To be a Street Pastor you need to be a practising Christian, over 18 (there is no upper age limit!), a local church member and able to commit to our training programme. A Street Pastor has a concern for society, who is willing to engage people where they are, both in terms of their attitudes and location.

Commitment

The minimum commitment is just 12 nights per year. That’s only one night per month!

Initially you would go out with a team as an observer. and this will allow you to observe a team in action and help you decide if being a Street Pastor is for you. Then, after a core element of the training has been completed, trainees join experienced Street Pastors on patrol while they continue their training.

Training

Our comprehensive training programme is designed to fully equip new Street Pastors to respond to the needs of all the people with whom they engage on the streets. Our training will provides a full awareness of today’s social problems including:

Roles and responsibilities of a Street Pastor

• Listening skills
• Working with the Police
• Alcohol and drug awareness
• Street safety
• Understanding youth culture
• Understanding mental health issues
• First Aid
• Other topics as needs are identified

Teamwork

We work closely with the teams in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, sharing training and resources making a complete South Yorkshire Street Pastors’ presence.

Commissioning

All our Street Pastors must be ‘commissioned’ and so after core training and some nights on patrol you will be invited to attend a commissioning service to be prayed for and to receive your Street Pastors’ cap.