One Minute Man

A good friend of mine James and occasional blogger on this site has started an on line blog/site one minute man here. I have to admit my own lack of emotional intelligence but am finding the tips really helpful. The site is worth a visit for the Bill bailey clip and tip alone.

Spiritual Development – fit for purpose?

As you may be aware the powers that be are proposing removing Spiritual Development from the new National Occupational Standards for Youth Work and including the notion in a new standard ‘Values and Beliefs’.

Given Frontier Youth Trust’s long-standing interest in this subject matter our staff team and Directors met this week and issued the following statement:

‘We consider that the National Occupational Standards for Youth Work should retain ‘Spiritual Development’ as a stand alone Youth Work Standard in order to best serve: young people, youth workers, employers and maintain a holistic and inclusive approach to human development. The proposed ‘Values and Beliefs’ Standard does not achieve these objectives and runs the risk of not being fit for purpose.’

FYT are happy to share this with you in case you felt able to use it (or something similar) and/or pass onto other colleagues and/or post on your blogs, web sites and facebook/twitter communications.

leave the 1 to be with the 99

It is strange how things pop up again and again, and during the podcast I did with Youthwork Magazine yesterday the story came up of the lost sheep. I have been reflecting for a few days on the story of the good Shepherd after reading it to my daughter who said it makes no sense. The beauty of the upside down kingdom is that shes right, and that is why when did some YW researchof church based youth workers, we found the majority did not feel they were being released into mission.
In the post christian story we find ourselves in, we need to realise that those in churches are working with the minority and it is now not a case of leaving the 99 to go after the one lost sheep, but leaving the one to go and be with 99, and to stay there and be and grow church in the new context.