I'm not sure if this has a massive connnection to informal education but there is a real attempt to help the person discover the answer/learning for themselves. If you've ever been frustrated when someone failed to 'get it' or make the connection then you'll probably enjoy this ...........
Sound file ........ "What did Sir Walter Raleigh bring back?"
AAAArrrghghgh Not going to be able to get to LICC tomorrow for the session with Fuzz Kito. Please someone take notes, blog, tweet, FB some of the wisdom. Thanks
I'm liking this story where Police are recognising and rewarding good behaviour. I guess they could be called SBO's!
It's an initiative that came from a teenagers suggestion.
ht to Kat for the story, thanks
If you are feeling creative I coulod do with some help.The next VERTIGO youth event is themed around 'Justice' working with a verse from Micah:
Micah 6:8 (New International Version)
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
At the start of the evening we want to do a kind of 'Mission Impossible' thing along the lines of, "Your mission (should you choose to accept it) ........." But I am struggling to write a script for the voice over guy to record over the video that creatively expresses the call to Justice and Kingdom.
Any scribblings apreciated.
Thanks
Brian is now up to Myth #14 ........ have a read over at Random Thoughts
I visited a fantastic Youth and Community project yesterday on an Estate that has been through a lot of re-generation work and change. The community centre had had a complete re-build and included a dedicated youth room, meeting rooms, a shop and a community hall.
Around the walls were photos of members of the community young and old. The pictures, which looked fantastic, were the results of a great piece of work photographing key members of the community ... and also recording some of the locations that would dissapear in the re-generation work. The photographs were all done by a professional photographer and produced on canvas frames.
I thought this was a fantastic piece of work in recognising key characters of the estate young and old, the conversations and stories that the piece of work produced AND the sense of ownership it created in the community centre.
Much to my surprise there has been a request for pictures and names for the latest members of the Tribe called Macdonald. I think they are called Mrs Corner, Gwen and Mitzy Poppet! They look like this:
March 23rd: Soul Survivor Taster day in Watford
The STORM Camp for teneagers is an Easter residential connected with SU. I understand numbers are a bit lower than usual this year and so there are still places. Have a look!
Legendary veteran Schools worker wayne Dixon asked me to flag up their Easter Story Project as a model worth seeing and using ...........
"The Easter Story 2-6 March Slough Baptist Church: Presentations in church for primary school pupils that have been run for 15 years and is developing in many areas. Interested in coming along to have a look? If you or someone you're your church would like to come and visit- you'd be very welcome - just let me know. Sessions run from 9.30-11.30am or 12.30-2.30pm wayned@scriptureunion.org..uk 01753 523058 Other areas locally and further a field involved as well during later part of March. Other venues and info here and here! "
The Streetbrand Magazine have set up their own alternative Social Networking site which has been publicised recently. There has also been some criticism of the safety of this site circulating via various networks. I have e--mailed Streetbrand and have received a helpful response if anyone would like to see it.
Monday 9th March: REVISITING RELATIONAL YOUTH MINISTRY - with Andrew Root. A unique opportunity to hear visiting speaker Professor Andrew Root, author of Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry. Root is an innovative thinker around youth ministry, and has worked alongside Kenda Creasy Dean. For more information and booking form contact David Welch, Diocesan Youth Adviser O1483 484908 david.welch@cofeguildford.org.uk
Good news: We now have three Guinea pigs and an outside hutch equpped as a Cavvy Nirvana (so they have their shed, I have mine)
Bad news: We have the Win32.vitro virus on our PC and by all accounts that's REALLY REALLY Bad! (looks like I might be giving up the computer for lent)
Taking a year out? (or as someone said in this Months Yoofwurk magazine, 'A year in' which I liked) or have a few months to invest, then here art some contacts (and the tag-line* which seems to be an emerging trend in gap year-dom):
ht to Sarah (who appropriated my list, and I am now appropriately re-appropriating it)
If you are an organisation that feels disgruntled for being left out then e-mail me and I'll add you in!
*This whole tag-line thing prompted the random thought, "Discipleship, Exactly what was said by the man!" (with apologies to the Varnish manufacturer whose name I have forgotten)
My car is back from the dent-doctor and is once again equipped with correctly curving (and opening) doors. Those who recall the incident will know that I developed a whole new coping mechanism in the form of amateur French poetry! *Gallic Laughter* So, to end as the saga began:
quelle joyeux
mon voiture
Retourné
(Hey Hey)
This entry filed under 'it could be verse?' .... with apologies :-)
On an e-mail forum recently there has been a 'useful' discussion on the notion of what it means to be a 'professional' in the context of being a youth worker/minister. One of the observations made, reflecting on the current economic climate, was that it was so called 'professionals' that caused the problems. Is to be a 'professional' a good thing or a bad thing, is it contary to a calling, to being spirit led ..... or in harmony with it? (I have a colleague who prefers to talk about doing things excellently, which I like). This whole debate being very important for the UK context where we professionally train Christian youth workers who often serve as youth ministers for the Church.
Towards the end of thread, a colleague who I respect a great deal added this ..... :
Looking at the 'roots' of such things ... from the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary, we find:
Main Entry: pro·fes·sion
Pronunciation: \prə-ˈfe-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English professioun, from Anglo-French profession, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin profession-, professio, from Latin, public declaration, from profitēri
Date: 13th century
1: the act of taking the vows of a religious community
2: an act of openly declaring or publicly claiming a belief, faith, or opinion : protestation
3: an avowed religious faith
4 a: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation b: a principal calling, vocation, or employment c: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling
.
Have a look at look at Visual Thesaurs for a 'thinkmap' on the word 'profession'
.... clearly calling and vocation are central to any understanding of 'profession' ....
....if the professions have power, then professionals are called to use that power wisely and with integrity ... it is sad (understatement) that professionals in some disciplines have abused their position and in so doing have brought into question the very nature and status of others who resolutely honour and uphold the ethical code and tenets of their 'chosen' profession ....
.
.. a re-discovery of that sense of calling and vocation maybe what is needed across the professions ....
(re-produced with permission)
Our servers are going to be down for two hours this lunch time to allow the hamsters a break. No electronic communication will leave or enter the building during this time.
Captain's Log Supplemental: The Hamsters are back in operation and we've upgraded their drinking bottles with an isotonic energy drink. All is running well and I'm especially pleased with this new fangled Windows 3.11 for workgroups!
My preaching ministry is going downhill ........ or at least it will be soon when I speak on a ski trip in Switzerland.
I'm just having a pray, play and think about a theme for the week but have no inspiration at the moment on what would be good for a ski week with families/teenagers?
(Skiing not being a regular occurence in the Bible apart from a possible allusion in Hebrews 12:12)
Any wisdom?
Captians Log Supplemental: There's still a couple of place left on the holiday if you fancied a snowy skiing sojourn somewhat soon in sublime Switzerland,
REALLY short notice but the legendary Fuzz Kito will be in Town on Friday (this Friday, 27th) tallking on 'Young Disciples - Discipling Youth in a Mission Context!'
It's a half day, 9 - 1 and more details are in the 'continue reading!' I'm going and I look forward to seeing you? there.
The blurb from LICC (who are hosting) is ........
"Fuzz will be exploring how we go about discipling young people from a distinctly non church background - fuelled by Fuzz's long experience of working with young people in a variety of contexts. He'll also be helping us join the dots between cross-cultural mission and our own situation in the UK. For some time now mission to young people in the UK has been described as connecting with, in effect, an un-reached people group so Fuzz will be sharing wisdom from his journeys around the world, witnessing fresh expressions of Church and outreach in extremely diverse contexts. And He'll be delving into the parable of the Sower - Matthew 13 - in order to reflect on Jesus own approach to discipling.
The day will begin with pastries, coffees and juice at 9 so do join us then. The teaching sessions will begin at 10 and we'll be letting you go at 1 to go and grab your own lunch. Feel free to bring it back to the LICC to eat, the space will be available to you until 2.30pm"
A day on youth mission at LICC for youth workers, church leaders and anyone interested in youth mission please do forward to anyone you think will be interested - There's a PDF flyer for download here "
I've converted the session on change into a powerpoint that I hope will be a brief but useful guide to the Bridges model. I think there is an enormous amount to be learned from this .... particularly in the area of marking an ending. You'll find the presentation here.
I also want to flag up (again) "Our Iceberg is melting" which I've also found really useful thinking about change and the process of change-management.
Installed as a shed but self-relocating for a beach hut role. Joking aside though, my sympathy to the couple affected. Waking up and finding one's shed gone is the stuff (in my mind) of nightmares.
As promised I am uploading some of the material from DEPTH 2. One of the leadership snapshots was on the area of "Conflict!" This powerpoint is the material we used.
The presentation has three sections:
1. Reflecting on our own reactions and actions in response to conflict
2. A Contrast betwwen the two polar extremes of handling conflict, juxtaposing an intent to protect with the ideal, intent to learn. (Sadly I cannot find the source for this piece of work, if anyone knows I should like to be able to credit them and read more of their material).
3. An eight step process for handling conflict ......... for applied reflection rather than being THE answer.
Famously, the meaning of life according to the 'Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy' is '42' (This non-sensical answer, it turns out, is because no-one has really understood the question. Further work reveals the question itself to be, rather unhelpfully, 'What's 9x6?" It then turns out that you cannot simultaneously know the answer and the question? Genius).
Anyway, I am now at the Adams-esque significant age of 42, an age where appropriately enough the questions seem more important than the answers, and I'm more aware of how much I don't know, rather than the how much more, presumambly, I now do! Still, I think I'm liking being 42 and have not yet been assailed by a mid-life crisis ... even though statistically I am probably more than overdue for said sports-car-buying-or- equivalent angst.
For the last few years on each birthday, I've been adding to an autobiographical list (for reasons that I cannot remember.) I guess at my age it would be out of character to defy an established tradition, so I've added one more:
Great quote from Chap Clark about the danger of being event DRIVEN
"Kids perceive us as being more committed to getting them to
participate in our events and trips than to them as individuals. ...
many have confirmed that this is one reason for their apparent
spiritual lethargy and lack of consistent, free, and passionate
growth. They simply do not trust the adults who run programs. As much
as they may like us, most will hold back at some level because they
see us as adults with self-serving agendas" Chap Clark
Your shed! (don't leave home without it)
As is often the case, a tune gets into my head and I find myself singing (or attempting to) a line or two from the song at random points during the day.
On this particular day it was 'Young Girl' by Gary Pucket and the Union Gap. I was overheard by a Youth-worker who suggested if there were to be a complilation album entitled "Inappropriate music for a Youth workers Party' then this track would certainly feature.
I've been quite amused by the idea of this concept complilation album since ...................... oh and have stopped singing this particular track.
Interesting piece of research from 'Cosmo Girl' and 'The National Campaign to prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy' looking at young people posting or receiving sexually suggestive material on-line, SMS etc. The report is called Sex and Tech and you'll find it here!
Creosote continues to be a theme in my life, preserving not just my woodwork ... but also my interest and in fact, sufficient material for the blog!
On my last visit to Wickes I asked whether they had, as a company, changed suppliers for 'Creosote Substitute' as the last batch of 'light' coloured Creosote had been somewhat dark. you can't actually tell what shade it is until it dries but it had remained very definitely non-light. Wickes confirmed that their supplier remained unchanged and immediately phoned them, and passed the phone to me.
So, very surrealy, I had a few minutes chatting with a major creosote supplier about Bitumen levels (the colouring) in the Cresote substitute and speculating on the resultant shading implications of the woods age and dampness!
This made me laugh!
My daughter is having a fish/ocean themed party this week and I'm putting together the soundtrack.
I've got stuff like, "somewhere beyond the sea," "Yellow Submarine,"Fishermans Blues" and "The tide is high" .............. but would love other suggestions?
I've just been reading the NYA document, Ethical Conduct in Youth Work. It's been around since 2004 but I've only just picked it up.
(ht to Roy for reminding me where I came across this document, and therefore to Paul who wrote about this first, and more fully)
The Principles are thus:
Ethical principles
Youth workers have a commitment to:
1. Treat young people with respect, valuing each individual and avoiding
negative discrimination.
2. Respect and promote young people's rights to make their own
decisions and choices, unless the welfare or legitimate interests of themselves
or others are seriously threatened.
3. Promote and ensure the welfare and safety of young people, while
permitting them to learn through undertaking challenging educational activities.
4. Contribute towards the promotion of social justice for young people and
in society generally, through encouraging respect for difference and diversity and
challenging discrimination.
Professional principles
Youth workers have a commitment to:
5. Recognise the boundaries between personal and professional life and
be aware of the need to balance a caring and supportive relationship with young
people with appropriate professional distance.
6. Recognise the need to be accountable to young people, their parents or
guardians, colleagues, funders, wider society and others with a relevant interest in
the work, and that these accountabilities may be in conflict.
7. Develop and maintain the required skills and competence to do the
job.
8. Work for conditions in employing agencies where these principles are discussed, evaluated and upheld.
I'm noting them here to bring up in discussion next time I'm meeting with a herd* of youth ministers. I think the arenas highlighted in #5 and #6 would be a good debate, what EXACTLY do boundaries and accoutability look like in Youth Ministry?
*We have not yet pinned down the perfect collective noun for Youth Ministers despite attempts
An Extract from the Jesus Storybook Bible .....
"Then Jesus picked up some bread and broke it. He gave it to his friends. He picked up a cup of wine and thanked God for it. He poured it out and shared it.
"My body is like the bread. It will break", Jesus told them. "This cup of wine is like my blood, it will pour out". "But this is how God will rescue the whole world. My life will break and God's broken world will mend. My heart will tear apart - and your hearts will heal.
Just as the Passover lamb died, so now I will die instead of you. My blood will wash away all of your sins. And you'll be clean on the inside - in your hearts".
"So whenever you eat and drink, remember", Jesus said, "I've rescued you!"
Jesus knew it was nearly time for him to leave the world and go back to God.
"I won't be with you long," he said. "You are going to be very sad. But God's Helper will come, And then you'll filled up with a Forever Happiness that won't ever leave. So don't be afraid. You are my friends and I love you."
Then they sang their favourite song. And walked up to their favourite place in the olive garden"
It's been my birthday this week and I'd been telling everyone I was going to be 43. My wife though has pointed out that I am in fact wrong, it turns out I am now 42!
Please do not use this image(s) without checking with Dave Walker.
I still haven't had chance to read the full report SO I'm posting the summary document here:
"Excessive Individualism
The aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults is now the greatest threat to our children, a landmark report published by The Children's Society reveals today.
The belief among adults that the prime duty of the individual is to make the most of their own life, rather than contribute to the good of others is causing our young people a range of problems. They include: high family break-up, teenage unkindness, commercial pressures towards premature sexualisation, unprincipled advertising, too much competition in education and acceptance of income inequality.
This troubling picture is painted by the UK's first independent national inquiry into childhood. The report, ''A Good Childhood. Searching for values in a competitive age,'' commissioned by The Children's Society, was carried out over three years by eleven leading experts. More than 30,000 children, adults and professionals contributed to The Good Childhood® Inquiry which also undertook a comprehensive review of all the available research. The report, which presents evidence that children's lives are getting more difficult, looked at seven aspects of childhood. Here is a selective summary of key findings:
Family
Two things stand out compared to a century ago. Most women now work and their new economic independence contributes to levels of family break-up which are higher in the UK than any other Western European country. As a result of increased break-up one third of UK 16 year olds now live apart from their biological father. A child's performance at secondary school, self esteem and wellbeing as an adult are linked especially to the father's input. Children with separate, single or step parents are 50 per cent more likely to fail at school, have low self-esteem, be unpopular with other children, and have behavioural difficulties, anxiety or depression .........
"...the basic texts of Christian faith contain some startling statements about children (even more startling two thousand years ago than now): the child is the one from whom the adult must learn about 'the Kingdom of God'; and the one who abuses or corrupts or deceives the child is destined for the harshest of judgements. The child not only has access to the Kingdom, s/he has a privileged place in it. This is not romantic speculation about children trailing clouds of glory, or even a celebration of childlike innocence. In its context, it seems to mean that it is the very powerlessness or vulnerability of the child that is important - important in securing their place of privilege, but also important as reminding the adult that receiving the news of the possibility of change, freedom, love, reconciliation, requires of the adult a degree of vulnerability and spontaneity that is normally overlaid by suspicion and self-defensiveness. "
Rowan Williams (from a response to 'The Good Childhood Enquiry')
You may recall the chat we had about the 'We love our youth worker' charter. Well, ahead of it's official launch on April 4th Chris Curtis would like a couple of churches to trial it. Let me know if you/your church are up to it and I'll put you in conatct with each other.
Organisation St Andrew's Church, High Wycombe
Salary £20 - £24K p.a.
Location Buckinghamshire
We are an evangelical charismatic Anglican church seeking a full-time Director of Youth Ministry, to develop and oversee our work with young people.
You will be leading an enthusiastic team of volunteers running a vibrant community Youth Club, as well as developing a challenging programme to allow our church-based young people to deepen their faith and grow in their Spiritual walk with God.
We are looking for someone who
- is a JNC qualified worker or has equivalent youth work training
- has good interpersonal skills with young people, their parents and the wider church
- can deliver inspirational Bible-based teaching
- can develop, support and equip a team of leaders and helpers
- is passionate about growing faith in young people.
Closing Date: Friday 20th March; Interviews early April
For a full job description and application form please contact Penny Pears on 01494 529668 or penny.pears@sac-hw.org.uk or see the web site.
I'm been listening to the controversy recently surrounding the danger of the drug 'ecstasy.' According to the head of the Government's drug advisory body, Professor Nutt (no, really... that's his name), taking ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse!
On the back of this there has been a move to declassify the drug from Class 'A' to class 'B.' As I was driving to work this morning, musing and listening to the debate, I couldn't help feeling they were approaching this from the wrong angle. The clear and logical response in my mind was to instead re-classify the risk of 'Horse Riding' into a much higher risk bracket!
"Horses: Dangerous at both ends and unsafe in the middle!"
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, a computer game recently released by EA Sports contained a slight glitch, Tiger Woods was able to take a shot while standing on the surface of the lake. "Levinator 25" a Youtube User uploaded a video of the glitch that has been viewed 600,000 Times!
Rather than the usual corporate response of rushing out an apology, EA filmed and released the following video, rebuffing the idea of a glitch, and framing it as a response to Levinator 25, genius!
Irreverend, funny, brilliant? Probably, a yes to all.
Very effective viral advertising? Without doubt
NCVYS has launched a second Small Grants Programme as part of its Factor in Faith campaign to help voluntary and community organisations working with young people to develop faith and culturally sensitive practices
I've taken the LPG-mobile to the Dent Doctor this morning. Happily the problem is not too serious and a relatively straight forward Door Transplant and some associated surgery should restore my automobile to its full health. Assuming a compatible door donor can be identified the car is due in surgery next Wednesday, and all being well ... sent home to convalesces by the Saturday.
If anyone want to see me during the latter part of next week please note meetings will be confined to one mile radii of train stations!
I've had a question from a Mrs Trellis of North Wales, she asks:
"I'm doing a Sunday morning session on looking after the environment in a couple of weeks time as part of a whole church thing about being green etc.................was just wondering if you know of any resources/session plans/ideas on that area that could be used for teenagers on a Sunday morning (we have about 45mins-1hr to play with)?"
I wasn't an enormous amount of help other than point to this video, and saying that I'd love to see more positive stuff around "The Earth is the Lord's", stewardship et al rather than the whole 'guilt, bad, horror .... YOU need to change YOUR light bulb!"
The Guardian newspaper has been really impressing me in thew way it relates to young people. Last weekend though was particularly good in that the Saturday magazine paired together young people (aged between 5 and 12) with a hero of theirs and let them pose interview questions. The interviews were great, and I particularly enjoyed the Richard Hammond one, the young person and him both seemed to have enjoyed the process. In fact for all but one I was impressed with both the interviewer and interviewee. (the only bad one in fact was the David Cameron one because he only answered about four questions and then at extreme length, using it seems the interview as a platform rather than a genuine interaction with the young interviewer and their questions).
This week there is an interview with Dr David Bainbridge on his book, "Teenagers: A Natural History" (a book I shall be buying). Impressively the Guardian has also included the opportunity for two teenagers to have their say on the book.
If anyone is waiting for the notes I said I'd upload, then my apologies. All the relevant notes and books are in Oxford, whilst I am in Newbury. I should be able to rectify this on Monday or Tuesday.
I'm really disappointed not to have made it to the Soulnet conference, I'm wondering how many others were unable to attend or if it's just me and my counterpart in Exeter who are missing the party? I am relieved though not to be facing the anxiety of what the return journey might look like on Sunday.
I've recreated the Centre Parcs experience here though. Today I have cycled for the various errands that needed running, walked through the woods, self-catered and been swimming!
It's still very icy here on the Estate, with cars still unable to negotiate the steeper sections. Cycling was fun, I deliberately used a bike that was smaller than my usual off-road monster in order that I could rapidly deploy feet as emergency landing gear! On a Mountain Bike course years ago we worked on the skill of the UDT (un-premeditated dismounting technique), the art of abandoning the bike prior to the crunch, not going down with the 'ship!' ... this came in useful today!!
The below is from FYT and I commend the appeal to the blogosphere:
"Youth Unemployment - can you help??? Along with Bishop Roger Sainsbury and few 'interested others' Frontier Youth Trust is seeking to make a small contribution to concerns about youth unemployment in the UK. In the near future we are meeting with Government representatives to outline concerns/ideas and we are exploring the possibility of a youth work publication on the theme as well.
CAN YOU HELP??? I am wondering if you could take 10 minutes out of your time to share a story or two about this issue? I am specifically interested in youth work related stories that illustrate: the impact that unemployment can have on young people themselves, how youth work responds to unemployment and what ideas you have about possible future responses that could be made to respond to youth unemployment.
If you can send me any stories I would be most grateful and we will consider reproducing them in any publication that is developed - please state your name, role and any related organisational information in any story you are able to send. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone else who might be able to help.
Many thanks - Dave Wiles (CEO) "
I had an e-mail from Soul survivor yesterday to say that Soulnet is going ahead.
Berkshire though had more snow last night with more on the way. I can't get out of our Estate (the way out is an icy upwards incline) and even the major A34 dual carriageway North is in difficulty with cars lacking the ability to gain traction to get up over the Ridgeway section.
It is extremely unlikely I shall be able to make it to any Centre Parcs centres, never mind the right one!
In the meantime, being low on provisions I ventured forth unto the Shops:
I'm loving this Bus advert generator, it's fab (it apes the stylee of the Atheist ads, which Bishop Alan has pointed out use the same font colour as Dunkin Donuts).
Couldn't resist this:
ht to the Bish o' Bucks
It's been a wonderful time away with a GREAT bunch of Youth and Children's ministers. As well as some serious reflection there have been some great moments of silliness (and much laughter).
One conversation was about the need to be flexible in order to engage young people who are classified, "NEET" (not my favourite piece of jargon but means, Not in Education, Employment or Training). We were talking about early intervention, intervening before young people were in danger of becoming 'NEET,' all very serious. It did though give rise to some new tongue-in-cheek terms for our already jargon-rich sphere of work.
The need for, Pre-neetal work, and of course ongoing support could be delivered via anteneetal clinics!
It's 'DEPTH 2' the retreat starting today, a 24 hour residential for Youth and/or Children's workers in the Diocese. The weather is good enough today for us not to need to, or indeed be able to, cancel, but frustratingly the knock-on effect from yesterday means that some people will not be able to make it.
If you are coming, I look forward to seeing you. Safe Journey
If you can no longer make it, we will miss you. I hope you get some space where you are.
I had a front row seat this morning for a rather moving, auto themed, ballet on ice. The pace was slow and graceful, but the ending made a huge impact. Although it was a remarkably short piece of work it has certainly left it's mark.
il neige
voila, 'Pas de deux!'
le fin de port
pouvez-vous voir
I got to thinking about all the things that could be worse than pranging your car, for some reason, amateur French poetry was in that list?
Captains Log Supplemental: £125 excess!!!!!! Ouch (that's for the car repair by-the-way, not the bad poetry)
" 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 unprofessional 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 youth worker becomes more reflective that outlook often feels too narrow to stick with.
Anonymous writes:
As for me...I'm probably heading into formal education for at least five 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/achieving 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 people 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 having fifteen years of ministry, when something seriously pastoral pops up, it is time for the vicar to take over that relationship "
