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December 11, 2008
Where are they now?
One of the arenas suggested that Youthblog could usefully explore was, "where are they now?" What has happened to youth workers who had trained on courses like CYM/Moorlands/Oasis, and also, what had former Church based youth workers gone on to do (and why)?
I'm hoping that the blog could be a useful platform for gathering some info. My thinking is this, all youth workers who read this blog know people who were in Christian youth work and no longer are, or know people who trained in this sector but work in another. If we can agree a few useful and insightful questions then we can send (and then gather) some responses.
So, as the starting point: What are the key questions and how would you phrase them? (having a sufficiently general and anonymous tone BUT gleaning some useful information)
Posted by ian at December 11, 2008 8:25 AM
Comments
I really am interested in this post and cant believe people havent replied yet. I am in this category! Trained, JNC qualified, worked for church as youth worker for 2 and half years and am now leaving. That is all I am going to say! I am awaiting the questions that people want answered! Why am I leaving? What am I going on to etc etc etc? Laura! x
Posted by: LAURA at December 13, 2008 10:45 AM
I'd be intrigued to know about people's calling into ministry... how they perceived it at the time if at all. Also, would they be happy staying on working for a church but not in youth or would they be happy staying on in youth but not as a Christian. How has this affected their Christian walk...
Posted by: Mark at December 16, 2008 11:15 AM
Given that most of these were originally set up to put qualified youth workers in churches (or qualified Christians into 'secular' youth work), I suppose the basic question has to be 'What sector are you working in?':
Church youth worker
Christian youth organisation
Other voluntary sector
State sector youth work
Retrained(/ing) for adult ministry
Work in unrelated sector
Given up work to raise own kids
Other (please specify)
If you want to judge the relative abilities of the different organisations to train youth workers, then asking which one they went to would be relevent.
If you want to find out whether we drift out of the sector over time, then asking when they qualified would be relevent.
If you want to find out whether maturity helps or hinders our sticking at it, then 'how old are you?' would be a relevent question.
And for those not working as church youth workers, perhaps a question as to why they left church work and/or youth work.
Posted by: Ray at December 16, 2008 1:44 PM
As another leaver guess the factors will be quite complex...
There are questions about why start in youth work to begin with, and questions about training. Lots of questions about the way jobs are set up - what does it mean to have a professional trained youth worker in what is often a very unproffesional setting. Questions of good and bad experience and questions about age - do lots of people 'grow out of youth work at 35ish'? Wages are also in there somewhere as people get older and might have families to support and about career structure/lack, short term contacts and how other people see youth workers.
Then there is something about personal development and the way faith grows...I'd argue most churches still have a very basic - join our club - outlook and as the youthworker becomes more reflective that outlook often feels too narrow to stick with.
As for me...I'm probably heading into formal education for at least 5 reasons...1) On the whole the church wants activist youth workers and I'm more reflective...2) Yes I have had some bad experiences of church based work that made me wonder what i was doing/achiving and if it was worth it...3) My sense is that education (of a more formal kind) can do more for the life chances of young peole than the hour or so a week we get with them - sorry guys, don't get mad with me!!...4) I can see more of a place for my leadership gifts in education than in church based work...5) I don't want to work for a church that thinks bums on seats is it and thinks that despite me 15 years of ministry when something seriously pastoral pops up (say a very sick child) it is time for the vicar to take over that relationship (Yes i have expereinced that personaly)..ok and 6 - a door seems to be opening that way so i'm pushing at it to see.
Sorry, very long post
Posted by: David at December 16, 2008 9:53 PM