community, I commend the work they’ve been doing, building trust and sharing God’s love in a practical way. BlueHouses has been supporting this community for over 20 years and PCI has been privileged to support and partner with them in this work, it is my hope that this remains a place of never-ending chances for those in the area.”
To read more about the work of BlueHouses visit: https://thebluehouses.org/