Youth Work after Christendom

Two years ago we began work on a book that we believe will offer ground-breaking insight to the youth work and ministry of tomorrow.

Youth Work After Christendom is due to be launched in the summer and we would be delighted if you could join us for the Official Launch Event on
July 8. We wanted to host something that had real meaning and purpose and so we have put together a programme that we believe will be
stimulating, inspiring and informative. The day will include seminars, refreshments, lunch and a free book – all for just £17.50! Full details
are on the attached flier.

pc

The book has been described as:

“challenging and inspirational, bringing attention grabbing insights
concerning youth work in the 21^st century.”

“a wake up call for the church and youth ministry”

“a must for anyone involved in Christian youth work”

“a compelling and crucial account of the state of Christian youth work –
read it!”

If you can’t make the launch event but would still like a copy of the book, then we are taking pre-publication orders at the significantly
discounted price of only £9 including p&p. You can order by: Sending your cheque (payable to ‘FYT’) name and address to the FYT
office, Unit 208b The Big Peg, 120 Vyse Street, Birmingham. B18 6NF or Visiting the FYT web site resources section – here

news via NCVYS

National conference

The Department for Children, Schools and Families is organising a free national conference A Perfect Day ipod Who Am I? ipod on 20 May in London to look at the delivery of services for at risk and challenging young people. Effective implementation of the targeted youth support reforms will be critical to delivering improvements for at risk young people such as reductions in teenage pregnancies and the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training. The day will help schools and other local partners by showcasing good practice examples from around the country and hearing about developments in government policy. Speakers include Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children and Young People; Dr Maggie Atkinson, Association of Directors of Children’s Services President and Director of Children’s Services, Gateshead Council.

Social evils consultation

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) consultation on modern-day social evils, here

respondents said that they felt British society has become more individualistic, greedy and selfish, at a cost to its sense of community. The research collated responses from over 3,500 participants. Young people were seen by some as perpetrators of social evils while others saw them as the victims of stereotypes and limited opportunities.

Oasis gone bust

Our visiting lecturer couldn’t make it the other day as Oasis had gone bust. I was told briefly as my boss ran off to another meeting – astounded I couldn’t find anything on the web but just found this. No wonder I couldn’t find anything at the time – serves me right for putting two and two together and coming up with six and thankfully I got the wrong end of stick, although with many people affected, not good news.

The Mummy Returns psp

A parable about church

I was revisiting some of Off the Beaten Track today and this story hit me again as I thought about church and change.

The prison walls had become the home they had forgotten, so long had they been there amongst the dust and dirt that any memory of the outside world was but a dream to them.
One day, which started like any other, they huddled together to talk. Having the same conversation they’d had every day for as long as any of them could remember, talk of escape. In the middle of this discussion something unusual happened. The cell door swung open.
The prisoners cowered against the back wall, shielding their eyes from the bright sunlight. A man stood there, someone they didn’t recognise, for had they not seen or heard anyone for these long years? The man spoke to them saying;

‘You are free to go.’ The group sat in silence, for though they had planned to leave; now they were too afraid to do so. What world was out there? A place that surely must have changed beyond recognition. The prison walls suddenly seemed appealing, for hadn’t it become their home? No one moved, until one man, cautiously making his way to his feet, crossed the small cell and averting his gaze from what lay beyond quietly closed the door.

Juncture dvd

The Mummy Returns divx

Demonsamongus the movie

Worth a read

Here is an updatefrom Worth Unlimited an organsiation I was involved with for a while, if you are doing anything with young people at risk it will be worth a read, just so you can get a feel for the organisation. With stuff now happening all over the country it is great to hear how they are growing and impacting so many young people.

2008 has started at a fast pace across the branches with lots of developments and progress made. So much so that in fact it is impossible to contain everything that we could tell you about Worth Unlimited around the country within this one single email. We suggest that as well as what you read here, you do contact our Branch directors around the country who will be more than happy to provide you with even more stories and accounts from their branches which is where the real graft is done building hope, unlocking potential and realising worth among young people.

In this update :

· A Story … as yet unfinished

· Youth Mark Recognition for Local Branch

· Bridging the Gap

· New Initiative encourages wider Church involvement

· Macclesfield Grows

· Worth Unlimited in the Tyne Valley

· Significant Government financial backing for Worth Unlimited

· Media Interest Grows

· OCN Accreditation for “World Worth Living In”

· Annual Bike ride details announced

· Conclusions

A story … as yet unfinished
Once upon a time … there was a charity called dare2, set up with a significant launch grant from a businessman to help promote best practice in work with marginalised young people in UK. Just over two years ago its CEO, David Boul, met Tim Evans and realised he and Worth Unlimited had skills dare2 needed.

David continues the story, “A cross-funding arrangement was agreed and Tim got started on a strategic plan for dare2. Tim and I realised quickly that the two charities had far more in common – vision, mission and goals. By this time last year they had worked out a strategic alliance in which dare2 funded good practice development and testing with Worth.

With encouragement from both boards, co-operation got closer. Then last October we happily did the obvious and joined forces under the Worth Unlimited identity. Rather than go through the complexities of formal merger, dare2 trustees joined the Worth Board bringing the remainder of dare2’s launch grant.

All this may sound a bit remote from the world of a marginalised young person, but … together we now have a stronger national team to support Tim, a new treasurer – that’s me, and an increased number of branches with a strong emphasis on best practice. More importantly though, together we are having more impact with young people.”

Youth Mark Recognition

Worth Unlimited for Waltham Forest has just been awarded a Bronze level Youth Mark by the North London Connexions Partnership, following an intensive inspection of the projects that we run by a team of young people from North London Connexions. A team of young people including a young person who was one of our service users when she was young, spent more than 20 hours visiting the Mobile Youth Venue, a local secondary school and our office, speaking with our staff and many of the young people we work with. Their conclusion was that Worth Unlimited provides services that are welcoming, easy to locate, warm, cosy and user friendly.

Matt Perry received a certificate and award on behalf of the team of staff, volunteers and management group and assured the inspecting group that where areas for improvement had been identified (around making our policies easier to access and wearing name badges especially on the Mobile Youth Venue) these would be acted on. “We were keen to be inspected by young people,” said Matt, “Because as our service users it is their opinions that we value the most and want to act on. I am glad that the inspectors found our team and projects to be welcoming and friendly for young people and that they have given us some good ideas to build on and use to improve further what we offer.”

Bridging the Gap

15 young people from local Muslim and Christian communities in Waltham Forest recently spent a weekend together in Cumbria with support from our team and the Active Change Foundation. We explored the question “One Community OR Worlds Apart?”. The young people who got on so well together concluded that Waltham Forest could be and should be one community and that this one community is diverse with many different faiths and cultures making a contribution, not unlike a football team with different players playing different roles but still being ONE team.

The BBC filmed part of the residential broadcast a film about the project on BBC 2 on Friday 14th March on the Daily Politics Show which included comment by a Minister for Community Cohesion.
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Morris and Priscilla Steel

Today I went to sheffield for a celebration of the life of my aunt and uncle, who died earlier this year. They were quiet heros of the faith, and always supported and encouraged my work, as local methodist preachers they were well known in the area and it was great to hear the stories from the local people whose lives they touched over the past 60 or so years. They were learners and continued to run bible studies and attended theology classes in the university into their 70’s, but more than this they loved people faithfully. Their support and hospitality was renowned, and the minister commented on Priscillas ability to put herself in the shoes of others and so the care she showed was always just right. Morris was often the MC for our family events, with a great sense of humour, and appropriatly wise words for each occassion. These two quiet and faithfull saints will be missed and never forgotton.

Uptown Girls

G.I. Jane rip

Back but not via terminal 5

After the flight was cancelled due to the terminal 5 fiasco, I flew back with Luthansa and (via a slight bit of blagging) got bumped up to business class. The best part of which was when they weighed the my suitcase which I thought was small enough for hand luggage but was too heavy, however the check in lady (note lady not woman – this was business class you know!) said “as you are flying business class sir, it will be fine to make an exception”

I couldnt believe it not only geting bumped but no risk of loosing bags! off on holiday next week but doubt my blagging skills are up to getting the whole family bumped up still we can give it a go!