Some recent encounters with young people from different churches came to mind as soon as I saw ASBO jesus’ latest offering.
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Category Archives: Zzzz … Old Stuff
Being there costs fathers
I haven’t really talked much about the personal effects the current government system has on me and how it penalises people particularly fathers who try and be there for their children. I want share from my own perspective, – Tuffty and Clive are great kids and I want to be around them as much as possible, so they stay with us three nights a week, and at their mums four nights – it is the closest we can get to genuine shared care. So I am in an enviable position for many fathers who have restricted or no access. The issue here however is that although I have the children for almost 50% of the time, I cannot get access to working families tax credit, or share the family allowance and still pay maintenance. Based on our family income (which working for a charity is modest) if tuffty and Clive were registered at my house or stayed here for four nights instead of three we would qualify for working families tax credit of £256 a month and get family allowance on top another £120 a month.
Now I have no issues with fathers being expected to pay maintenance or that there some poor examples of men out there who try to duck their responsibilities, but I have already had to sell one house due to the child support agency fiasco – which does not truly recognise equality, and impinged such high maintenance costs on me and didn’t take into account that in order to see my children regularly I had to make long journeys to work. What was worse was that Tuffy and Clive didn’t receive any of this money as their mum was claiming benefit.
the 10 pence tax rate was not the only issue that government did not examine the detail on.
What are todays social evils?
check out this from JRF
New way of being church
I was asked today to join with a meeting the new way of being church The Passion of the Christ rip community. A mixed bunch of faithful radicals that have been exploring new ways of being church long before the term emerging church became trendy. Lots of connections, it was interesting how we shared many links, basic eccelesial communities, friere, alinsky, jim punton, fyt. They have lots of resources online and worth a visit.
Web lecture
Today I did my first web lecture. From the office in my bedroom I ran a session in Sweden on detached youth work. I could see the class in front of me and we were able to do some group work and one to one questioning. It was strange to say the least but generally went quite well. I had the window open and was very aware and self conscious that as i lectured, people outside could be wondering what was going on, especially when i heard the postman delivering mail. Although I reasoned later that as they couldn’t see me they would think I was just talking loudly to someone in the house. I was able to run most of the session as usual, and use slides etc, but really missed out on picking up some of the body language, and non verbal cues, even though when idividuals responded they zoomed into who ever was talking. Hope i didn’t bore them stupid. It is always hard communicating in different cultures but it really made me realise how reliant I am on reactionary work, and going with the direction the group seem to need to go. I havent much of clue yet how it worked from their end, the fact that they had my face to watch over the projector was probably off putting enough!
ABC Party tomorrow
Tomorrow we are having an ABC party. Alcohol – BBQ – Croquet. Following on from our wierd beard new years eve, hopefully the weather will hold.
Who Am I? trailer
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.
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.
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.