I'm Tony Irving, the youth pastor* at Christian Life Centre in Selly Oak. In recent months we have as a church, and more specifically a youth department, signed up to partner with Fusion in their mission of reaching students with power of the Gospel of Jesus and connecting & supporting Christians in Uni through the local church.  The sign up process was quick & relatively painless!  It was possibly the best 10 minutes I have spent in recent months.  Christian Life Centre, although right in the heart of student-ville in the city of Birmingham, has not 'classically' been known as a student church in the area, but our partnership with Fusion seems to have put us on the radar of students who are seeking to connect with a church during their time away at uni.  

I have to confess that my motives for partnering  with Fusion were not completely 'selfless.'  I have been a youth pastor since 2006 and in my time I have seen young people grow through the youth ministry and then head off to new horizons in the form of university and college, only to see them fail to find a new church and/or they slowly, but surely drift away from their faith until it is but a distant memory or even 'a phase.'  

My self-centre point is this, by the time I reach 10 years as a church pastor I will have seen young go from nervous 11 year-olds to self assured 17-18 year-olds; that is 6-7 years of input, over half a decade of prayer, pastoring, and definitely some perspiration! I don't believe God has called me to stop caring about these young people's spiritual well-being when they reach adulthood and engage with the big wide world!  

By partnering with the mission of Fusion I believe we can go some way to helping those young people that I love transition well and prepare them the best we can to not only take on the challenges they will undoubtedly face, but to conquer them with the confidence that comes from the Gospel of Jesus.

*at time of writing