professionalisation of christian youthwork?

This is something that I have been debating for quite some time now. Where is there a balance between getting the qualification, and proving an understanding of our work, and also realising the claling that God has placed upon a life? Which holds more value, and which shoudl hold more value in Church today? Obviously in society the qualification holds more value, but shoudl this also be the case within the Church as well? I wuld contend, that certainly a person needs to demonstrate an understanding in the field that that they are going to be involved in, and even gain some kind of qualification in it, but demonstrate a desire for ongoing wish to learn, experience and be open to different things within the sphere they are wanting to work in. But I would also contend, that we as Christians need to recognise, calling, gifting, ability, and the plans that God has for people's lives. I think if we go down the root of continually wanting the qualification, without exploring the calling, then we are going to lose something within the Church in the future.

being a pioneer

It is one of those things that has started to strike me more and more, that is the pioneering roll that a youthworker plays in ministry. Youth culture changes so quickly and the youthworker needs to be on top itk, and be able to be relevant to it, and also provide things, suggest ideas that all relate too in a certain way the culture is, but without dampening down the message in any way shape or form. what was relevant 10 years ago is not now, and so things need to be constantly in that developmental process so that they are able to connect with the people f the time. In DR. Who this kind of thing was referred to as a "perspective transformation", and I think this is what the pioneer, the youth worker need to have, a perspective transformation, as how they reach out will be different to so many different people, at different times.

Leona Lewis new song

I was listening tothe radio this monring, and the latest track by leona lewis came on, and I have to admit, I was horrified about some of the stuff in it. I am usually ok, about some songs, but one line in particular really got me about this song. toward the beginnng of the song, she suggested that if the love of the bloke she was with didn't pass the test, then she could find love else where. this does not give out good signals for our young people today, it destroys the idea of commitment, longevity, and many other things. Shame as I did like her bleeding love song, as I thought that might have been good to use with the Jesus of Nazerath film, but how can we expect different elements of our society to hold together, when public songs like this abvocate breakdown.

Progress?

Came across this great sign, whilst out in India recently: "progress is less about speed and much more to do with direction" thought this was very profound, for those of us in leadership in any shape manner or form, inside or outside of church.

Viewing of child protection?

How is it that people see child protection issues these days? there is certainly an argument that things have gone way to far as far as paper work is concerned, but how do organisations and people actually see child protection issues. Do we see them as protecting us as the workers? Do we see child protection as there to protect the young people? do we see child protection as creating a rod for our back? Do we see child protection as something we are prepared to go so far with, but not any further? I am sure there are lots of thoughts, and many other questions, but hopefully this will be a starting point.

Theology of winning

It is interesting listening to people discussing their relationship with their kids, or with the young people they work with, and how they describe that they can't "let young people win". win what you may ask, well win arguments, or win discussions, but it is the issue, of not allowing young people to win, or even the issue of winning itself that interests me. why is it as adults we are reluctant to be corrected, inspired, educated, or just learn from young people, why is it that we always feel that we have to be right, and not allow the openness of valuing the thoughts of our young people. And more to the point, do discussions have to be seen as won? is there not an argument for resolution, which is different that winning. For me winning implies that there is a looser, someone who is put down, and as much as I do agree with compeititon ins port, and thngs, I am not sure that competition and winning are useful elements in relationships in life.

10 commandments of child protection

I have recently come across a very interesting blog, that listed, almost the 10 commandments of blogging, and although it was doen slightly tongue in cheak, there was some sanity, and sobering thoghts behind them, so it got me thinking, could we construct the 10 commandments of Child Protection, or are there just too many to try and fit into the 10 commandments. Any thoughts at all, would be great.

Release our young people!!!!!

The more and more that I chat to other youth workers, and the more I read about things, there is a lot of chat about releasing young people into ministry in different ways, and in different forms. But yet, it still seems to be just chat. Although there is lots of good intentions, there is little action. It is time to take a risk, time to stop talking and act upon our feelings, and release our young people. visit www.rolltherock.org.uk and click on the release link

great line from Snow Patrol

In their song, "chasing cars", Snow Patrol have a great line which reads, "I need your grace, to remind me, of my own", I am unsure of their spirituality, or even if they have a relationship with God, but this line has struck me hard recently. We all need Gods grace, and isn't it a great thing that we aren't God, as we would struggle to show that level of Grace, but yet, we still need to acknowledge the amount of grace that we need from God, to remind us, of how much we need to show others. So when othersspeak out of turn, hurt us badly, or make comments that are unnecesary, unjust, and unhelpful, do we need to think about the Grace that God shows us when we do exactly that to him.

Money great, but what's the purpose?

there has recenlty been an anouncement that the government want to pour more money into the police and detached youth work, for work after school. this in essence sounds great, but part of me can't help wondering what the poitn is, or what the aim of this money is? If they are aimng to provide something constructive for young people, and offer them something that will give them hope, purpose and a future in their lives then great, but if they are only putting the money in, because people compalin about young people hanging around, then this can only be seen as a waste of money. what's the point in putting money into police and detahced youth work, unless you offer something tangeable, menaingful and constructive alongside it? Young people need to feel as though they have a place in society,r ather than just a group of people who are being policed out of sight all the time.

Spirtuality of boys

This is something that I intend looking into with my next masters assignment, but for now, it is fairly clear that boys and girls think differently, work differently, interact differently, process things differently, study differently, socialise differently, and thus, my initial thought, is that when we are engaging with young people, do we need to engage differently with boys than we do with girls. It is true that God deals with us all individually, and recognises all our different weaknesses and attributes, but, I am sure he also recognises all the general differences between boys and girls, and thus enables us as youthworkers to think how we may be able to approach these different genders.

New netowrking site for youthworkers

there is now a new secure space for youth workers to gather together, share ideas and read some written material. Nothing definitive as such, just a community where ideas ca be formed, thinking can be sharpened, and youtwork can hopefully move forward in an exciting challenging and supportive way. Visit: www.rolltherock.org.uk and click on youthworkers network. ensure you register to be able to share ideas, and thinking and support others, as well as being supported yourself.

training and events upcoming

Hi Just some up and coming training and events that people might be interested in. December 12th and 17th, there is 2 dyas of training for those working with young people, examining drug and substance abuse. it is free to go and is in the centre of Harrogate, but also is taking place else where as well. Visit: www.drugtrain.org.uk for more details. Superhero live in Harrogate 26th September sees superhero come to Harrogate as part of their uk tour. Performing at Ashville College, doors open 7 pm, tickets can be bought through Rolltheorck, or wesley owen in town. for email info please email: superhero@rolltherock.org.uk tickets £6 October 4th, RolltheRock holding their annual celebration at Life Destiny Church offices, hookstone park. for any more information, or to confirm that you will be coming, please email: celebration@rolltherock.org.uk This will be a time to launch our new 3 year vision, and also induct our new trainees upon our training course. If yo have any information or events coming up, please email us at: blogs@rolltherock.org.uk and we shall get it up here for you.

empower instead of criminalise

There is a new government scheme, working with young people as mistery shoppers, as they go to shops and try and buy knives. This is a great idea of working with young people, making them feel involved, giving them responsibility, and a bit of mystery with the under-cover part of it as well. This will, I hope give young people that sense of excitement, that sense of doing something, and mystery, without the bad, dangerous consequences that tey get from carrying knives. How else can we empower young people to make a difference in our communities.

new pages and articles for youth workers

There will soon be a new set of pages on the rolltherock website for youthowrkers. We will be putting up some articles, and a passworded section for actual youthworkers to go and discuss what has been written. We will be launching this new area, and new articles in the middle of september, so we shall be posting up here the launch date and more info aout how you as a youthworker can interact with others.

Shout it out for our teens

I have been challenged recently by another youthwork blog that I regularly look in upon, that has prevoked the thought as to whether we shout out for our teens enough in this country. Certainly there is an issue with drugs, knives, violence, and various other things, but youth doesn't mean yob, and there are stacks of reasons why our young people are worth shouting out about. Can I suggest you go and look at www.youthblog.org and look at the posting for July the 20th, ths made me sit up and almost cheer for our young people.

Info and apologies

Hi All, Just to say sorry that there have been no posts on this blog for the last week, I have been away in America, which I shall explain in a minute, but Please forgive me for not pointing this out earlier. As I have stated, I have been out in the states, Visiting the florida revival meetings. These have been an amzing time, for me, and a lot of thanks goes to one of our supporters who paid for me to go on the trip. Spent some amazing time with God, won't say all about it here, as I have created a nother blog about tthe trip, so do visit: www.floridajournal.blogspot.com and read about the trip. Also just to inform you about another website I have come across, www.livelight.org looks like there is lots there for people to investigate.S

Children and young people now

This is another website which is well worth lgging into. It is free, and you can also choose the different newsleters you receive depending on your expertese and vision for work. there is lots there to choose from, and their articles are very much up to date and infromative. visit: www.cypnow.co.uk

New website to take notice off

there is a new youthwork website that is worth taking note of. I know one of the guys who is driving this website, and he is a great guy. It also has an internaitonal perspective, as well as having alsorts of session material, provoking articles, and much much more, and hey guess what, it is free as well. Can't be bad, check it out: www.youthworkinternaitonal.com

Signs of growth!!!!!!

Somewhere else, on another blog that I contribute too, was asking this question recently abot how youthwokrers grow. We all want our young people to grow, and have ideas about how that should happen, but do we or does anyone else actually think and take care about how the youthworker grows. If we had to ask the queston, of any youthworkers, How have you grown in this last year? I wonder what the answer would be and how long they woul have to think about it. god wants us all to grow, continually grow, and become more and more like him, and more and more like the people he wants us to be. So the challenge for us as youthwokrers, is to maybe ensure that things are in place, for us to go through those tough times, and ensure that we are growing and becoming better people, better youth workers, and better in our relaitonship with God.

Ensuring our support

It is important as youthworkers that we have the right kind of support around us, enabling us to flourish in all that god has given us, and called us to be and do. We often have accountability in different ways shapes manners and forms, but ultimately we need peope around us, who will correct us, gently, nudge us in the right direction, praise us when things go well, ensure that our vision is right, ensure that we are listening t what God wants for our young people. We also need people who will release us, believing in us, and believing in our abilities, our gifts, and our calling. Ultimately we need people t be accountable too, who aren't going to tell us what to do, but endure we are doing smething. People who will keep us on the straight and narrow, without being people who will attempt to drag us along. People who will believe that we know what we are doing, and give us the freedom to get on and do it.

Strength in todays society

This is something I hear being talked about in so many different places, about hwo strong a particular person is, or a company is, and what they really mean is how they dominate others or situations. god never intended strength to be a dominant thing, but a confident thing with humility and humbleness. We can be confident in who we are, and in what God has called us to do and be, but this should not overtake us and turn into arrogance or power, or even dominance. Instead we should have a level of humility about who we are when we are with others, and also have a level of humblenss in accknowledging others. Strength isn't about us dominating, it is about us being confident and empowering.

Wholistic approach

there is a lt at the moment about health and young people in the news. It struck me tha a lot of teaching for young people suggests that God is bothered about all aspects of their life, and all issues that they face. If God is othered then shouldn't we be bothered as well? If we tell young people that God cares about all aspects of their life, then we should be too, which means we should be helping them with all issues around health, fitness, eating, homework, school, friendships, emotions, and a whole stack of others, This is the demonstration of the reality of relationship. If we have that relaitonship with Jesus, and have that relaitonship with Young people, then we should be there enabling, and making the difference in their lives, with the strength and guidence of God.

Informing our young people

I know that young people gather information from a whole range of different places, but in a survey I came across today, 20% of 10 year olds think that heroin is legal, where would they get that information from? If at the age of 10 young people are getting this kind of information then our job as youthworkers is geting harder and harder as the years go on. Let me encourage you, that many people in Jesus time thought many things baout their fath and religion, but they also had it wrong. Jesus tried to help them, and enabled a number to see the truth and reality, that is our job to point out the trth and reality, then the rest is between the young people and God.

Empowering young people

this is a mistake that a lot of people fall in to, because they include young people sometimes in the planning, but yet when it comes to presenting an event, or something in public, the adults take over. Here is the challenge, how about empowering young people not just to plan, not just to reflect, but to actually do. guess what they might even make mistakes, but how else are they going to learn, how else can they use their gifts. Hasn't God given them gifts as well as us, so let's give them the chance, the opportunites, and release hem to mae a difference in our society.

Following from values!!!!!

this one statement seems to follow on so well from my post yesterday, and some everything I said in one easy to understand, and readible statement: read it, reflect on it, and let god be so close: We cannot hope to touch the hearts of young people if we have lost our own spiritual leading.

Values

I have recdently posted on another blog about valuing life rather than just having a go at shops about selling knives to young people. And it struck me that the people who young people hang aorund, have a responsibility to demonstrate the values they hold in their lives. So here is the challenge for all of us as youthw rokers, if we hold Christian values, and vaues of the Kingodm, do we show them to the young people we work with, because the values we have, if we spend time with young people, and if we work with them properly, and they respect us, then our values and God values can rub of on them.

Do young people understand salvation?

This is something which I have found interesting lately, and have decided to write my next masters assignment which is due on the 1st of August, about this subject. What do we think young people believe salvation might mean, and what do they think they might need saving from. Do they believe they need to be reconciled?

Gig date for your diary

Just a quick posting here, to say, on Friday 26th September, Superhero are coming to Harrogate. for further information please contact superhero@rolltherock.org.uk 01423 553815

Consumouristic youthwork

This is a topic that I haven't thought through properly, ut it is something that maybe I can see happening in a few different places. youthwork should be and quite rightly so, about the young people we want to work with, and the young people we are attracting to our work, but god also needs to be at the centre of all that we are doing. Youthowrk is not just about pandering to the wants of the young people, but it is about the needs, and how God, and God through us can hlep meet those needs. Our society focusses very much upon the wants of people, and pandering to them, without proper consideration of the needs, and this is what God is more concerned about, he knows our needs, he knows exactly what , not just we need, but also the young people we work with. So let's not just focus on the wants, but theneeds, and enable the young people themselves take the initiative, and enable them to work things out with God as far as their needs are concerned.

Pushing them forward!!!!!!

Previously this week I have spoken about consistancy, and being persistant, but today I want to talk about pushing the young people we work with forward to achieve new things. One of the keys that I have learnt fairly quickly within youthwork, is that I can have great ideas, fantastic plans, and all sorts of things, but if it isn't from the young peple themselves,or they don't catch the vision or the dream, then it won't work. god uses young peple as much, if not more than he uses adults, and I would suggest that we need to allow him to use young peple more to make a difference in poeple's lives, or else we do them a disservice and we do God a disservice as well. One of thbest youthwork things I have seen recently, is inspired by young people, and they are seeing more and more oung people making a dcision to know Jesus, and look into the Bible more, and this has come from the young people, not the adults, so there is our challenge, allow those young people o grow, push on, use their gifts, allow God to speak thorugh them, and not try and tell them all the time what they need to be doing, and hwo they wll come closer to God, god might already be using them.

Persistance

yesterday I wrote about the importance of consistancy within youthowrk, and the fact that possbily one of the reasons why most youthwork doesn't see much growth is due to a lack of consistancy by ose who have an overall authority or vision for it. If there is no cosistancy, then there is unlikely to be any great fruit seen from that work. today I want to talk briefly about persisistance. young people seem to value the fact that osmetimes there is someone or even a couple fo people, who iwll stick by them regardless of the situation. I remember walking and having some stones thrwon at me and a fellow worker, and we had to make a decision about what to do, we carried on walki otwards this group, as we knew them. The group asked us why we continued walking towards them when they were throwing stones at us, and we told them that regardless of what they did, and who they were, we would sitll love them, and god sitll loved them as well. This evening changed our relationship with those young people, and our relationship strengthened because we hd shown persistance regardless of the situation. god himself shows persistance as he never gives up on us, even though we let him down so much, so we need to show that to our young peple as well.

Consistency

Last week I looked at various issues to do with salvation, and maybe thorugh out some ideas of topics that maybe need some further exploration with our young peopl. this week, I want to maybe be a bit more contravertial in some people's eyes,a nd suggest some pointers as to what might make a successful youthwork. The first issue, I want to tackle, today, and will tackle others as the week goes on. consistency is something which I would suggest is paramount in youthwork. 1: We need to be consistant in our approach to all young people. We cannot have favourites, and we cannot treat some differently to others. 2: We have to be cnsistant ourselves: that is we need to be there as much as possible, rotas do not really work, and do not allow the possibility for relaitonship to build, how can consistancy be there if we are putting in rotas all thetime. If rotas are in place, then the young poeple won't know who they are meant to go too, and they won't know who is ith them on any particular occasion. Consistancy is like the flavour, you can tell how something tastes by the consistancy of the mixture, so where is our consistancy, as far as our young people are concerned. Let me put it to you, that Jesus was totally consistant in his approach to people, and he was there for the people who were around him. god continues this since the death and resurrection of Jesus, in that he is always there, and always cnsistant in how he treats us, deals with us, and is always there for us, maybe we need to demonstrate some of that consistancy in our approach to youthwork.

Websites for you to visit

There are a number of websites, where people have written thoughts and thwories, aproaches and ideas about youthwork, I just t thought it might be an idea for me to post some of them up here, so you can have a look if you want too. IASYM: the international association for the study of youth ministry, there is online jnernals, disucssion gorups and vairous other things here. YTC Press: Youth Theology and culture press, releases books and thesis based around youthwork. if you type either of these into google you should find them, and I reccommend them to you as study, reflection and basing your youthwork in good theology, and chalening thoughts.

Justification

This is the forth element of salvation that I wanted to tackle briefly this week. The first was propitiation, the wrath of God, the second was reconciliation, and the three different aspects of that, and then yesterday we looked at redemption and what that might mean in our youthwork. today I want to look at justification, and how we could possibly help eople knwo that they are justified in God's eyes. It is my belief that people need to know that they are justified in being who they are, they don't have to be anyone else, and they were created uniquely, specially, and and maybe even peculiarly them. Through the death of Jesus on the Cross people can be justified, in who they are, in their relationship with god, and in their relationships with other people. The challenge for us as youthworkers is for us to help our young people know that they are justified, in who they are, and that Christ has done it all for them, and that all they have to do is embrace that relationship, and that works good works at that will come out of that relationship. People cannot be justified by their works, that is a human approach, it is by faith, by that relaitonship with god, not by what they do. But what they do should come out of that relationship with god. If God is at the centre then great works will come out of them. So let us help people realise that it is not what they do, but who they are that is really special.

Redemption

so far this week I have looked at propitiation, and reconciliation as far as aspects of salvation are concerned within our youthwork. Today I quickly want to look at redemption and what that might mean for us in our work. There is noone in the world I am sure who would say that they have never done anything wrong. And everyone will admit, even if not to what, but to the fact they have done, said, thought, or imagined something that is wrong. This is in Biblical terms, sin. So we need to be redeemd from our sin, redeemed from the things we have said, done, thught, imagined, that are not good. If we ask a human to help redeem us, it simply wouldn't work, as I have already stated none of us could say we have never done anything wrong, so how could we redeem others, if we are not pure, enough ourselves, we couldn't could we? So the answer comes back to God. God through his son Jesus, and his death on the cross redeems us, so we need to bring young people close to God. Maybe a starting point within this, is helping them to realise that redemption, and forgiveness is not fully possible within humans as we continually make mistakes and screw things up, but it is possible in god. the challenge therefore is for us o fin d ways, to bring people to that pint, that realisation that they need forgivenes, they need that redemption in their lives, and thus the only way that that can fully happen is through God.

reconciliation

As you may remember from yesterday, I want to look at four elements of salvation for us as youth workers this week, and what they might mean for our work. Yesterday I looked at propitiation, the wrath of God, and what it takes for us to help young people realise that the wrtath of God has been turned away from them and us, and what we might need to do to demonstrate some of that. toiday, I want to quickly look at reconciliation, and a couple fo the different elements of reconciliation. 1: reconciliation in relationships: sometimes we need to demonstrate that relationships can be reconciled no matter what has taken place. We can show this, by our relaitonships with the young people we work with, as they will frustrate and annoy us, but yet we continue to be there for them, so by showin this, we demonstrate how relaitonships can be reconciled. 2: reconciled to themselves: Many young people will have a bad self image, some of this will come from media, some from friends, and some from otehr places, and it is our job to hlep them realise that they are created in the image of God, and therefore they are lovely, great worthy, and worth dieing for. to reconcile them to themselves is a tough one, and a long job, but it is possible to reconcile us to ourselves. 3: Reconcile us to God: Help the young people we work with reconcile themselves to God, god has done so much for them and for us, and we need to help the young people we work with that they dont' have to do things, but God loves, them and that is why Jesus died for them, because God loved them. So reconciliation takes three main elements, and I haven't done them justice here, but all three of these elements are worth looking at with our young people.

4 elements of salvation

this week I am wanitng to write about the four different elements of salvation, and how they may apply wihtin our youthwork. today, let me qucikly, and probably unjustly look at, propitiation, which in essence ensures that we don't face Gods wrath. When we are working with young people, do they see angry, frustrated annoyed people, who just take out their anger on them, or do they see happy people who are pleased to see them. I think often that young people see God through us and the work we do with them, so if we tell them that God#'s anger has been taken away, torugh the death of Jesus, that god has ensured that he will not look at us in an angry way, do we demonstrate any of that when young people play us up, when they shout at us, when they take all their own anger nd frustration out on us. Let's just remember that if we talk about Gods love, and want to see young people embrace that, and know that Gods wrath has been delt with, then we actually need to demonstrate that in our own lives in how we are with other people.

Encouraging the value of life?

Again this year as I sit to write there is another murder of a young person, and there are young people being arrested for the murder. There needs to be some kind of understanding that people are different, not all of us are the same, we will have differing views and opinions, and there are ways to discuss and sort issues out if we can't agree. We need to instill into our young people the fact that they themselves will want people to respect them, and their values and ways of doing things, so if they expect that they also need to demonstrate this. We also need, as youthworkers, maybe to change a culture, to change a thought process, to change the way people think of things, rather than the process, or the underpinning of defending, and being aggressive in our defending, I would contend that there needs to be words such as cohesion brought into societies vocab. Not everyone needs to be seen as an enemy, people all people, have tallents and abilities, and many will be different from our own. Let's try and instill into our young people values of tollerence, encouragement, cohesion, belief in each other, support, rather than the terms of defense, them and us, the enemy, only once such phrases are removed will we see some kind of change in soicety. And maybe the challenge is there for us as yoth workers to start that pocess.

Commitment?

tis is a subject that has been around in the news this week with the greatest team on earth, Man United, winning the champions league on wednesday night as well as winning the premiership the week before. Not many people know, that Man United nearly got rid of Sir Alex Fergison just before thsi great winning streak started, because he ahd not won anything in his first gfew years. But the club committed to him, and he committed to the club, and now they are the most successful club over the last 18 years or so. And a large amount of this is due to cmmitment, commitment on behalf of the manager and on behalf of the owners of the club. The intersting thing is that people have left Alex Fergison alone to go and do what he knows how to do, and sometimes people need to leave youth workers alone to do what they know how to do, but also there is something in the commitment, the long term commitment that Alex has shown to Manu. I know of a youthwork near us here in Harrogate that now has over 30 young people on their books and it is growing, and that is largely due to the cmmiment of the people who run it as wlel as the leaders of the church leaving them alone to get on with what they know how to do. So there is our challenge, how committed are we to what we are doing.

Universal truths of Youthwork?

Here is an interesting challenge that someone on another blog that I look at regularly has set us all. Are there universal trths about youthwork that we would share with other people? ?what is there about youthowrk that you would suggest, could well e true in all situaitons, this is meant to be slightly commical, but also maybe thereputic, as well as possibly, just maybe true as well.

Opening up to God

there is a lot on God tv at the moment with an outpouring of God's spirit taking place in Florida America. What do we do with our young people, I would suggest that we open them up to the possibilities of what is happening there, and see what they think of it themselves. We should be able to allow our young people to make up their own minds, and decide for themselves if they accept what is taking place there, and want to be involved in it themselves in any shape manner or form. After all would we want our young peole to miss out on something that God was doing? Why not video, or record some of it, and bring it to a meeting of your yong people and let them discuss what htye see and what they think god might be doing.

Breaking away from traditions

This is something that I have thought about for a while, what do we do when we are faced with tradition, but also look at how young people live today. I was speaking with someone last week, and they said, and admitted they were, and still are very much traditionalist in their approach, but wanted to see yuoung people touched by the love of God. So the challenge is for us, are we prepared to keep hold of the things in tradition that are helpful, let go of those things which are not, and in essence listen to God as to a way forward as aoposed to the tradition we are used too. I am sure that many founding fathers listeneed to God, and am sure there is some good stuff in traiditonal elements, but to listen, follow, and accknowledge God is always going tobring more fruit than following what always happens.

Prepare for the unexpectant

This is a bizzare thing maybe to put as a title, but the unexpected is always just around the corner when we allow God to do things in our lives. this week I have had two extra bits of support which I knew nothing about, and which will be an amazing assistance to our help. But preparing for these would not have been possible, accept for letting god in and giving him permission to do things. How often do we try and do things in our own strength, when really we need to leave things down to God and let him do what he wnats to do. Someone stated once, that allowing god to do things is like an explosion, then we come along and try and tidy up, but maybe we shold just leave the results and see what God is doing.

According to the Management

According to the manageent part of my blog, htis will be the 200th post I have put up on this blog. So as we have reached a kind of landmark, it is probably time to do something, a blittle different, and have some fun on the blog. Next time you have a team meeting, for your youthwork, why not just spend 2 minutes shouting out all the great things you enjoy about your work. It will be a great release and a bit of fun, as well as poitning out that youthwork is a blast as well as sometimes being a struggle . thanks to Ian for this idea.

Listening to them!!!!!

Here is a scarey thing, but something I know that some youth workers do in their work. Do we ever ask our young people what they think of our sessions, or are we to scared to think of what they migt say. Do we ask the following questions, what they remeber, who said what, what they have put into their lives, what they have enjoyed, and maybe even what they haven't enjoyed. It might be an interesting thing to do sometimes, that way we can see how much of an impact our work is having on the peoploe we are working with. Jesus could see the outworking of his work, becaus eof the poeple that followed him, came to find him, wanted to listen to him, wanted him to heal, so hwo do we see the outworking of our work.

giving them a chance

I have come across so many youth work situations where young people are not given a chance, not allowed to do things, just because they are young. I have even faced this myself, but in a different way, being blind. People are reluctant to beleive that I could do something, that I would be able to do it, just because I was blind. this has generally made me more determined to show people what I can and what I can't do. I am generally aware of what I can and what I can't do. So why should others make that judgment for me. And the same is so true for young people, why should we be the ones who decide what they are capable of and what they aren't. Jesus always said, that we should go to him like little children, so why don't we? And if he believed in young people so much, then we shoudl do the same.

Inspire or control

there are many types of people within leadership, but for today I just want to focus on two, and see if we recognise ourselves in either of these, and the consequences to them. 1: controller: this might be someone who has their hand on the situation, and knows exactly what is going on, and how things should be happening throughout the whole place. 2: The inspirer: this is someone who encourages people, believes in them, gives them freedom, let's them believe that they can do things. In our youthwork, I have seen both of these kinds of youthworkers, and even parents as well. those who shout, control, tell young people what should happen, tell them when they haven't achieved, and then there are those who inspire, bring out the positive, demonstrate encouragement, enable the young person to beleive that htey can do, they can achieve. So when we think of these two types of people, who are we more like, and more to the poitn, who was Jesus more like, and what does this say to us if we are meant to demonstrate something of God to those around us?

Infectious personality

I have noticed by watching various people, tha tthe people you hang aorund with actualy impact you as a person. If you hang around happy people, you become happy yourself. If you hang around misserable people you become miserable yourself. So what do you think it would have been like when people hung around Jesus? I reckon that it would have been exciting, chalenging, and amazing, so why don't we demonstrate some of that today. We all like people to be around us, but people aren't going to be around us if we are angry miserable people are they. People generally generate around happy, positive, forwrdt hinking people, not negative people. So let me encourage you, and challenge you in your youthwork, be positive, be happy, and be forward thinking as this will enoucrage people to be around yo, and the god that we serve.

Youthwork plans, and relevance

It is interesting that there are a load of different youthwork palns for youthworkers to use with their youth groups, but how many of them actually tackle the reality of real life. One part and it is only one part of the Bible that strikes me to be relevant is the 10 commandments, and yet how apropriate these 10 guidelines are for real life. Keep tuned to this blog for 10 sessions on young people and the 10 commandments, as it will hopefully tackle real issues, in real life that young people have to face.

Balanced approach

I have anoticed recently a change in approach for many people. In society we seem to be keen, very keen in fact to pick people up on their faults, point out where they o wrong, and the things which aren't quite right, and we do this even more with young people. But isn't it true that we all enjoy having people say nice things about us, we all seem to do better with some encouragement rather than constant criticism. We all need to be picked up on the things we do wrong, Jesus even did it with his disciples, but he was also loving, caring and showed it constantly to people. So why don't we as the church, change things in society, and yes, pick people up where necessary, in kindness and positivity, but let's also remember to be positive, and encourage others in life and the things they do, you never know you might just see greater results from a positive approach rather than a negative approach.

So how would you describe yourself?

Challening one this, as your face and attitude say a lot about how people would view you, and maybe how you would view yourself. so pick one of the options below from each choice, and see where it fits to you: 1: cheery or misserable 2: angry or relaxed 3: happy or sad 4: critical or positive 5: forward thinking or staing in a rutt 6: relaxed or tense 7: calm or aggressive I am sue there are other choices we could put in there, bt this is a good start, and it is interesting also to ask two other questions attached to this lst: 1: which one of each of these choices would you say Jesus was? 2: Whic option do you think on each list actually atracts people too?

Child protection

This is always a contentious issue, but one that has become more and more imortant over the years. It is so important for us as the church, or as people who work with young people, to demonstrate a level of care, of protection, and of supervision above all others. There are of course times where this might be questioned, ie, in the film dangerous minds,ayoung lads life was at stake so the teacher let im stay with her, this might bring questions, but on ur weekly work with young peole we should not compromise on our protection or care of our young people.

Scary parts of youthwork

I have a youthwork friend who had a dream about a session he was leading. The dream was remarkably close to the session he was likely to lead. the room was the same, the poeple were there, but there were a number of comments already up on the board, and they weren't possitive. He woke up at this point. Have you ever had one of those moments, and how do you treat it when it arrives. do you treat it as a dream, or as something prophetic, and allo it to bother you. Personally, for me, it would be a dream, bt it might awaken me to somethings that I might need to change before the activity started.

What would you suggest?

A good friend of mine is doing some youthwork training, and he asked people what they would say to people who were doing the training. What is there about youthwork you would say to people in training, that may be different to their training. You weren't allowed to e to cinical, so what would you say. If you were talking to anyone who was in training for being a youthworker, what would you say about youthwork?

allow ourselves to be challenged

In so many places I hear that adults are leading young people, advising them, telling them, directing them, but in how many places do we hear that adults are actually open to being challenged by young people? Recently having done an event with some young people, a teacher at the school suggested that she had been challenged, and reminded by the young people who wanted the event, that sometimes the Christian faith is about taking risks. She has made this public, and I think this is a brave, courageous, and very open statement. How refreshing it is to hear an adult to be challenged by some young people, and isn't this a challenge to us all, especially when Jesus suggests we should all come to him like little children.

Staying up to date!!!!!

I was recently looking at a youthwork website, and it hadn't been updated for a number of weeks, and a number of the things on the front page were also a number of weeks and months out of date. This made me think about how relevant we try to make our youthwork. It is important that we face issues, and tackle the situaitons that our young people face who we work with. And more than this, we also need to keep up to date with our relationship with God, and ensure we are stilling in the right place,and doing the things that he wants us to do. the idea of staying up to date is important as far as work is concerned, but also as far as our calling upon our life, and our relaitonship with god is concerned as well.

Service

I recently came across an exerpt from a book which looked at human ideals of empire, power and authority, and those of Jesus. the interesting part was that it suggested that those who would have power, IE, those who maybe would be leaders would be those who would, for example e cleaning the toilets. It made me rember that the last shall be first, and that god respects all, values all, and those who are classed as last in our society, are generally first in god's. I remember a teacher once saying to me about the kids in his school: that the kids were being conditioned to pass exams, go to uni, and get firsts, but his challenge was what about those who wouldn't make it, the milkman, the dustbin man, or the street cleaner, and then he said something that has stuck with me for over 10 years now, society needs these people, and wouldn't function properly without them, so why don't we value them as much as others. such a strong point, and such a challenging one, so let's remember how God views all the young people we work with, and remember that rathr than seeking the biggest, or in earthly terms the greatest work, let's just do what God called us to do, and be who he called us to be, even if that means we have to clean the toilets sometimes.

Power and authority

People sometimes look at youthworkers as those who have power and authroity over yong people, but how did Jesus look at power and authority? Basically he washed feet, told stories and played with kids, not the type of authority and power that people think of in todays society. So what does this say for us? Well sometimes the power we might seek is not the power that Jesus would want us to have, and maybe the influence we could have is found in different ways than we think. Let's addopt the Jesus approach to power and authority and we shall make a huge difference in eople's lives.

Making sure it works

I have recently just bought a new laptop, and realised a number of difficutlies tat come along with Windows vista. It doesn't offer the same easiness as outlook express, and the voice that I need for a screen reader also doesn't help. So do all new thing swork, and do they elp us out in life? Not at all. So the chllenge for us is to realise those things that work, those things that are good for us, and those things that are going to enable us to work better with the young people we work with, and enable us to fulfil the calling that God has placed upon us, rather than just aking everything on board because it is new and sounds great. As sometimes it can make life much harder than easier to take new things on board.

Ever on a break?

It is one of those amazing things with youth work that none of us ever seem to be properly on a break. Even when I had met some friends in town for a birthday party, and was walking back, some young people still stopped me to talk about what I had done in school. When we went shopping to get our daughters some shoes, the assistants in the shop had remembred me from school also, so never of duty. But the flip side is that it says something about our work, something about our relaitonship with young people when they actually come and chat to us, even when they don't have too. Is this the same with our relationship with God, we don't have too spend time with him, but hey he really does enjoy us coming and chatting to him, no matter what the issue. So let's enjoy the time the young people come and chat to us, but hey, always remember it does help to get away and have a break as well.

Body language and chat rooms

Sounds like a strange one yes? Well you migt well be quite right, but it is something tht has struck me over this last while, for youth workers and others that have any association with young people, that the more time people spend in chat rooms, and involve themselves in chat room discussions, the worse their ody language is. chat rooms enable you to have quick discussions, without the face to face interaction, and you only have to give that quick response, so demonstrating interest, or showing that your attention is not evided is impossible in a chat room, as noone knows if you are making a cup of tea, chatting to someone else, making the dinner, watching TV, or doing a whole hoast of other things. So my conclusion is that the more time that people spend in chat rooms and discuss things, the worse their body language is in reality, and the less they demonstrate interest in others in real face to face relationships. this is a challenge to all of us who work with other people.

Following up on responses

follow up to any event is one of those things which first of all is vital if the event is going to be a success, but it is also one of those things which can be remakrably difficult to get right in all circumstances. Is it better, to suggest something to young people and wait and see how many actually sign up before you make it happen, or is it better to put something on and see how many come along to it? My own persoanl opinion is to put something on and let young people know about it, rather than just waiting for them to sign up. If something is there, organised and ready, they are more likely to come along. But do you have any experience of this kind of thing, and what works best for you.

Remaining true

Ths is always a tough situation when things start to go really well. Recently I have been faced with a couple fo situations where things have gone extremely well, better than I could have expected, and have brought results and possibilities that I would never have dreamt of. It takes a lot of work to remain true to the call, to the work that I know I am meant to be involved with. I enjoy the geat things that God has done, and I look forward to the great things that God is going to do next, but will enjoy the great things he is doing at the moment. So let me encourage you, to stay true to the call of working with young people, and enjoy the great moments, give thanks to God for all the great things that take place, but don't become arrogant, or fall into the pit of pride, but smile, enjoy, and keep true, and always remember what God has called us too, and continue to look forward to the next thing as well as enjoying the moment.

When young people face trouble

This is possibly a contravertial posting this morning, but I have been watching the news and noted that they have arrested a young person on suspecion of murder last year. Of course if it is true then the young person needs to take whatever punishment society decides is appropriate, but do they also need help? Do they also need to know that God loves them, and there is a second chance, and even moe chances in life with God? I imagine a number of christians will walk away from the person who committed the crime, and walk to the people who are sufering from the crime, but I would suggest that the person commiting the crime also needs to know that God is still there and God still wants them to knwo that he loves them and wants that relaitonship with them. This is our challenge s youth workers, because young people will not always do what we expect, or hope they will, but at the same time we need to stay with them and support and encourage them, even through those really tough moments.

Inspiring young people

When 4 girls approach you and suggest they want to put on an event in their school, and make it an evangelistic event, you know that you are going to be in an exciting place. the challenge, and the great thing is, to guide, advise, but most of all to inspire those young people, because once they have seen the event take place, then they will go and make a huge difference throughout the world. We should not just dismiss, but examine, inspire, and encourage and see what we can do to put on the event that they want. The event went ahead that I spoke about at the beginning, and the outcome is still being worked out, but we know that it has had an amazing response.

Linking with schools

Last week we took a huge risk, we put on an evangelistic event for a whole school. The event was dreampt up by 4 girls in the school, and we got alongside them and supported them in the venture. We had a band, Superhero, who I would reccommend to anyone who wants decent lads, playing amazing Christian music, and prepared to get to know people as well, not big into the celebrity style of things. I spoke, and we had so many young people, and staff just getting involved and enjoying a quality Christian event. It worked well in a small school of under 800 pupils, but also worked well, because of a longstanding link with the school. Is this something you could do in your area. We also had follow up cards so girls who were challenged by the event could fill them out afterwards, and we are waiting to see how many actually filled these cards out. We have also got a discussion group in place to folow up anyone who may be interested. It was a great success.

Making it relevant

It i interesting when I chat to young people, they don't always think that the Bible, or some of the guidelines are still relevant today. But once you engage them in a discussion about their lives, and about the guidelines the Bible suggests they soo see that some guidelines do actually make sense to them in their lives today. let me suggest to you to look at the 10 commandments and see how you can make them relevant to young people today, I am writing a programme for youthworkers, so if anyone would liek tojoin in and hlep e write it, then please do get in touch through. andy@rolltherock.org.uk chat soon, and keep it releant.

Online troubles!!!!!

So have peole seen the issues recently about social netowkring sites, and also games for young people. I now that this is something that I blog abot regularly, but it is something that concerns me more than a lot of things as far as young people, and the protection of young people is concerned. It went to awhole different level lst night, when watching panorama, and they suggested that sectarian troubles still existed in Northern Ireland, due to comments left on Bibo and other places on the internet. Are we as youth workers, and parents eally aware of the issues and troubles that young people face on the internet.

Reclassification

Just in case some of you were not aware of it, there is a discussion going on at present as to whether they should reclassify canibis. Some are wanting it to stay as a class C drug, and others think the danger is to great and it should be reclassified as a class B drug. All that I can suggest, is that if the issue comes up within your yoth group, that you get some good drug training material, and maybe just point out to the young people, that the Bible regards the body as a temple for the Holy Spirit to reside in, so why would we want to damage a temple. How much do we value the temple that is our body. there are various sites, such as Talk to Frank that can provide good information, but I would suggest if the issue comes up, a frank, and open discussion about the situation might be a good way to start the process.

deconstructing

Here is a challnege, how far are we prepared to deconstruct, all that we do in our work to ensure that it is as pure, and right as possible. Are we prepared to deconstruct all our work, and ll our faith, to ensure that the reasons behind our work, and the work itself is as pure and right as possible. Do we deconstruct our faith to ensure that there is little tradition, but mainly pure relaitonship with god, and all that he wants us to do in our jobs. This is not a suggestion that we throw everything out that we do and believe, but it is a bit of a suggestion for a spiritual and work mot if you like.

the ratings questin?

Recent news aricles suggest that games should be rated by age in the same way that films are. do we think that this would help our young people, would they pay atteention to it, and here's the big one, what difference would it make to what we provide for our young people in outh clubs and places? Would we or could we stick to the rtings that they might put on games. It's a challenge and a thought, because if they rate those games, and part of me thinks they should, then we have to take that into account in our youth work as well.

Different situations!!!!

Isn't it interesting the different responses from different young people when you put them in situations they aren't necessarily used too. Let me encourage you over this term, let your young people experience different things, face new situations, and then reflect on these with them, and just see what their responses are. You never know, they might just enlighten you as well.

positive and negative

How many of you can think of situations where something negative can be turned into something positive? Hee we are at good friday,and the murder of Jesus on this day is refered to as a good day. Of course this is true, but can you imagine being there on that day, could you think of what was happening as good? Are there things today, in our lives, or in our work, that we think are bad, tough or wrong, but yet, they just might be good?

Salt or light?

Here is an interesting question as far as our youth work is concerned. Because to me a light attracts, it stands out trying to attract people to it, whereas salt actually flavours, gets involved with what it is changing. So which approach do we have for our youth work, are we the light attracting people, or are we the sat that is involved in theirlives and flavouring what is happening in their life? Interesting thought?

How they speak

I was recently having an interesting conversation with a taxi driver, yes indeed, a very interesting one. He was interested in the work that I do with young people, and wanted to know more about it. We got on to the subject of how people view young people, and the way they are, and he made a point in the way they speak that I had not thought off, but is quite obvious really. Sometimes people will judge young people for being loud, and always shouting, r wanting to put their point across and this taxi driver suggested that rather than being awkward, or ignorant, just maybe that is the only way that they can get themselves heard at home. I thought thiat this was a really interesting idea, and will be following this up in other work that I do at some point. Just makes you think, that the way people appear on the outside, may be because of other reasons, as oposed to the reasons tat come to yor mind straight away.

Still have things to learn

This is one of the amazing things about our job as youthworkers. Even if we are the people leang the session and the person leading the young people, I don't think that any of us would say that we have all the right answers at the right time. The great, and yet challenginthing about our job is that different situations, experiences and attitudes all bring different things to our life and our job. So is it wrong for me to suggest that we should not addopt the position of knwoing everything when we work with young people,but allow ourselves also to learn, especially if we are commiting ourselves to go on a jounrey with them through life.

The challenging questons?

I was in a class in a school recently and they had a few minutes at the end of the lesson, so I asked if anyone had any questions. Daft, I know, of course they did, and the questions they had were deep meaningful and challenging. What I was left with, was the thought of the stuf I had done in the lesson may have meant somethng to them, but they also had their own quesitons, their own exploration to go on, and was I trying to teach them what I wanted them to know, or was I trying to help them along that journey of exploration. Wat do we all do, do we give thoughts, and ideas, or do we see where our young people are going on their journey and try and impact that journey with meaningful stuff? Jesus always seemed to meet people in that journey, and engage with where they were,and where they needed to be, and I want to aim to be in that place as well.

All in a story

So which menas more to our young people today, a picture or a story. I would suggest that young people today love telling sotries, they love telling us what they have done during a day, or over the weekend, and they tell it in such expressive manners. Maybe we need to let our young people express themselves in a manner that they are confrotable with, ie that of stories, and allow them to express their stories and tell them.

What works?

I have recently had the pleasure of visiting a youth work not to far from where I live. They seem to have a thriving work going on with about 40 yong people on their books. When I sat down and chatted to the workers there, I came aware of thee issues that seem to have made a difference tot his work. I wonder if they could make a difference elsewhere? 1: consistancy, they do nt put the workers on a rota, the young people know who is going to be there week in week out, and this seems to demonstrate, reliability, and also the fact that the young people are worth being there for every week. 2: Relationship, this is certainly born out of the first one, consistancy. Because the more consistant you are, the more you can build relaionship, and the more you build relationship the greater the impact of the work, and the greater the trust, and all sorts of things can develop from there. 3: Driven by Youth, The young people in the group have asked for a separate Bible study during the week, and have come up with a whole range of questins and ideas that they wish to pursue. although the workers are there, and offer protection, relaitonshioship, consistancy, and to an extent guidence, the young people are allowed to develop their relationship with God, and not rely on others, and this seems to have made a huge impact on the lives of the young people that are there.

who has impacted you?

Here is an interesting challenge, because we often think of the lives we can influence, the lives we have an impact upon, but who is it that has impacted upon us, and maybe even greater challenge than this, is which young people have impacted us, or impacted our ministry? Let's just not think about impacting young people's lives, but allow ourselves to be impacted by them.

How we ensure we don't let them down!!!!!

with everything that has gone on in Bridgend over this last year, how can we ensure that we do not let our young peope down. Something is happening in that area, whether the police, or oters wish to recognise it or not, there is something happening for 17 young people within a year to commit suicide. The challenge for the country, for the world, is to look after our young people, to ensure that tey know they are valued, they know they are appreciated, and they know that there are people they can go to if problems arise, and if things aren't right. And most of all, they need to know tat their life is worth something, they are alive for a reason, they have a purpose, so let's be there, and let's encourage these young eople.

young people in public places

What does it say to a generation when sops and areas have devices that only they can hear, and that are meant to deterr them from gathering there. what does it say to a generation when in essence these devices are saying that they aren't welcome there? What is wrong with young people wanting to gather together, isn't that what we encourage in Church? We encourage people to gather together, we encourage them to meet together, we encourage them to share issues and life together, so what is so different about young people wanting to gather together? There is a campaign, petition on the Prime Ministers website to ban these devices, and the Children's commissioner is behind it as well, so let's sign up and ensure that young people are allowed to meet, and actually just be themselves.

understanding teenagers

Someone else pointed this ut to me recently, how to understand teenagers, how they interact in tough situations, dealing with sleep deprevation, testing their levels of sneakiness, and testing their planning skills, could all come under the umbrella of a sleep over. Are you brave enough?

connecting with culture

Here is a subject that could be devisive, or could be provocative at best, Where are we as Gods people meant to fit in when it comes to culture. Obviously the Bible says that we are not of the world, but we are in it, so if we are in itthen we need to engage with it. This surely means that whatever our message, we need to put it across in a manner and format that is relevant to those living in the current culture. So all it suggests is that a repackaging of a meesage is required. Not that we change the message, because I am sure and convinced that it is possible that we can keep the message, but just engage with the people in the culture, who we are meant to reach, in a manner that is apropriate, relevant, to where they are at in their lives. there is no point in presenting something in the same way that it has been presented for the last 20 years or so, so there lies the challenge, can we present our message, our message of hope, of love, of forgiveness, of value, of God, in a manner tat is relevant, not just for today, but for the next number of years.

Guiding without forcing

I know I have posted on this before, but again it is an issue that has come up recenlty in my work. Many young peole ask about the Christian faith, and they have all sorts of issues due to the way that people react to them. So all that I should do is to guide them, give them the honest answers and allow them the opportunity to do what they like with the information. shouldn't this be true with all that we do with young people, offer them information, offer them our thoughts and guidence, but leave them to accept, reject, or do with the information that thy wish too. After all young people can't hang on to our beliefs and thoughts, they have to go through life with their own beliefs, principles and ideas.

Calling!!!!!

this is a great thing to think about, as those of us involved in christian youthwork, should know that they are there because God has called them. If we don't know that, if we are unsure of that in our hearts, then maybe our call is to be elsewhere. The problem is that osmetimes even though we have a call, even though we try our best to follow that call, and even when we set down guidelines for that call, other people try and get in the way of tha call, and push their way in and can even divert us from the call that we have been given by God. Let me encourage all those who are called by God to e involved in yothwork, to stay true to your call, to stay true to the things that God may want you to do, and I am sure that we will all see great things happen amongst young people. Let us not try and take other people's call away from tem, nor get in the way of their call, and ensure that we encourage people in their call, and acknowledge our own.

What is centre of our work?

Maybe the title of this post is wrong, maybe I should have asked Who is the centre ofour work? Because if we have the right person or the right people then our focus is right. So if Jesus is the centre of our work, then we will have the right focus for us to continue in what we are mant to be doing. If we focus on Jesus, and what he wants us to do, then we iwll be able to focus on our young people better, and then we will be able to achieve even more in our work.

Standards for youthwork

Just to let you know that the Life long learning council have produced new standards for youthw ork. do go and have a look, see what you think. www.lifelonglearninguk.com

a new language?

So how aware are we of the new language that young people are using in textology. preditive word text have taken over from proper words, so I have found out from another youthwork blog. cool reads as book, beer reads as adds. so what would our texts read if we were to follow this line?

Give thanks for people!!!!

At the beginning of his letter to the phillipians, Paul gives thanks for them, he tells them that they are people who e always gives thanks for they encourage him for the things they do. How often do we give thanks to God for the people around us, for our teams, for the people that enable our youth work to happpen, or even give thanks for our young people, for all the different things about them. Here is paul, and he does it in other places as well, giving thanks for peoplle, all sorts of people, because they encourage him, maybe we could take something from this, and rather than pointing out people's faults, which is easy, maybe we should learn to give thanks for the great ngs about people aorund us.

The need to work together?

Here is an interesting issue. I have heard from too many places recently the need for Churches, leaders, and youth leaders to be physically seen to be working together, but is this really necessary? do people outside of Church really care? does it really achieve anything? And is it what was meant in the Bible when the issue of one body was mentioned? I would suggest that a recognition of who we all are, and all our diferent gifts, and the ability to be nice and relate to each other is fine. I don't see that there is any atual need for us to physically do things together, becausse we may all be called to wrok with different people, at different times, and do different things, so is it more imortant that we work tother,or be seen to be work tother, or that we follow the calling that God has placed upon us. Support each other, encourage each other, meet together, look after each other, and pray for each other, and let's see what hhappens when we follow the alling by God, and support each other in that.

competition or support

It is interesting that there are now so many diferent streams of church, so many different organisations, and so many different conferences as well. Is this stemming from something that is within our culture, that of competition. It is right and proper that Churches should have their yoth work, and something for young people, but there does seem to be an element these days of the need to put something different on, the need to prove ourselves, the need to demonstrate something to others, but is thsi need real? Maybe sometimes, what already exists needs to be allowed to exist, and grow, and develop and be suported, and even be adjusted a little as well, rather than trying to create something different. Maybe we need to learn the art of tinkering rather than competition and recreation?

Info and questions

Bits of info for you: 1: in Oxford, 13th March, Ann Holt discusses the Youthworker as theologican. 2: On March 1st inter faith discussion and young people in London. For more info on these things, visit, www.youthblog.org Did anyone watch the bbc2 programme last night on the classification of drugs, I missed it, what was it like? Anything useful on it, or any useful comments and ideas?

Finding spirituality on the tv

Do we watch things and seek God in all that we watch and in all that we do. There is a lot of talk about the new Dr Who series, and the fact that they have commissioned the programme until 2010. does this mean that there is an inquizackle search with people about myth, spirituality, maybe even God. Do we seek out God in all situations? In all situations that people exist in, so tht they can find him? Maybe there is the challenge.

Every family should have one

Recently chtting to a friend, we came to a conclusion, that any fmaily who had a young person in the house, should also have a youth worker attached to them. Interesting thought this one, because it brings up so many different questions: 1: Can families no lnger cope with their kids? 2: Are there things that need to be put in place to assist, or encourage parents with their children? 3: Are we facing a genration of parents who struggle to relate to their kids because of things they have grown up with, computers, play stations, mobiles, and such things? 4: Is there stigma attached to having a youth worker attached to a family? 5: What does this say about our wider community? 6: How does this reflect upon the thoughts and attitudes of our young people? 7: How would this make young people feel if a outh worker was attached to a family? And I am sure there would be more, but there are always questions when suggestions are made.

Stretch ourselves

Sometimes we have to try out new things, get involved in different activities that might not necessarily suit us, or something we think is us. I have recently done some writing for a website and the devotionals that I have written, get sent out to over 7000 people each day. And of the back of this a couple of people have emailed me to offer bits of help. Writing is not something that I would suggest is my strngth, I would suggest that talking is more of a strength than writing, but it is being involved with the writing that has brought me offers of help. Don't always turn down new things, even if you think that they aren't you, god might just be opening up new opportuntiies for you in different places.

Giving Direction

I have often wondered what would happen if marathon runners did not have a blue line to follow. The likelihood is that some of them would get lost and not folow the root they should be going on. If anyone has seen any of the horse racing at Cheltenham, there is a cross country race there apparently and on a number of occasions a number of the horses and riders go the wrong way and are disqulified. Are we the blue line for young people in their lives, instead of in a marathon race. The marathon race goes on for a long time, and sometimes can seem tough, hard, dull or even boaring, but yet peole need to keep on going to get t the finish line. Maybe this is the position that God has put s in so that we can help young people get to the right finish line, and follow the right direction in life.

Being creative

This is always a challenge, because not only does the youth worker have to be able to relate to young people, understand them, but they also have to have a creative mind, so that they can creatively get across the message that they are wanting to get across. Is it possible to be someone who is able to build relationships, and also someone who is creative. Possibly, but I would suggest that maybe a team context is the most helpful. There are always different roles for people to perform within a team, from building relaitonships, to creative thinking, amongst others, so do you have a team around you to enable you to do all the things you want to do for young people?

Opportunity or loss?

In many situations in ministry we are faced with things we just don't understand. And we have no idea how they could work out for the best. Even when situations change on us, and we don't eem to be able to have any control over them. the challenge for us is how do we approach these situations. A writer once said, that life is 10% what you go through and 90% how you go through it. so how do you go through situations? Do you see them as problems or do you see them as opportunities? Much of how we look at things will determine our approach on life, and whether positive things will happen, and we will enjoy life. Let me encourage you to look at things as opportunities, and then you won't get down when things change, and positive outcomes may well arise.

Dealing with change!!!!

I guess that this is something that every youthworker will go through on a regular basis. Not one session is the same as the next, or even the previous ones. But we can do things about some of the change that takes place, infact we might even initiate some of that change. The porblem arises when change occurs and we have had nothing to do with it, and we don't even have any power over it. How do we cope with that level of change. Change is always going to be there, and many changes will take place that we don't have any control over, so the challenge is not avoiding the change, it is how we deal with it. Someone once wrote that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. If we look at Jesus, he went through so much change, and he stayed calm, reflected upon it, and spent time with his father. Maybe this should also be an approach that we should take as well.

Encouragement vs support

I have been thinking bout this for a while, as there are often situations where I want to encourage young people into doing something, being involved with something, and yet, the support I give them might be very different. this may well be due to the fact that I may have experience, knowledge or knowhow in a certain situation that they don't. But the problem then arises, of how to encourage, but yet support in a way that will ensure success. I totally believe in empwering young people, but maybe we need to examine how we empower, and can give guidence at the same time.

Send in your stories

Pleaseremember to send in the stories from your young people and all that they did on Go MAd day, info@rolltheorck.org.uk

Using young people in what we do?

I was recently at a Church where the youth leader was wanting to reach out to some more young people. The idea he had I thought was fine, but he said that noone under the age of 18 was allowed to go out and be involved in the work he wantd to do. I have often found that reaching young people works best when using other young people, any thoughts on this?

Go MAD day January 21st

Just a quick reminder to get all your young people to do something on Monday, 21st January, go MAD, go Make A Diffrence, just do something that makes a difference in someone's life. Let us know about it and we shall publish the stories, send your stories to: info@rolltherock.org.uk

Retreats?

Someone has recently invited me to go on a retreat next month. Which is very kind of them. I was recently reading another blog where someone was on a retreat and they asked a great question. Had they advanced enough to go on a retreat? How far hav I advanced? or how far have we all advanced?

Making you aware

Just incase some people weren't sure about the new situation that comes into place on 1st April this year. The rate of income tax drops, which will mean a dropage in the rebate for charities and Churches with charitable status. Where up to now, people were able to claim back 28 p in the pound, it will drop to 25p, instead. It is just something to bear in mind when thinking of income and payments for youthworkers and Churches.

Balanced commitment to work

I am currently recovering from that sickness bug, and mixed in with it, I had a touch of flew I think as well. And before any women start it wasn't man flew. I was sick over the weekend, and am trying to get back to work today, things to plan for , and things to ensure our supporters know what is going on. Still very hot and shivery though, so where does the balance between realising our sickness and our commitment come in. I have felt a need to get back to work, but don't know how effective I am going o be Id there any point in being at work if not effective? How do others work this balance?

Sport and church

There has been a recent discussion on another blog that I ften look at and leave comments on, about young people's attendance to Church, and whether their sport practice gets in the way on Sunday monrings. There is a debate as to whether we should make young people go to Church, or whether they should have the choice. There is also a debate as to when people should woship, shoudl that be on Sunday mornings, or could that be at another time. It is an interesting debate, with something quite central. Should our time be prioritised by going to church, and everything else fit in around that, or is our prioriy, to be in the world, and also include and ensure that we are worshipping and praying to God. Personally I think it is important, vital that we are part of society, part of twhat is going on in the world, but yet, influencing it, helping to bring Christ into those situations. So if a young person has sport training on a sunday morning, then fine, as long as they are involved in worship and prayer at some point during the week. Faith and society, there needs to be a balance, as we need to worship, but also need to be lt and light in our world.

Every family should have one!!!!!

I was recently chatting to a youth work adviser friend of mine, and we were chatting about the difficulties that parents have with tenagers. He suggested that every family doesn't need a social worker but very family with a teenager should have a yoth worker attached to them. Often the relationship between the yoth worker and the young person is different than that between the parent and the young person, and maybe if there are problems, then the working together between the parents and the youth worker may make life that bit easier and better for all, and enable the young person to have the best of all worlds. Any thoughts?

Values in young people?

Where do most young people get their values from, and if it is us, how much influence does that mean we have over the future of our young people, and of society in general. If you think that we try and install values into young people, then the values we try and instill into th are the values they will demonstrate in the years and years to come, that is if they have taken on our values. The lfip side is that they may not take our values and create theor own, and again this will say a lot for the society we have in the decades to come. So let's think about the values we have as people, and the values we wish to instill into our young people, and the values we wish to see in our society in the years to come.

Panarama on social networking sites

Did anyone watch this programme last night. Ian Macdonald the DYO for the Oxford area has been flagging this up for some time, as well as others. I thought they dealt with it really well, and I have thought about showing it to some of my young people and even to my teenage daughter. Do we really think that our teens realise all the probs with social networking sites on the internet? And yet where do we fit into this as youthworkers, if we engage on a social netowrk site, do we give it permission, and if we don't get involved are we missing out on a segment of young peoples lives that are important. Difficult blanace here, but Panarama tackled the issue really well, and lots to chew over.