June 2006 Archives

Parents are only allowed to take their children out of school for a maximum of 10 days in each year (five if you are in West Berks) as anything more than that would damage their education ... and I think I've heard it inferred that they would be unable to catch up, were more time missed!

A pupil can be given fixed term exclusions for up to FORTY FIVE days in any one year!

I'm wondering if there may be a tension or contradiction there?

Woooaaaa, Anyone want to form a support group for fellow Dell users who risk life and limb by using one of their laptops? Story here. I cycle with my laptop in my backpack which could produce an interesting phenomena, eeek.
Thanks to Lev for the link and I'll let you know wether my laptop made it through my assessed presentation today :-)

Below is the Press Release concerning a three part BBC TV series called Miracles of Jesus, it looks fascinating

"The Miracles of Jesus, BBC One, SUNDAY 30TH JULY, 18.35

A BBC Manchester Religion and Ethics production"

Huzzzah ...... I have finished my assessed presentation on social exclusion and now just have to present it AND keep it to 20 minutes! Really wanted the opening to be an embedded movie from Google Earth flying into the estate where the research is from but sadly discovered that you can't do that unless you have the pro-version of Google earth which is $400! I have compromised instead by using satellite images from Google maps and having them transition into each other, giving the impression of zooming in.
I'm rather pleased with the stuff I have discovered but I can't write about it here as it may:
a) Be obvious (and you'd point that out)
or
b) Brilliant (unlikely) and I would screw up my chance of the Nobel prize for applied powerpoint by revelaing my research here! *laughing*

(you presumably know that a scarecrow did once win a Nobel Prize! ....... mind you he was outstanding in his particular field!)

A warm welcome to Monday from this remote backwater of Blogdonia! Life is kinda busy here at the moment with Yellow Braces camp coming up VERY soon and I've just lost one of my leaders (careless I know). I'm also working on an assessed presentation on Young People and Social Exclusion, I'm interested in drivers of social exclusion and how young people's experience can grow and perpetuate the Exclusion being experienced by young people AND hence what intervention needs to look like. (If you feel like throwing me some useful bones on this one then I'd be grateful).

I liked this post from Simply Kurt trying to get parents to recognise that youth ministry needs some organisational rules AND they do need to recognise them ...... and how you negotiate the minefield.

Making me laugh this morning is this cartoon from Dave von Walker .....

Reminds me of a great quote. "Never judge another man until you have walked a mile in his shoes! This is presumably because it is safer now as you are a mile away and he has no shoes"

I received this e-mail and thought the questions were pretty interesting, so fellow reflective blog dwellers, have a read and if you are up for being helpful on this one then click on the extended entry for the questions!

"Hi! I’m Frankie Ward and with Elaine Graham and Heather Walton we’re the speakers at the British and Irish Association of Practical Theology conference that meets in Manchester July 18 – 20th this year, with the theme of theological reflection. I’d like to do something at the conference on blogging as a method of theological reflection – and would be really grateful if you could answer any or all of these questions – and forward them on to anyone else you know who might be prepared to answer them too. I need responses, if possible, by July 3rd … I don’t blog (yet!) so responses to my email address although if there’s any way that some dialogue can be generated within whatever blogging community you belong to, it would be great to be notified of any links etc that I might otherwise miss.
Many thanks in anticipation …"

Really encouraging to read this article in 'Young People Now Magazine', It's called, "Beyond Preaching" and it's a thoughtful bridge builder about work done in the Christian sector.
Also a useful editorial comment in the same edition regarding contribution and numbers of employed youth ministers.

I saw someone the other day who had an in-yer-face pink fluffy Bible cover which was awesome. So it got me thinking about tricked up Bible Covers, the good, the bad and the sanctimonious. Leave some URLS of cool/naff examples and I'll try and get a piccy of the pink one!

I'll leave you to guess which catergory this one is in :-)

My mate Cris runs a quote blog called My Small Boat which I call in at each day as he tends to unearth quotes outside of the staple fodder of most quote sites, in the last couple of days I've really loved these two:

Elwyn Brooks White
"I wake up every morning determined both to change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day a little difficult"

Matt Cartmill
"As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a meaningful vision of human life - so I became a scientist. This is like becoming an archbishop so you can meet girls"

Greetings All. Here's the stuff that is crossing the radar screen at the moment, I hope some of these blips will be heading in the same direction and prove useful:
Huntercombe Young Offenders institute has a huge demand for places at groups run by the chaplaincy at the moment, so much so they are having to turn lots away. If you have christian youth work experience, live close enough and can spare some Tuesday evenings then be in touch with me and I'll introduce you.

The legendary Miz sent me this really good article on rites of passage in the Church, it's by Brad Griffin and is WELL worth a read and will probably lead to another post or four.

Saturday Sept 16th at 7pm SKA Mass at St Mary's Twyford, a communion service with a difference. It will be led by a 10 piece Christian Ska band called 'Sounds of Salvation'. They are based in Reading and played Greenbelt last year and have been invited back to do more this year, they're great!!!

SOUL NET Conference at Centre Parcs will be March 2nd - 4th 2007, no more details available yet.

I blogged before about Savage Chickens and they are still making me laugh :-)

I've been putting together job descriptions for camp to make sure that people undersatnd exactly what is expected of them (and what isn't). Probably the most IMPORTANT role in terms of the way that it makes or breaks the camp for young people is the dorm/group leader! This is my thinking on the JD to date but I'm open to additions and subtractions from it AND to see any that you've come up with please ......

DORM LEADER JOB DESCRIPTION

To get to Camp in good time to welcome and build your group ie icebreakers, group work
To get to know your group (well) and make each individual feel valued and part of the group.
To enable and help them to have a GREAT time
To Pray for your group and to lead them in discussions/participation in sessions.
To look out for their well being ..... food, sleep, warmth etc
To encourage them to take part in activities & get the maximun sense of self achievement
To get your group to Sleep at Night

A spiritual age? ........

I had an absolute blast on Saturday night with an event that combined nostalgia, laughter and friendship in equal and potent quantities. It was a combined celebration of 100 years of Crusaders and a BIG thank you to the leader in who's home our youth group met. As it was a Christian event we had the de rigeur Barn Dance (John 10:10 "I came that you may have life and life in a-barn-dance") and it was in a Church. The venue was secondary though as so many of old crowd were there and lots of our collected humour had been dusted, retrieved from museums and brought along, fabulous fun!
It was a moving evening and a great reflection on how much of my lfe, my friendships and especially my faith are rooted in and attributed to the youth ministry that I was fortunate enough to be part of.

Rainbow braces were really trendy ....... HONESTLY! oh .... and white socks

Jumped straight to the job pages when the JULY edition of Youthwork magazine arrived on Monday BUT sadly they weren't the rich vein of humour they have been for the last couple of months. The only exception being the Church that are advertising for a Psalmist? Which made me laugh! Can you still get Psalmists? Would a Church REALLY put up with a new Psalm 119? I also got to thinking that they could have done better with an eye catching tag line for the Advert ....

WANTED: COMPULSIVE LYRE

Youthblog issued the following 'really boring post' warning at GMT 07:55

Are there any Technorati experts out there? Youthblog is on Technorati and it happily picks up new posts and links from other sites. However no matter how many links it picks up from other sites it continues to maintain (and has continually for the last three months) that Youthblog has "36 links from 20 sites!" Technorati has picked up far more links than the 20 sites BUT it just never updates? I've tried 'pinging' tchnorati and updating but it hasn't changed the link data although every thing else is fine. Suggestions anyone ......................

Favourite two quotes regarding Davinci code so far ......

I'm told that a Theologian was asked by Radio 4 to comment on the book and his reply was rather dismissive, consisting merely of, "Did you ask a marine Biologist to comment on Finding Nemo?"

Second was from Tom Hanks when asked if he and his wife had qualms about the story. His reply,
"No, absolutely not. My heritage, and that of my wife, suggests that our sins have been taken away, not our brains."

Oh and making me laugh, A reponse to the film in Dr Seus Stylee:

I would not watch it on TV,
I would not watch on DVD.
I would not watch on VHS,
I would not watch on CBS.

I would not watch it in a car,
I would not watch it in a bar.
I would not watch it with my dad,
I would not watch it when I'm sad.

I would not watch it in my bed,
I would not watch with my friend Fred.
I would not watch it on a box,
I would not watch it shown on FOX.

I would not watch it on a table,
I would not watch when it's on cable.
I would not watch it in a chair,
I would not watch it anywhere.

I wish I had not paid eight bucks,
This movie really really sucks.

Ht to Ruth via Maggi

You may remember some publicity last year about a device that had been designed to prevent young people congregating together in public places. The gadget in question was basically a PA system that broadcast a mosquito type whine that was too high pitched for adults to hear BUT drove teenagers crazy as they could hear it perfectly. I don't think I even commented on the story as I was so insensed that our society could view/treat the next generation like vermin rather than fellow human beings.

Teenagers being infinitely resourceful though have found a way of redeeming for their own benefit an aspect of this equipment. A bunch of teenagers sussed out that if Adults can't hear this sound then its PERFECT for a ringtone. Canny teenagers have been using the high pitched sound as a ring tone thus enabling texts and calls to be noted while in class, the teachers obvioulsy remaining unaware. GENIUS!

ht to youthwork mag' for unearthing this one

The Teenage Bishop and The Ladies group from the Reverend Dave Walker (sorry that should read, Irreverent)

Thanks Dave :-)

As a staff team today we had a really good look at reducing our enviromental impact in all areas of our work ..... transport, energy usage, resources. As a Diocese we are looking at introducing a meaningful target to work towards. I'm really pleased that we are beginning these discussion and look forward to the resulting action that we will be taking, even though it will make life more complicated.

I firmly believe that "Climate Change" is a major issue THAT we have to take seriously. I also believe that if we fail to do so we will have failed to be the stewards that Biblically we should be. I also think that the next generation who will be majorly affected by climatic issues will judge us/the Faith on where we aligned ourselves, as leaders in this issue or Ostriches.

Here endeth a rather preachy post.

PS Just to prove that alternative transport needn't be uncomfortable .....

We learn from our mistakes (assuming they don't kill us)

I met with our new media bod today and she is very keen for us to up the profile of the Diocese and Young people. I guess I can see some mileage in this when its actually providing positive stories about young people. BUT I'm interested how many youth workers, DYO's actively promote stuff getting into the press? What are the opportunities and pitfalls as far as your concerned? Also how many of you are regularly asked for comment by newspaper and/or radio?
I think I'd be even more interested though in helping young people to have a voice into the media!

I got an e-mail from AMAZON and was really surprised by the title, it said

"Amazon.co.uk recommends Emerging Worship"

I thought wow! (good to know that Amazon are supportive of 'New Expressions!) but then realised that it was a sales pitch not a theological statement. I therefore opened up the e-mail to see what titles they were recommending in this particular genre, take a look:

I really liked the idea of emerging worship that included Basil Brush and Red Dwarf and look forward to a GRACE service in the future on 'Laughter in Space" or something!

(Just found that the e-mail title was longer than the preview I saw, it was actually recommending an 'Emerging' book PLUS other stuff, BUT I still liked the idea as I understood it)

My e-mail is back (Huzzah) and here's the tri-fold briefing that springs from the stuff I've been sent:

1. Reading Boiler room is shutting down. It's lease has come to an end and the crew feel it is not right to be seeking another property. 24-7 goes from strength to strength but the Reading Boiler room will close after a farewell on June 30th. The full details are in the form of a letter (in the extended entry)

2. CYM are building an 'ongoing professional development' stream of seminars for Yoof Wurkas. July 13th (10am-4pm) sees a day on Theology and Youth Work at the Midlands Centre for Youth Ministry, facilitated by Paul Nash.
There's also one on "Enneagrams" in the same place at the same time (I think).

3. The Tearfund youthworker in Oxford is looking for an opportunity to meet with/speak to groups before July 14th. Details via me.

Wow does half term ever go fast BUT I enjoyed a week off enormously. Spent a fun few days at Butlins with my family enjoying both the 'Butlins experience' and importantly the escape to the beach each day. I also enjoyed the chance to read, I devoured a history of the Tour de France, a cyclists autobiography and a gripping account of how the Alps were conquered.

I've also been thinking a lot about where I invest my youth work enegry next having completed my time with the centre in West Berks? I woud love to do some work around Confirmation, perhaps work with a specific church on this one, I'd also like to link in with some local work. I have a bit more college stuff to do BUT by July I will be a JNC qualified youth worker! Cool but weird!

If you are waiting for an e-mail reply from me then you may need to be patient as I.T have changed one of the servers and I am being denied access to my diary, mail and contacts :-(

I have to write a short review of Contemplative Youth Ministry for Perspectives magazine on Monday ..... any suggestions of a particularly obscure word I should try and work into the review to make it more fun?