August 2007 Archives

I've just read a fabulous book and OK it's not actually "A Penguin book," it's a book on Change Management that uses Penguins to create a fable that illustrate challenges presented by change, and strategies for driving change. It's called Our Iceberg is Melting and is by John Kotter.
I loved this book. It's kind of The one minute manager of change management but deeper and fuller. It's well worth a read not just from a learning point of view BUT also if you've ever been involved in bringing 'change' to a Church you WILL REALLY recognize some of the penguins (and either laugh or cry).

Read the book and join the 'Fred Fan Club' I'm starting :-)

I'm doing some work around Confirmation preparation at the moment and putting some training together. I'm thinking that I might use this book to provide the framework in terms of identifying threat and driving change ......

Someone's designed a social network site for christians, it's called 'My Icthus' (no really)

Watch this space for the forthcoming alternatives:

Icthus Book
Icthebo
Second Icthus Life
Icthus re-united

ht to Sunglasses Andy for the link

The new revised version of the newer (completely amended) Occupational Standards are now available in draft format. We have until September 14th to comment before the final version is produced. If you are up for a little light reading then click here

Wandering around Greenbelt I came across a quote by Madeleine L'Engle, which led to searching out some more stuff that she'd written. Here's some great spiritual toffee to chew on .....

"Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself"

"We have much to be judged on when he comes, slums and battlefields and insane asylums, but these are the symptoms of our illness and the result of our failures in love."

I got a bit confused at Greenbelt when I was given a complimentary copy of Caris magazine, not just because I'm not a girl but also 'cos I was expecting to see something very similar called Grace (ala publicity earlier in year). Anyway it turns out that Grace will not happen but Caris will! This is actually OK because Caris is Grace and they are one and the same*, the Caris title having the huge advantage that the publishers will not be sued by Grace magazine (the one that already exists, not the one that was going to exist).

*by one and the same I mean in terms of the magazine, I know that 'grace' and 'charis' with a 'h' are the same thing but I'm sure that there are good reasons for calling it 'Caris' (and hopefully they will not be sued by an Automotive magazine called "Car is"

STOP PRESS: Just noticed that Caris have a section called 'REAL LIFE' ..... in this edition, it's entitled, "REAL LIFE: I live with Elvis!" ....... this made me laugh BUT it could just be me.

I had a blast at Camp and it was so cool to spend a week with 40 or so teenagers. My favourite encounter was walking down the corridor one day I happened to say "Awriiighhhhht" (quoting Catherine Tate) as a passing hello to one of the Girls!
To which she replied "Awwrriiighhht" and then almost immediately afterwards,
"Woaa you are too old to know about that!!"

Ignoring the correct or incorrect chronological assumption, I am left wondering:

a) Should I be pleased that I'm hip enough to recognize and use this greeting?
b) Be concerned that there is a different association to this phrase that I do not know about?

Any young and trendy youth workers want to confirm or deny my status as Youthwork dinosaur?

Proost are re-launching at Greenbelt, I'll pop into the G-Source area and find what new resources etc they are talking about.

This blog will remain several carriages short of a full service until September but you can find me in either the "Tiny Tea Tent" or the "Organic beer tent" at Greenbelt* if you want to chat over the weekend :-)

*If you are looking for me at Greenbelt then e-mail me for my mobile number or look out for this hat** and I will probably be underneath :-)

** I am very fond of this hat!

Bishop Alan and I had a chat before the summer about blogging and I'm pleased to see he's gone for it in a BIG way, check him out here (and yes Sarah picked this fact up before me)

This is a public service announcement! Youthblog is closed for most of August to allow essential ongoing maintenance, maintenance of me that is, not the blog. I've got some time off work, besides which a good proportion of folk who pop in to the site are away leading camps anyway. So erm .............. don't watch this space, at least not for a couple of weeks and I hope you'll rejoin the mish-mash that this blog is in September.
In the meantime please re-direct your blog consumption towards the blog roll located on the right hand side of this site.

I will be at Greenbelt so if you are going to be there and fancy a coffee then let me know via comment or e-mail. (I plan to camp near Cartoon Dave and the Wibbers again but I have not actually cleared this with the Chief of the Wib-clan yet)

Shalom and every blessing as you youth work or chill over the Summer :-)

I found these two videos via Tim and think they are REALLY well done as thought provokers about what you put online. I reckon these would make an effective entree into a discussion with young people about the internet and privacy. (If you want to know how to be able to show the videos off-line then you need to turn back a few pages).

For some time now Youthwork the mag' have been running a photo each month that's designed to be used as some sort of impetus for contemplation within a group work setting. I decided that this was quite good fun and I could buy into this. So here is a contemplative piece I'm calling Mortality! I rather like this moment which is a kind of Avian "Dead Poet's Society" snapshot where the Chickens' unconscious words echo across time and space, "Carpe Diem Mr Pigeon, seize the day"

I'm filing this under, 'not to be taken seriously' and 'Ian you've had way too much coffee today' :-)

I thought a round up of the breaking news as it breaks would be in order, so here's what's currently congealing in the Inbox:

Next Vertigo is on October 13th
Ben Okafor has turned a radio piece about his experiences of being a child Soldier into a play called Child of Biafra, more details on the website if you would like to see this production or host a staging of it.
If you live in Buckinghamshire then the 23rd October sees a day of free activities for 11-19 year olds at the Green Park Centre, details: Download file
Rural Youthworkers are being asked to have a look at the attached form and see where they can from time to time report young people's voices on relevant issues. Download file

Interesting article on Sex Offenders and Social Networking sites which may provide some useful perspective.

And Finally,

At the weekend I shall be down in Devon (Yay) and I've managed to borrow a Kayak (double yay) but will be Kayaking along the section of the coast where a Great White has been spotted (Gulp). I know which track will NOT BE ON the Mp3 player :-)