>> GOODBYE

As of the end of December, I (Tom) am going to be stepping down as the co-ordinator of Vertigo. The Vertigo team have decided that we should spend 2011 meeting up with youth workers from across Oxfordshire in order to rediscover what it is that people think Vertigo events should be looking to accomplish, and so we’re taking some time out as a core team to pray and try and work out the future direction of Vertigo.

Although we’ll still be meeting up with youth leaders across the county in that time, we feel it’s important to take a break from running events as usual and reflect on what God is currently doing across Oxfordshire and in the rest of the world…

We’ll be asking youth workers and young people about that, and so if you’ve got any thoughts on what Vertigo should be doing then please drop us an email on vertigooxford@gmail.com or leave us a comment on the website.

It’s been an exciting year working with the Vertigo team, even if occasionally rather hectic, and it’s certainly encouraging to see all that God is doing in Oxfordshire, in youth workers and in young people. I hope you’ve been encouraged by the past few events, too, and that you’ll join us at the start of 2013 when we’ll hopefully be back with a fresh vision and passion for what God is going to do next!

Grace and peace,

Tom

>> TICKETS FOR NOVEMBER

If you’re looking to get hold of tickets for the next Vertigo event on November 12th, you can do so in a couple of ways – the first is to ask your youth leader, who should have got some tickets from us already, or the second is to click the link below which will take you to our Paypal page.

It’s secure and it will prompt you for payment details and a postal address, after which we’ll dispatch the tickets to you. They’re £5, with a 75p postage fee.

It’s going to be a great night and we’re really looking forward to seeing you there at St Aldates Church. Why not invite a friend too?

Get your tickets here:

>> YOUTH LEADERS’ BREAKFAST

Yes, it’s that time of year again – the time when youth leaders from across Oxfordshire gather together to drink gallons of strong coffee, eat pastries and dream/muse/lament the state of youth work here. If you are a youth worker, whether paid, voluntary or trainee, we’d love to see you there, so why not come and join us at St Andrew’s Church from 10-12pm next Tuesday, 2nd October?

(And if not, but you think your youth worker might want to come, then please send them this link…)

It’ll be a great chance to meet other youth workers from across Oxfordshire, to bounce some ideas off like-minded people and to take some space and reflect on where you’re headed in the next term as well what God is doing among young people everywhere. Last time we met back in May, it was a really encouraging experience, and so even if you’ve not made it along before or you can only come for a little while, do stick your head round the door nonetheless.

If you’re planning on showing up and you’ve not let me know yet, drop me an email let me know by posting a comment below this so I can buy food, though!

>> MEET SUPERHERO

Meet Superhero. They’re coming to play at Vertigo on November 12th at St Aldates, and the video below should give you some idea of what to expect…

Well, thank goodness that people know them for their music, eh?

Seriously, though, we’re really excited to have them joining us, and you can listen to their current album The Bicycle Thieves on Spotify. It’s pretty amazing.

Tickets from vertigooxford@gmail.com, or ask your youth leader. Don’t miss out.

>> NOVEMBER 12th

We’re currently in the process of organising our next event, which is going to be at St Aldates on November 12th.

With the band Superhero joining us on their world tour and with the mighty Chip K from thebandwithnoname speaking, along with potential collaborations from Youth Alpha, we’re hoping to see young people from all over Oxfordshire there as we link up with The “Battle for Your Soul” Tour.

We’ll be posting details over the next few months, but you should know this event is going to sell out – so if you want to hear some top-quality music in an accessible environment and have a place for your mates to hear the gospel presented passionately, clearly and powerfully, get your tickets soon!

Drop us an email at vertigooxford@gmail.com, or send us a comment on facebook, if you want tickets for yourself or for your youth group. Tickets are £5 and take it from us, this is one night you’re not going to want to miss.

Download a printable copy of the poster here.

>> SATURDAY

It’s this Saturday.

7-9:30pm. The Kings Centre. Entry is £2.

Josh Gauton will be leading worship, Krish Kandiah will be speaking on “grace under pressure” and we’ll be gathering young people from all across Oxfordshire to work out what it means to live the life Jesus called us to when it gets to Monday morning.

Trust us, it’s going to be epic. Come, bring your friends, be equipped to witness to your school and see what God is going to do.

But don’t just take our word for it: we’ll see you on Saturday!

Don’t look down.

Tom and the VERTIGO team

>> THE DREADED ‘E’ WORD

Here at Vertigo, we’re passionate about equipping young people to talk relevantly about faith in their schools and churches. But we’re also very aware of how difficult that is – and so if you’ve ever struggled with talking to your friends about why you’re a Christian and what you believe, then you’re not alone!

Check out this great article by Krish Kandiah, who’s coming to speak at our next Vertigo, about some of the things that make talking about faith difficult (or terrifying) and some strategies on how to deal with them.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this too, and don’t forget to join us at Vertigo on July 9th to hear Krish speak and to maybe get the chance to talk to him in person if you have any other questions!

>> BEFORE I DIE…

A very cool idea by an artist called Candy Chang, who spray-painted the words “before i die…” on a wall and then left spaces for people to fill in the blanks in chalk. The results are fascinating, beautiful and heartfelt, and you can see the pictures here. Click explanation for more details, too.

I love this project, not least because of its interactivity and the space it gives people, regardless of their backgrounds, to contribute.

Why not try something similar at your church, youth group or Christian union this month?

But ask permission first. Don’t just, y’know… spray-paint their walls.

>> LIFE-SONGS

We’re happy to be able to plug Oxford-based youth event Life-Songs, a series of Christian rock concerts in the heart of Bicester on a Saturday night. The event will have fantastic local Christian musicians bringing the best contemporary Christian music and is open to all ages, with a combination of live music and personal testimony. Entry is free, so bring along a friend (whether Christian or not) to what promises to be a dynamic and energetic event with a strong sense of the presence of God.

The next event is from 7:15-9:30pm on Saturday 25th June at Cooper School in Bicester.

For more info about it, find Life-Songs on Facebook here or check out the flyer here.

>> VERTIGO DETAILS: VENUE

On July 9th we’re going to be taking over The King’s Centre in Oxford for the next Vertigo, which we’re hoping will have a different feel to previous events. So, rather than meeting in the giant main hall, we’ll be based in the cafe area instead for a raw, acoustic gig featuring Sheffield’s Josh Gauton.

As with previous summer Vertigo events, we’re taking things back to basics this time around – pure worship, a great speaker and, if we can swing it, ice-lollies in the cafe. Entry is £2 on the door and bring a friend, because the more people we have there, the more exciting it’s going to be!

Details of how to get to The King’s Centre can be found here.

We’ll also be announcing details of our November 12th event (book it into your diaries now!) which is going to feature Superhero, stopping in Oxford in the middle of their epic world tour, Chip K, formerly of thebandwithnoname, and the guys from Youth Alpha. Tickets for that are going to be £5 and will be available from July, so get them early because it’s going to be huge!

See you on the 9th…

Links:

Josh Gauton and Krish Kandiah – more details on our blog here and here.

Superhero - listen to songs from their epic album “The Bicycle Thieves” or find out more about the tour here.

thebandwithnoname – sadly disbanded but very definitely not forgotten, listen to some of their songs here. Chip K won’t be performing in November, just speaking, but all the same, he’s a man with a passion…

Youth Alpha – great resources from the legendary movement here.