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August 31, 2008
Windy days and tuck shops
One of the questions I regularly get asked* is about why younger youth groups are high as kites, twice as mad and fourteen times as noisy. Well assuming that it's not a windy day (kids are always craaazzzyyy on windy days) then I generally ask about the tuck shop as this is the quickest way to an easy improvement. If the tuck shop is full of coloured sugar confectionery then the kids will generally be bouncing off the walls as a result of ingesting multifarious sugars and additives.
This however does pose a problem as to what to replace the tuck with? Fruit has limited appeal and goes off really fast. Toast works in some settings BUT generally it's kind of difficult to replace the attractively hued sucrose with something that will actually appeal and sell.
However, coming out of the Motorway services on the M42 today a lady pressed a packet of "Mini Bearables" into my hand and claimed she was part of the Natural Confectionery Co. and that the proffered comestibles contained no artificial flavours or colours!
I planned to take them home to my 8 year old for a live taste and behaviour test BUT I began my own inquiries and my scientific experimentation accounted for the entire sample.
I checked out the web site though which was intriguing (and fun) but contained no useful information on sourcing them. Still, assuming it's not a windy day .... they may be worth a try!
*The other question I get asked a lot is whether I could please stop singing
Posted by ian at 9:08 PM | Comments (1)
For-bidding portal
I am no longer an ebay virgin. I finally succumbed to it's for-bidding portal and bid on the kayak of my dreams, specifically a Robson Waikiki that a fellow paddler was pedaling. Sadly I was beaten .... but ever the optimist I am sitting by my computer waiting for the e-mail that I feel sure will come telling me that the winning bidder turned out to be a time-waster and my bid wins, oh yes!
Posted by ian at 8:48 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2008
Stuff that is happening
Rural Youth Network Conference. 'Young people making a difference - the social inclusion of rural youth' a Rural Youth Network conference sponsored by the Commission for Rural Communities, is due to take place on the 25th September 2008 at the Novotel Hotel East Midlands. Further details are available on the Rural Youth Network website www.ruralyouth.com.
The Federation for Detached Youth Work Annual Conference and AGM 2008. The theme this year is 'Detached Youth Work in a Multi-Agency integrated setting - a brave new World?' It will take place at the Britannia Hotel in Standish, Wigan from Thursday 13th - Saturday 15th November. Cost £300 members, £350 non-members. If you are interested in this event please e-mail Acomo at fdyw@nya.org.uk.
Posted by ian at 2:30 PM | Comments (1)
Musical Mellowness
Having heard Beth Rowley at GB and loved her voice/music I have invested in some of her work. You can buy individual tracks over at 7digital and I was delighted to find the on-stage cover she performed of Willie Nelson's Angel Flying too close to the ground* is available ....... and it is achingly beautiful!
I also took the chance to buy 'Noah and the Whale' singing '5 years time' which is such a quirky, feel-good and fun track, fab!
(*The original is here)
Posted by ian at 9:15 AM | Comments (2)
August 27, 2008
Disability snap shot
This post was originally a story about an experience my son and I had recently where I felt that 'health and safety' was mis-used as a barrier to his participation, the issue 'feeling' more like it was about his disability than 'health and safety.' I also reflected on the fact that he was not included in the conversation.
Although I believe it was a useful illustrative story of important youth-work issues, on reflection however I recognize that I posted it too close to the event and included too much specific detail.
I have therefore removed the post and offer my apologies to the organisation involved.
Posted by ian at 2:17 PM | Comments (8)
4 years!!!
I've been blogging for 4 years! How weird is that? I don't think that makes me a veteran blogger but maybe a mature blogger! (Ok, maybe not!). On the basis that an infinite number of monkeys given an infinite amount of time could randomly come up with the complete works of Shakespeare, I may inadvertently have been around long enough for something useful to accidentally get written!
Posted by ian at 2:04 PM | Comments (0)
Diocesan Youth Workers/Ministers
If you a woof-wurka in a Parish or Deanery role within the good ol' Diocese of Oxford then please scribble Dec 1st in your diary!
The venue will be Church house Oxford for this terms network meeting and I look forward to welcoming you here for fun, chat, prayer, some input, FOOD and some time with Bishop John!
Dec 1st Church House 10:30 for 11am - 3pm! More details to follow
Posted by ian at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)
Greenbelt cometh and Greenbelt woosheth past
Woosh!
What was that?
That was Greenbelt!
I can't believe how fast the festival goes BUT then again, time flies when you are having fun.
GB 2008 was fab! As ever a lot of the GB experience was in the being rather than the doing, investing time (and money) in the 'Tiny Tea Tent' or 'The Jesus Arms' (organic beer tent), chatting, meeting, laughing and telling stories.
There was a massive programme of stuff happening BUT as this years' GB was a whole family outing it proved harder to get to events I would have been to was I festivaling solo. The stuff that I missed though was MORE than made up for by seeing how much my three gained from the festival and how much fun they generated in the process. Managing where they all were at any one time was hilarious and at one point involved retrieving my eldest (disabled) kid from lost property! (All credit to the stewards who were wonderful with him).
Musical Highlight: Beth Rowley
Performing Highlight: Tajikstan Break Dancers
Food Highlight: Thai chili Chicken Noodles
Venue Highlight: Tiny Tea Tent
On of todays projects is to buy some of the seminars on mp3 and catch up with what I would have been at if I wasn't so occupied with my tribe!
Posted by ian at 8:31 AM | Comments (4)
August 20, 2008
Bullying
If you needed to put together a Powerpoint on Bullying then I reckon this picture would be perfect. Particularly note the accomplice looking on!
Posted by ian at 12:35 PM | Comments (4)
Festivalling
Hey if 'to medal' can be a verb then I'm sure I can be festivalling!
Yesterday I had a fab day at Soul Survivor with the muddy happy people, Friday I am on my annual pilgrimage to Greenbelt, yay!
Hi to everyone I saw yesterday, Yo to all those I am going to see at GB08!
Posted by ian at 12:11 PM | Comments (5)
August 19, 2008
Congregational assumptions
I think I have identified two different assumptions that are consciously or subconsciously made by congregations about the work of members of the ministry team.
Assumption 1. The Vicar is very busy and working EXTREMELY hard (even if they aren't)
Assumption 2. The Youth worker is not busy and not working hard (even if they are)
Interesting how people's perceptions of a role or person work!
(Please no irate disgruntlement from clergy .... I'd be the first to recognize the HUGE demands and high workload that the ordained role carries with it)
Posted by ian at 12:22 PM | Comments (2)
August 18, 2008
New Technology and Youth work
If the title above sparks your interest then you may want to be in London on September 27th at this: UK Youth Online Information Sheet.pdf
Many thanks to Tim Davies!
Posted by ian at 8:53 AM | Comments (1)
August 17, 2008
Germs and Faith
I was due to be doing the preach at my home church family service this morning and wading into the Red Sea, or at least the text of the parting thereof.
All well and good until the Rector e-mailed to say that he'd been absent and we didn't have anyone who looked remotely like a worship leader ... or in fact any musicians! Given that I have a total dearth of any musical ability, this presented a not insignificant challenge!
I e-mailed the Rector something like, "aarrrrrrrghghgh???" and he agreed that we would have to abandon the idea of a proper 11am service and plump instead for an extended coffee time!
"Phew!" I thought and barely registered the fact that he had said, that I could then do something different if I wanted!
Idly checking the Church web page, I discovered this:
No pressure then! (Cue minor panic from me)
Anyway to cut a long story short (very unlike me I know), after coffee there was an open invitation to the upper-hall and we had a kind of all-age informal exploration of 'FAITH' based around the reading from Exodus 14. We did some interactive stuff, shared some stories and thankfully everyone was really up for a messy, informal, communal exploration of faith.
At one point everyone made pipe-cleaner models of something that illustrated faith as a conversation and thinky type ice-breaker. I asked various people what they had made and why! I asked one young boy what he had made and he held up a random shape and said it was a germ! I nervously asked, 'why?' and he said, 'germs exist but you can't see them and you can't see faith either!' ...... Genius!
Interestingly my youngest lad made a fish as he explained "because they eat fish in heaven!" ..... we have yet to fully explore the theology of this :-)
Posted by ian at 9:56 PM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2008
Mama Mia
Cracking evening out last night! I went to see Mama Mia at the cinema and absolutely loved it. It was a feel good, laugh out loud, sing along masterpiece of stunning cinematography and choreography ....... a kind of High School Musical for Adults (in a good way!)
A wonderful piece of cheesy life-affirming musical humour, and unusually for me, I want to go and see it again!
Oh yes: I can dance, I can sing. dig, I'm the dancing blogger
Posted by ian at 9:09 AM | Comments (10)
August 11, 2008
Tech problem
For some reason youthblog.co.uk or youthblog.net are working a whole heap better than youthblog.org?! (I hope you get to see this!)
Posted by ian at 7:24 PM | Comments (2)
Camping trip
Given that our holiday didn't happen we were very excited to be heading out on Saturday for an overnight camping trip in the Cotswolds. This was also our first chance to try out an old trailer tent that we'd recently and cheaply acquired for just £50!
What a weekend to be camping though! The rain appeared in every guise in its repertoire and we were completely, utterly and bewilderingly soaked, with the tent awning giving up even aspirations of rain resistance.
Summer!
A Summer camping trip??
As it happened it was more like (and feel free to groan here):
The winter of our discount-tent!*
(*with apologies to Shakespeare and Steinbeck)
Posted by ian at 6:48 PM | Comments (3)
A generation under stress?
"Many teenage girls see self-harm as normal behaviour, according to research from Girlguiding UK and the Mental Health Foundation. The report - A generation under stress? - found girls aged 10-15 felt under pressure to grow up before they felt ready"
This is definitely on my reading list!
Posted by ian at 6:43 PM | Comments (0)
A grief observed
Summer this year has been a strange affair and unlike our planned trans-Europe odyssey, involved a lot less physical travelling, It was (and is) instead a major emotional journey.
My mum had been ill for a number of weeks with a virus, but a week before the holidays was hospitalised. It became apparent that her condition was much more serious than originally diagnosed, with Lymphoma as the prime suspect. We cancelled our holiday and were up and down to the hospital in Birmingham while the Doctors ran tests as mum's condition worsened. We spent the Thursday and Friday up at the hospital and at last had some good news that the type of Lymphoma had been identified and they could begin Chemotherapy the next day. The Consultant was cautious but optimistic that mum was treatable and we returned to Newbury in a much more positive frame of mind.
However at half past six the next morning a phone call came that changed everything, I was needed at the hospital immediately. I arrived at my mother's bed side two hours later to join my sister and dad, fifteen minutes after she had passed away.
It's been a tough few weeks. I'm back at work now reflecting on all that has happened and adjusting to the fact that I no longer have a mum.
Grief is a strange companion! it feels like it has a life of its own, it comes and goes seemingly at random. Sometimes it's strikingly present and sometimes it is bizarrely absent, there is no intermediate stage it appears, but when it does visit it is overwhelmingly tangible.
But there has been good stuff too. Discovering how many lives were touched by my mum, the huge turnout to the funeral, the kindness of both friends and strangers. I also found that writing the Eulogy in a friends house over a dram or three of Glenkinchie was a cathartic and healing experience!
Those of you who knew, thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts and good wishes.
Shalom
Posted by ian at 3:32 PM | Comments (1)
Boo!
I'm back!
Posted by ian at 1:50 PM | Comments (2)
August 10, 2008
Mobile shed
As both of the regular youthblog readers are away on the Isle of Wight at the moment (completely independently I should add) I am disinclined to pen much. But in case anyone stumbled blindly onto the site looking for 'Transvison Vamp' or information on Ecclesiology in a post Christendom paradigm, then here at least by way of compensation for the lack of useful stuff, is something that made me smile:
You can't have your cake and eat it, they say
BUT you can, it appears, have your shed and drive it!
Posted by ian at 12:50 AM | Comments (5)