A New Identity for Suzie 

Suzie Coldman is the new full time youth worker for the Gorleston based Identity Youth Project. She returns to the project at the end of this week almost a year after completing a 12 month gap year as a trainee intern with ID. “We are so pleased that Suzie accepted the offer to come back and head up this work” said ID chairman Tony Mallion.  “Suzie has a real heart for reaching out to young people with the Good News of Jesus and we look forward to this new chapter in the work of Identity”

 Identity was set up with the support of four Gorleston churches – St Mary Magdalene, St Andrew’s, Cliff Park Community, and Magdalen Way Methodist Churches – and in the past year Gorleston Baptist has also come on board providing a home for the Tuesday evening Fusion Club for younger teens. Identity grew out of the work of the Unite Youth Project based in Yarmouth which was set up several years ago by Matt Gooch and continues to flourish. The first ID youth worker was Ruth Witheridge who stood down in 2014 to work in full time education support; she was followed by Mark Crawford who left at the end of last year to pursue work in mentoring based in his home town of Bury St Edmunds

“We have a good group of trustees representing the churches who are actively involved in the work. When Mark left we took advice and got people together for prayer to decide the way forward. We felt we could maintain some of the work ourselves, which we have done, while feeling very much led to approach Suzie and waiting for her to complete her degree at Keele University” said Tony Mallion. “Now we are ready to move on again to the next stage as we explore new possibilities with Suzie and our volunteers”

Suzie spent from the summer of 2015 through to August last year as the intern where she particularly enjoyed being involved with the Fusion group and also creating a weekly after school drop in. She will be based at Magdalen Way Methodist where the church kindly provides an office and storage. The Eastern Region Methodist Church has also been a generous sponsor of the ID Project which has also received a grant from the Norfolk based charity Dreams and Visions as well as the regular support from the local churches and individuals. “While we are not complacent about finance God has richly blessed the work so far and we will trust Him for the future too.” said Tony

Suzie Coldman is from Great Yarmouth and became a Christian as a teenager, something she believes helps her to understand young people and why she is keen to share the Good News with them.  She is a member of Cliff Park Church and has worked with the church’s pastoral care team

A special session of the monthly ID Encounter meeting will be held this Sunday July 2nd at Magdalen Way Methodist at 5pm.  As well as commissioning Suzie for her work,  young people will lead some worship before tea and cakes and rather special milk shakes which are always part of the Encounter sessions.  “Anyone who is interested in the work and welcoming and encouraging Suzie is welcome to join us for this Encounter with Suzie”  added Tony