Living with Metaphor

For over 5 years now I have been using the metaphor that church is both the city on the hill and the journey to the city on the hill, which connects the action and attitude aspects of the allegorical descriptions of church in the bible. I play around with the edges of this; like the city is lit by the ethic of christ, or we loose sight of the city from time to time but just see a distant glow. For me the metaphor is also rooted in the connecting of mission, worship and church into a more fluid whole entity.

The sense of openness that using a metaphor brings is liberating and disconcerting. However in the last couple of years i have heard more tweets, status updates and conversations connecting the action and attitude parts of worship, or church or mission. The most recent from Ben that “Worship is about telling the story and living it out”.

I think this type of approach is a step in the right direction but I wonder if there is something in thinking about the trinity as a metaphor for a reconnecting of worship, mission and church. That being caught up in God and embraced by the dynamic relationship is to be caught up in mission, worship and church. not sure yet…..

Choose Youth

Dear Colleague,

An unprecedented 25 national organisations have come together to organise an indoor rally for the promotion of young people’s services on February 12th 12-4 in the Renewal Centre, Lode Lane, Solihull, B91 2JR. Support organisations include as you will see from the attached leaflet NCVYS, NYA, NUS, BYC, UKYouth Parliament, and many others.

Our campaign is called Choose Youth and we are seeking to arrest the decline of essential services to young people. Your support at this rally could make all the difference.

We will be celebrating good youth work, looking at the threats and challenges to it and discussing a way forward to support us all against cuts and closures.

We have had high press profile recently and feel sure that this rally will
achieve even more. But a good turnout would help.

I therefore write on behalf of the partnership to encourage you to circulate details of the rally and strongly encourage your members to attend and promote it.

Bookings for attendance can be made via the website www.chooseyouth.org where you will also find details of transport co-ordinators who will be able to offer support for group bookings.

I very much hope that you will help build for this rally, the largest in youth work’s history.

Your voice will make a difference.

All the very best.

Doug Nicholls,
On Behalf of Choose Youth.

(Kerry Jenkins)
Community and Youth Workers in Unite
National Section Operations Officer
0121 6436221
www.cywu.org.uk and www.unitetheunion.org
Follow us on Twitter – @CYWUnite

New Job for the New year?

Frontier Youth Trust is seeking a dynamic, experienced and entrepreneurial individual to join the growing StreetSpace project. It is a combined research and networking role recognising that the best responses to challenging poverty often come from the bottom up, and that by sharing learning, expertise and resources, opportunities to impact policy and improve local work can emerge.

The post is for two days a week (for three years renewable annually) and is in partnership Church Urban Fund. The post holder will be expected to work from home and must be able to travel throughout the UK. The salary is between £20000 – £22000 pro rata depending on experience and qualifications.

For more an informal conversation about the role please telephone Richard Passmore 07830197160.

For an information pack and application details please contact: Leanne Youngson, Frontier Youth Trust, Office S15b, St. George’s Community Hub, Great Hampton Row, Newtown, Birmingham, B19 3JG Tel: 0121 687 3505.

The deadline for applications is 31st January 2011 and Interviews will take place in Bath on the morning of February 8th 2011

Scotland

Here are my plans for next weeks trip to Scotland I still have a bit of time Monday PM and Wednesday late afternoon if anyone else wants to hook up

Monday 10th Jan
AM-  Glasgow – Meet up with Laura Hopkins in Bishopsbriggs 
PM – Drive to Aberdeen

Tuesday 11th Jan
AM – meet up with Dan Robertson and Blue Horizon in Aberdeen
PM -Meet up with Hot Choc people in Dundee

Wednesday 12th Jan
AM – Meet up with James and Sidewalk in Perth 
PM – Drive to Glasgow
EVE – Glasgow Pub Theology and Pulse Rate research (TBC)

Thursday 13th Jan
Early flight home

Personal responsibility

how do we take more responsibility for our own actions and approaches to faith and life. So often we rely on institutional approaches like membership which tells us what we should do or believe. It replaces grace and the need to dialogue when we don’t agree. To journey to the light is to journey in the light and embrace the difficulties and uncertainties that entails. To ditch the security blanket of the known, the institution, the rules, and regulations To take responsibility for our actions, to challenge the actions of others and so grow and become fellow travellers of light.