In a world where more and more people are being forced to flee their homes and cross borders to find safety, there are a growing number of teenagers experiencing trauma, rejection and isolation.

In many refugee camps, programmes focus on providing care to women and children, leaving the many teenagers on their own with nothing to do.

They can’t go to school, they can’t work. And they have often travelled on their own, leaving their families behind to seek safety, freedom and a better future.

What they often end up finding is rejection and hardship as they make these journeys to find sanctuary in the European Union.

In 2021, the TeenStreet leadership felt a strong prompting from the Lord to organise the first TeenStreet event in a refugee camp in Serbia. The team faced challenges with COVID-19, limitations in permissions of what they could teach about, and heard heart-breaking stories of abuse and pain from many of the teens who attended.

Despite these things, through simple arts and crafts, games, and teaching about Moses, who himself was a refugee for a time, the event organisers engaged teens in the refugee camp for a week.

It was a sobering experience, but one that left the team convinced that these teenagers needed a tangible example of a discipleship journey with Jesus.

The team are now seeking to recruit a Jesus follower from within that setting, who can help champion and lead regular TeenStreet events among refugee teens.

Praise God for the teens whose lives were impacted by this TeenStreet event! Please also pray for the provision of someone to lead this work going forward. 

If you know any teens from refugee families now based in the UK, we'd love to welcome them at TeenStreet UK! Find out more below. 

TeenStreet UK