January 2009 Archives

We've been having a major Lego-fest in our household recently which has been great fun. My youngest and I have been pursuing the vehicular possibilities with planes, trains and automobiles etc, all very blokey!

My daughter however took an entirely different tack. I arrived home last night to find a complete exhibition of mythological creatures.

Sadly the picture I took of Medussa did not do her justice at all BUT I couldn't resist posting pics of Hydra, Cerberus and a Centaur!
(Which reminds me, thinking more theologically than mythologically .... if you haven't seen The Brick Testament, you so should!)

I've flagged this up before BUT this time I'm doing it in time!

The Love Lent, Live Life campaign is a BRILLIANT thing to do with your youth group (or just as you!) Basically you get a booklet with one challenge for each day of lent, each one of these a simple way of making a difference to people around you, community, the world (and you). Genius!

Order the stuff NOW ...... do it!
(Keep me accountable to doing it too eh)

Not wishing to escalate the corniness of this blog but I like the absurdity of the picture.
(I also liked seeing direct evidence that the E.U regulations on size conformity for vegetables have indeed been relaxed)

I'm at a forum today with other organizations from the voluntary sector (the '3rd Sector') looking at how we can/should/might be involved in the delivery of the 'Common Assessment Framework' and how we relate to it, and how information sharing might work.

I was very impressed with the fact there is a board up at the front of the room which has a key to jargon that may appear in the discussions. (I have been to meetings with statutory bodies in the past where operatives from Bletchley Park would not have cracked the cyphers involved)

I'll write more about CAF opportunities, responsibilities and tensions in a fuller post BUT in case you are encountering some of this stuff, here are some of the acronyms:

CYP Children and Young people
TAP Team around the provider
CAF Common Assessment Framework
LD Local delivery
TAC Team around the child
EIP Early intervention Panel
PCT Primary Care Trust
YOS Youth Offending Service

I've just received all the details for the Soulnet gathering next weekend. Assuming I pilot the LPG wagon to the correct Centre Parcs (no, really) I look forward to meeting Yoof Wurk Bretherin and Sisterin. I am, apparently, an inmate of Chalet 220. If anyone wants my mobile number ahead of the conference then please e-mail (link on side bar).

Shalom

I've had a question from a Mrs Trellis of North Wales. She is running a youth group discussion on parties and young people (in terms of peer pressure etc), and is looking for a funny, thought provoking, silly or useful film clip to introduce the topic or fuel debate.

Any Hollywood or Youtube suggestions?

Anonymous writes:

"A year and a half ago my world was turned upside down when my church told me that they were not going to renew my contract. I'd been working for this church for 2 years and had another year left on my contract to go. I was really enjoying the work, and now had a year to continue working knowing that that would be it. It was difficult, very difficult, but I did it. Meanwhile I spent a lot of time praying and then applying for jobs. The jobs I applied for to begin with were church projects with a strong community youth project. But as the year went on, I began applying for local authority jobs too. There were four different requirements that I was looking for in a job. 1) a line manager who was a youthworker. This came from my desire to learn more and from difficulties I've had with previous line managers. 2) working and living in the same community. This was what God put on my heart. 3) a job that would allow me to complete my JNC qualification (finishing Jul 09). 4) working with disadvantaged YP.

How I ended up where I am now was no simple process, but I was influenced by my college supervisor, feedback from interviews, and then a simple offer from a local church. I was struggling to work out the remainder of my contract at my church, and I was offered what I felt to be a lifeline - 3 months working out the end of my contract at the sister church up the road. This church fitted my heart. It was the type of community I wanted to work in. Meanwhile, I saw a job advertised for a training youth worker for the local authority. It was for 30 hours a week, but would allow me to finish my qualification and get lots of experience. It seemed right. If I got the job I would be able to live and serve the community of the sister church (my new church) and work for a local authority. It wasn't quite what I had imagined - living and working in the same community. The two areas of my life would be separate, but God knew best, and he certainly did. After what I thought was a bad interview, I got the job. My husband and I moved the two miles up the road to the sister church, and we now live in that community. So that's how I ended up moving from working for the church to working for the local authority! I have learnt so much, changed much, and am so glad to have made the move. It may have been a painful process, but I am confident that I am where God wants me to be".

A while back I talked about wanting to get "Stories from the Coalface!" The idea of this was to gather employment, end-of-employment and transition stories from youth workers/ministries working (or formerly working) in a Christian setting.

The idea was to have some stories to reflect on about how people had 'ended up' where they were, or why they were no longer there! There had been an idea of doing some question based research on the experience of youth workers/ministers, I prefer I think to listen to stories and see what can be learnt.

So tell me a story! (and especially forward this on, or link me up with people who were in youth ministry but no longer are).

Stories will follow!

I have musing over the whole issue of the BBC refusing to broadcast an aid appeal for the people of Gaza, and wondering if I agree with the BBC's position, that broadcasting the appeal would breach their impartiality.

My feeling is that this is entirely wrong. The cause of the problems and the effects are of course linked in terms of the events. However I believe it is possible to broadcast an appeal based on the severe effects that the people of Gaza are experiencing regardless of the cause. The suffering is an 'is' that demands a humanitarian response!

Just musing, but will definitely be donating!

Burford in the Cotswold are looking for a worker:Job Advert.doc

And now, *serious broadcaster type voice* the latest news from, the JNC:

Holiday brochures are out for CYFA, Urban Saints, Walsingham and S.U. Please plug, pray, use and volunteer.

The youth version of CPAS "Growing Leaders" is launched on Feb 11th. There is a national training tour off the back off this and it'll be in Warwick on March 7th, Richmond on April 4th and Sheffield on June 27th!

Youthwork Lectures on theology, youth and culture on the 28th March in Winchester. Youth work Lectures Poster.pdf (I hope to be there)

Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry with Andrew Root. Monday 2nd March 11am - 3:30 pm. E-mail David Welch for more information. (I aim to be there)

Shockwave Event:
Did you know that 2/3 of the world's population live in areas where preaching about Jesus is restricted, and 60% of those are under 18? Every year, Open Doors runs a global prayer focus called Shockwave, aimed at getting young people and students praying for the Persecuted Church over the first weekend in March. As part of this weekend, Open Doors are holding a prayer event on Saturday 7th March at St Aldate's (Oxford) from 7:30-9:30, and young people and students from all over the Oxford area are invited to come along and pray. Bring your mates, your youth group, your family, your entire town or just yourself, and join us!

Find us on Facebook: search for the Shockwave event, join the underground or Open Doors groups, or support the Walk In Their Shoes cause!

DEPTH 2: Diocesan retreat for Childrens and/or Youth workers is on Feb 3rd and 4th. We can still just about squeeze you in if you are interested,

In a pitiful attempt to get my google ranking for "Creosote Substitute" back onto the first page I thought I would write something about Creosotic safety. So, if you are transporting Creosote substitute, make sure (as in the example here) that it is wearing it's safety belt!

Ok, I admit I've been working at the desk for too long and am getting a bit off-the-wall. (Thinking about it, creosoting 650 sq ft of fence at the weekend may also be a contributory factor)
But the picture made me laugh, not that that's a really useful guide.

Our Anglican service this morning strayed into the territory of alt-worship. While communion was happening, this film was playing as a huge backdrop (literally and symbolically), a series of testimonies written on cardboard as to how Jesus had changed the holder's lives.

I was on Chalice duty so couldn't see how it looked, but I loved the idea.

I was watching a programme of American Folk music,subtitled "Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers!" It was fronted by the wonderful Seasick Steve (the programme is here if you are in the UK).

Seasick Steve is a natural story teller whether he is talking or singing, but there was one particular phrase he used that really caught my attention. As he introduced Diana Jones he said that he'd been listening to her rehearse earlier and she had "brought the silence to me!"

I loved this phrase! It struck me as a great phrase for when we connect with God in Worship (by whatever media that is), "It brought the slience to me"

This is a video made by some young people in the Portsmouth Diocese. It's called "Finding Grace" and it's great:

Last year I wrote a piece about knowing how JK Rowling felt, after the commission on worldwide sales* of my book** arrived! Sadly I blew the entire £37.61 partying and living it up. This years cheque has just arrived and the econmic downturn is biting hard cutting my earnings by 44%. But I'm pleased as punch with sales last year bringing me in £21.31.
It isn't going to go to my head though and I plan to retain my day job!

Got to go, my agent has secured me a new project .... I'm writng a pilot for a set of instructions for a flat pack bookcase.

*ok, worldwide sales is a slight exageration, but I believe there was a copy sold on the Isle of Wight
** Ok by "my book" I really mean the booklet that I co-authored *laughing*

Captain's Log supplemental: I nipped out in my lunch hour and blew the whole lot on twenty litres of creosote Subsitute!

I know a couple of people liked the white background look but trawling around t'internet it seems that the world and his wife are now sporting the bright white template look on their blogs. So I decided I positively wanted to something that was by contrast (literally) negative!

Not sure about the blue for banner headers on the sidebar yet, I would welcome your suggestions!

I'm heading up to Dorchester Abbey for a Taize service on Sunday night, if anyone else would like to come to a contemplative, candle fuelled service it'd be great to hook up with you.

I've been asked to bring some young people with me too, I'm taking my boy, H but if anyone else from Newbury wants to tag along ..... that's be fab!

Shalom

There is major fettling happening today to the blog template, a process which Movable Type is making more complex than some complex stuff that's at the Rocket Science end of Brain Surgery. Apologies for the blogs dinner that it may look during this process.

I'm hoping it'll look like Youthblog again soon BUT I'm throwing in a free extra column by way of apology.

VOTE: I was planning to re-create the black background as before, however several people on Facebook have said, no - go light! So pleeeeaaase let me know. So Black backround, white background or other?

THANKS: Feedback via comments here and FB very much appreciated. Pictures and Monkey will be a high priority, as will getting the blog roll back and other side bar applications. Work continues this morning!

I would be grateful if you could let me have the best definition of leadership you have encountered!

Thanks

This month's Youthwork magazine has not got the usual "Holy Peculiar" cartoon! I understand that not everyone liked it (Always going to be the case with humour, I guess) but for the record I miss it.

I would link to an example here, if I could find one BUT I cannot track down a web page.

I still love the mag' though ...... will just need to choose a different jumping-in point.

In a related think, I really enjoy the investment in humour that the Church Times has made, I usually get at least one LOL per edition!

Oh and further related: Do any other veteran youth workers remember "Winebibber Magazine"? I'd love to serialize, on the blog, the adventures of Captain Simeon of YWASM (Youth with a Space Mission) if anyone knows who I can ask permission of? The whole mag was a large dose of ROFL, I loved it. (I'm not the only person who would love to see it again, there is a Winebibber FB group)

I noted this line from President Obama's speech:

"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals"

I liked this re-aligning reminder that leadership must come from values, not just a variable pragmatism.

I am fascinated by the art of leadership, particularly the notion of servant leadership (as opposed to wielding power). Leadership learning, training and practice is at the heart of what the department I reside in, does and enables. It's a vibrant place to work ... and in which to be stretched and challenged.

One of the challenges though is that you can't just teach a 'how to do leadership,'course,
it's a learning process becoming more aware of both self and others, growing as a person (leading from values), encountering and reflecting on different and diverse tools and techniques. It's a learning and an unlearning, a discovering what you don't know that you don't know, seeing where your own strengths and weaknesses are, while gaining a greater understanding of others. Gaining skills from a huge body of theories and techniques.

OK, I'm waffling a bit but I'm trying to make sense of what follows.

I've just been listening to Bill Hybels talking about 'The life cycle of a leader' in which he brilliantly illustrates the beginning of the leadership journey. He makes the point that (and this is true for me, and I suspect other Youth Ministers) we often start out in leadership when we are reasonably young, and at that stage we basically have passion and enthusiasm, but little in the way of leadership skills. We lead chaotically and assume others will want to follow, we have little awareness of the impact on others, we have a very fledgling idea of team.
He also makes the point that we can do this for a while, people will follow enthusiasm and passion. But we can't do this forever, people get fed up of it, it leaves casualties in it's wake and it doesn't produce lasting change.

I loved this as it it was such a helpful way of celebrating the steps into leadership as well as being a warning that we need to learn and to grow (and continue to do so)

This really reflects my experience where I was that firebrand UNTIL I attended some training that was around 'team roles'. My team accomplished the task EXTREMELY well but in the process I completely alienated and demoralized the team and they fed this back in the de-brief with some gusto. I was crushed BUT it opened up a huge amount of learning having realised how much I didn't know i didn't know!

Funny now, but a huge OUCH at the time.
An ouch I will be forever grateful for though.

Most of this post was me exploring some stuff in my head. I'm doing a lot of thinking and preparing for the DEPTH 2 retreat and I'm guessing that leadership will be a recurring theme on the blog for a few weeks. I'm really excited about this though as I think youth worker/ministers have to lead on such a variety of fronts:

1. Leading young people and at the same time enabling chance for them to lead
2. Leading a team of volunteers
3. Being part of the leadership team of the Church
4. Leading change

Any leadership STUFF, ideas, themes, reflections etc that you would like to lob into the comments would be fab, or e-mail me.

Although I am still resisting the temptation to Twitter, I have actually (under duress) been unfaithful to blogging and signed up over at Facebook. Can't work out how it all works but there is a photo of me and I have a friend!

I've entered my 'High School' assuming this translates as secondary school? Does 'class of' denote the starting year or the leaving year?
And ....... what's that thing under university? I have no idea what that means?

Blogging about one's weekend feels like a very self indulgent 'show-n-tell' but in the hope that it may at least create a humorous yarn, I'm going to do it anyway!

A few days ago I mentioned that I had found an ex-demo Kayak that was, according to the web page typo, Perfect for "cursing the Thames!" The boat on offer, A Robson Maui, was such a good piece of kit that I reckoned I'd be cursing if I missed the opportunity, but definitely cruising if I got it. On checking further it turned out that they had more than one so, in a Chris Tarrant-esque fashion, I phoned a friend. So Saturday morning's try out was now going to be two of us, looking at two boats. The only problem with this is my normal 'heath Robinson' Kayak carrier can only cope with one boat. If the trip was successful I would need to roof-mount two! This had me scurrying into the Workshop on Friday night and fettling maddly to create the wherewithall to transport both kayaks.

The resulting adaption to the roof rack, which I named the "KAYrAK" was put together in forty five minutes and in theory was perfect for the task.

So Saturday morning saw us at the Whitewater Canoe and Kayak shop (fab place) and then taking to the water for a test drive! The boats were superb and we had a fine time out on the wet stuff enjoying the morning light and crisp air.

We BOTH purchased a boat and were ready to test out the (patent!!!!) KAYrAK. At this point the proprietor took us aside, individually and pointed out that they did sell "proper" carriers for Kayaks. Having blown all the lucre on the boats though, the KAYrAK was the way up, the way forward ..... but hopefully not, when driving, the rapid way down!

Pleased to say that it all worked beautifully and both Robsons remained in-situ all fifty miles home.

Oh and in case you were thinking, "It was too cold to be paddling first thing Saturday morning?" You are probably right, but the proverbial truth is ......

"You can't have your Kayak and heat it"

North Tyneside are looking to elect a Youth Mayor. It looks like this is a thought-out elected position with a serious budget available to the succesful Youth mayor. I'm really impressed with this! (I hope they've given some serious thought too as to how the Youth Mayor relates with the decision making processes, and how the power dynamics are levelled).

Reading the newspaper(s) before work (as I often do) is normally a useful source of information, thinking and of course, blog fodder. On Friday however the news coverage had a profoundly unbalancing effect on me and it took me the rest of the day to get a proper handle on my emotions and thoughts.

Friday morning was the first I had seen of the airline crash in New York and I devoured every word of the story. I found myself elated by the survival of everyone aboard, the skill of the pilot, the superb way the ferries and rescue services had worked together and the attitude of the survivors. It brought a tear to my eye and created an oddly joyous and exilerating effect in/on me.

However, on from this story we were straight into the horrors of Gaza. I have been truly appalled by Israels brutal assault of the civilian population of Gaza and it has been saddening me each day. On Friday though, to move from the crash story of hope and humanity into the devistating pictures and coverage of dead children, terrified people and Israel's use of phospherous shells deeply affected me.

There was something about this stark contrast betwwen our human potential for good and the ever present human capability for depravity that 'knocked me for six!' As a Christian, the tension of us being fallen human beings who nevertheless are truly made in the image of God, and to bear his likeness, should come as no surprise. I think on Friday, it was that the story of the crash and the way everyone responded made the hate, cruelty, inhumanity and evil of the conflict seem so much, if this is posible, worse.

For reasons that I cannot fully explain it took me the rest of the day to recover some sort of perspective. I wanted to write something, but couldn't.

I pray that the ceasefire holds, and I pray with all those who are mourning.

In April we have 24 teenagers coming to Oxford from our link Diocese in Sweden. They are very keen footballers and want to find some matches to play on Sunday 5th and/or Monday 6th. If you have any contacts in and around Oxford I'd love to know! Thank you

(Oh and while I'm doing the notices, there is a Taize service on at Dorchester Abbey next Sunday evening (25th), I'm going ...... anyone want to join me!)

FYT are suggesting that Churches dedicate on Sunday in 2009 as 'Young people's Sunday.' You'll find out more about it here, as well as a load of useful stuff to make it happen and happening!

I wrote about this Charter a while back, along side the "We love our Church" campaign that a number of us scribbled as a response. The campaign to improve employment and recognition does not 'officially' get launched until Spring Harvest but it's all up on the Schools work web site alongside the brilliant Dave Walker cartoons. Enjoy.

(Dave Walker can be found at the Cartoon Church website, where there is more information about how you can buy a license to use his cartoons)

I have tracked down an ex-demo model of my dream Kayak and am off to have a look at it this weekend. The accompanying blurb on the web site, in what I'm assuming is a typo, notes that this boat is ideal for "cursing the Thames!" but as I want to use it on the sea I'm hoping to cause no offence to the Royal Berkshire river.

The seriousness of the Man Cold is explored here. I defy you not to laugh (Ladies, I defy you not to gloat!)

In a bizarre piece of marketing a show-home display attempted a larger dose of reality than the usual shiny, immaculately presented, Hello-photo-shoot-esque idyll. This particular show home presented one of the bedrooms as the den of a teenager! Enjoy ......

(liking the bicycle wheel, nice touch)

Ok, I have this (maybe) great idea! So, in a kinda of Wright-brothers-stylee, I'm going to see if it will 'fly!' My feeling is that the flight metaphor here is entirely appropriate with this, i.e it'll either soar or completely crash (or I guess, like the Kitty Hawk, fly 12 feet off the ground for 30 feet or so, but open the way for something useful to develop from it).

Anyway, enough of my nonsense blathering, the idea is this: Stories from the coal face!
Back in November when I had a massive blogging crisis-of-confidence and asked for help, you kindly came up with some great ideas and themes. There was a great suggestion of "where are they now?" type research, there was some idea about other people's voices ... and as ever story and reflection are key to what I want the blog to be dealing in.

So, combining all of the above, I'd like to invite stories from the Coal Face! I'm hoping to glean stories from out there in Youth Ministrydom (stuff you are doing) that challenge, amuse, provoke-thought, illustrate tensions or joys of the job etc. I'd also REALLY like stories about why/how former youth ministers left and what that process was and what they/you are doing now.
In short ..... real stories, real people, real situations.

I'm really excited about this idea .............. but will it fly?
OVER TO YOU, e-mail me with a story, in your words from your perspective.

The rules:

1. It's about story, not just facts. Reflection is also good.
2. A degree of anonymity needs to be built in to protect young people, and to not be naming and shaming particular churches
3. No stories that are basically self-aggrandizement
4. The stories don't have to be tidy, they can be snapshots
5. You can choose for stories to be posted but the ability to comment to it, 'switched off'
6. Authorship will remain completely anonymous unless requested otherwise
7. Stories must be true, un-exaggerated ... and not an attack on persons or churches

You can also phone for a chat and tell me a story and I'll write it up. (contact numbers via the Oxford Youth pages, see side bar ..... or at the bottom of all my e-mails)

The man hug! Potential pitfalls a plenty BUT unavoidable if you meet up with yoof wurkas you have known for a long time. At last some good, solid, practical advice ....

While out and about in the lpg-mobile I was listening to a Rock Compilation on the CD player. There's quite a few tracks that are 'also-rans' but when Rainbow and "Since you've been gone" came on, the stereo had to be cranked up to 11. Once an epic shout-along (with accompanying steering wheel drums and air guitar) was over, I got to thinking about the name of the group, "Rainbow!"
The group was formed in 1974 two years into the life of the identically named Childrens TV programme. This must have been kinda odd for UK audiences, I reckon this is equivalent to Rockin-out to a band called Balamory or Pogle Wood! It's even funnier if you think of printing Balamory in Gothic Script on the back of a leather jacket!

Made me smile!

We did have a bit of a colloquy on cool band names a while back (to which I should like to add 'Echo and the Bunny Men') but we haven't mused on worst band names yet ..... Suggestions?

Arriving home from a meeting with some Swedish Youth workers, my daughter met me by the car. As we strolled towards the front door of Macdonald Towers I saw the sledge leaning against the wall!

"Why?", I asked my daughter, "is the sledge out?"
"Oh," she replied, "because S (youngest son) was sledging down the stairs UNTIL mum found out!"

It sometimes feels like Outnumbered is based on our family, we became even more convinced of this when in this series the parents were talking about having being married EXACTLY the same time as my wife and I, 17 years!

A couple of years ago I bought a Video Camera with the main aim of being able to include the voices and opinions of young people more easily into training and the like. The plan was fine but the outworking of it was not. I didn't always have the video camera with me, and if I did the download and edit time was MAHOOSIVE and acted as a huge discouragement to actually recording stuff.

Technology, as ever, has moved on rapidly and I've been keeping my eye on the FLIP mini video camera and the reviews that people have posted. The ability to shoot quickly and efficiently then download straight to computer via the Flip out USB connector sounds great.

Yesterday I was at a conference where young people contributed to the content and thinking of the day via video and I reckoned it was time to order one!

So, I eagerly await the Amazon van and I'll let you know if it lives up to hopes ......... via a Youtube clip perhaps!

There's been quite a bit of discussion on the blog here about Social networking sites and how/if to use them best for youth work and ministry. The overview so far is that they are a great tool AND an obvious point of connection BUT there are some very real boundary issues to consider.

Youth work and Web 2.0 Meister Tim Davies has written a useful paper which I'm reading at the moment.

Here's the link if you would like to have a read too.

Captain's log supplemental: Some helpful reflections from Mark Tiddy

I was having a meander around the blogosphere last night and discovered this great series on the Myths of the perfect Youth Pastor.

There's good and useful stuff therein but what really amused me was what Brian (aka "Random man") wrote about Churches thinking that youth workers should be in their twenties. He made a tongue-in-cheek call for Churches (who believe this) to be consistent and if they do want a youth worker to be close to the age of the young people then the Childrens worker should be a young teenager! genius!

ht and thanks to Brian

I also enjoyed his observation that the Youth Pastor is the first port of call if things need moving or lifting (this happens to me at Church House too)

I've been playing with Doodlebuzz (ht to the Skinny) as an info finding tool. It's quite a nifty programme but I am, so far, undecided whether the gimmick factor outways the usefulness or vice versa.

Load up the page, You then type in a subject and when prompted draw a doodle. The titles of articles Doodlbuzz finds are then layed out around the doodle. By drawing a line from any of these titles you can read the fuller info, Doodlbuzz will also add in various other subject threads you can explore.

I'm normally a purist in terms of shed materials, wood every time! I do however recognize that railway goods carriages make fantastic sheds and they contain a fair amount of metal. The golden age for re-cycled railway sheds was presumably when Beeching killed off a fair chunk of the UK rail network. So, with the global economic crisis and environmental issues bringing the price of second hand aircraft down, this has to be the equivalent piece of imaginative re-use. A little lacking in wood maybe BUT a shed with a first class section AND if anyone breaks in, a Black box recorder to tell you who!

What's not to like?

My daughter was packing her rucsack this morning and included within all the usual school gumpf was her swimming gear. I was a bit surprised at this as her arm is in plaster and she is not allowed to get the cast wet, pretty much making swimming off limits (unless one attempted an unusual one arm in the air backstroke while avoiding any splashing).

Thinking she might have forgotten she had a fractured arm I mentioned that she wouldn't be needing her kit? Apparently though she did need her swim gear as school policy dictates that even if you cannot do PE you have to show that you had brought the correct kit (that would have allowed you to do the sport that you cannot do, if you were able to do it)!

Rules, eh!

(This has had me chuckling most of the morning)

I've booked into the Soulnet retreat which I'm really looking forward to! However, I am going on my own and will be M.O.F* (as they say in German) so would love to hear from some fellow Soul, er .... netters with a view to meets up for coffee, food, prayer or .... swim!
(or, in fact, all of the above but not necessarily all at the same time).

My more studious colleagues are currently away at the IASYM (International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry) conference, which I would have liked to have been at but the timing doesn't work well for me. I look forward to hearing from some of the delegates though and maybe reading some of the papers from there?

And while I'm talking about all things conferencey, Hello to anyone who will be going to the "Bible Centred Youth Worker" conference! (If anyone from the Good book company reads this and would like to invite me over for a day, that would be cool as I'd love to see what/how you work)

*M.O.F is the German equivalent of 'Norman no mates' but a lot more literal, it means person without friends!

2009 eh, a year of opportunity and adventure (as well as financial uncertainty), what will we do with it?

You know the quote, 'you should live every day as if it was your last!'
I recently read a couple of attempts at second lines to this postulate:

"They say you should live every day as if it was your last, but the milkman is tired of me constantly canceling the milk" (maybe Milton Jones but can't recall)

"Live today like its your last day, learn as if you are going to live forever"

Anyway, here's my usual list of check and tick New years resolutions for youth ministers:

I will start organizing the Residential earlier, MUCH earlier
I will stop and ask why?
I will put aside time to pray for the young people
I will stop eating the tuck when setting up for youth group
I will spend some time with the teenager whose behaviour has been winding me up
I will ask for a proper budget AND report back on how I used it
I will review
I will plan how I can involve young people more fully in the programme and leadership
I will actively seek opportunities to learn
I will listen more
I will invest time in relationships with the church family
I will build, live and celebrate team
I will put time-out in the diary NOW not look for a space later