Recently in Stories from the Coal Face Category

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!

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)