Amaze and Youthwork the partnership have put together an initiative called, 'We love our youth worker!' It is a charter that Churches can sign up to, those that do so, agree to seven promises that will affirm, bless and help their youth worker.
Although it is not, I understand, officially launched until next year, it is very much around now as postcards promoting it were available at the Youthwork conference, and it's on the very useful schoolswork site. So I thought I'd flag up the seven promises AND the rather brilliant illustrations by Dave walker!
1. we will pray and support
2. we will give space for retreat and reflection
3. we will provide ongoing training and development
4. we will give a full day of rest each week
5. we will share responsibility
6. we will strive to be an excellent employer
7. we will celebrate and appreciate
Good stuff eh? I hope it will be a useful aid to churches thinking through employment issues. I'm pretty sure too that if it catches on, adverts bearing the charter mark will be the first ones looked at.
Reflecting on this though I was thinking that we as youth workers are not always the easiest of employees. I got to wondering therefore about what the seven commitments of employed youth workers might be as a corollary charter that we aim to stand by?
I was in conversation with a wonderful bunch of youth workers on Monday and we kicked this idea around for a while. This was our brief initial stab at a, "We love our Church" Charter
1. we commit to managing our time effectively
2. we will celebrate that our church has invested so much in youth work
3. we will communicate what is happening and what we are doing
4. we will try not to be control freaks
5. we will be teachable
6. we will listen
7. we will invest in a family, spiritual and social life outside of the youth ministry
I was also playing with an idea of how we honour the history of our the employing church as part of our role in it's now and future, we didn't however manage to tidy and define this idea well.
Anyway ............ what would you add or take away from this speculative youth worker side of a charter?
Thanks Ian - liking the youthworkers "we love our church" charter. I would probably like to add something about not moaning and bad mouthing the adult church/worship/leadership or similar. Not quite sure how i'd word it though!
This is such a brilliant initiative. As a former youth worker and now a youthworker's line manager I welcome this with arms as wide open as they can possibly get!
I think Pete's addition to the youth workers' charter is a good one - I'd add something along the lines of, "We will resolve issues with our line manager" - this then hopefully avoids the moaning etc.
We love our Youthblog!
We must give consideration and respect to those who may make decisions, but don't necessarily understand youthwork, or young people for that matter.