Category Archives: Youthwork

Calling Youth Workers in M5

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FYT have faciliated a network of youth workers in M5 area between Taunton and Bristol. Rob has taken this on for us and If you are in this area it would be great to see you. Details below

I am just contacting you all about the FYT M5 network meeting which most of us had attended previously. As you can see Emma has handed over the facilitating of the group and the meeting venue. Part of the vision of the network is that we all have ownership of the group and every 18 months/2 years another church or organisation would take over the running of the group. This means we can tap into our contacts and bring them along to do a presentation and also see some new faces.
As Living Waters Church does a stint, I want to build on the excellent teaching and ideas we have had before. And I have lined up some speakers to come and speak at our events. This will hopefully include:

The George Muller foundation – on networking and church partnerships
Roy Maguire from the YMCA – on youth justice
Lynda Richards PCSO – on peer mentoring and youth watch within schools
Tim Blasdale – PYO North Somerset
Pete Worthington designer of 24-7 prayer website – ministry through the net
Richard Passmore – FYT

In addition to this as we cover a massive geographical area, and generally our only contact time has been at the meetings. I see an area for us to develop is as an internet community. Part of this is to promote and let other churches know what is going on in our areas. To enable this I have had an account set up which is:
m5@living-waters.org.uk

If any of the group wants to send out an e-mail or info to this address it will be circulated to the entire network database. I know we all have busy schedules with some times being more manic than others, but I would ask for your support as the network develops, by inviting new people from your area to come along and to use the internet network to keep us all connected to each other.

Lastly the first meeting will be on Friday the 9th March @ 10.15am. The venue will be No 24 Old Street Clevedon BS21 6BY (see website www.living-waters.org.uk for directions) Drinks and cakes will be on ready supply. At the moment I am anticipating we meet about every 2-3months does that sit well with everyone? And could you let me know if you are intending to come?

If you have any more ideas or just want a chat drop me a line on 01275 344955 or rob@living-waters.org.uk

Have a blessed day

Rob England

Votes for 16 year olds and other news

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The Government has announced the first wave of 40 Respect Areas. The Department for Education and Skills is investing a further £6 million for parenting classes in the 40 areas in 2007/2008.

‘Raising inter-agency working to a higher level’
The National Association of Connexions Partnerships are being funded through the Children’s Workforce Development Council to run four one-day conferences for the different occupational groups who work with young people. It will be a chance for practitioners to reflect on the implications of the ‘integrated working’ agenda and have conversations with colleagues.

Futurebuilders England, the government-backed investment fund to help the third sector deliver better public services, is running a series of free regional roadshow events for regional infrastructure bodies to help build understanding of how Futurebuilders works and how to help others to apply for investment.

Votes at Sixteen
Jo Swinson (LD, East Dunbartonshire) has put down an Early Day Motion calling on the Government to allow a free vote on giving people over the age of 16 the right to vote.

Matrix

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Another thing I won’t be able to attend but a good conference for full time youth workers. The Matrix is here

and if you have not been before or were not sure sounds like a good line up and worth the time and effort. You know when you reach that point and are not sure if you have the energy to go and listen to someone else talk but feel it would be good and could do with a pick me up ….well Iain Hoskins who I work with at Bristol CYM is one of the key note speakers, and is a great communicator I find listening to him better than a crispy toasted cheese sandwhich after a freezing night on detached work. And I dont mean dull cheese on toast but when you take out the grill bit and grill the cheese in the pan till it goes brown and crispy and you have to prise it off then slap it between two bits of bread with mayo. Never tried it well try the Matrix as well!

freedom to flourish

200 years since the abolision of the transatlantic slave trade how do we express freedom in Christ today?
Take time out to think about how today’s youth worker can help to continue to make an impact on the lives of young people.

the matrix 2007 will examine through four averarching themes the role of the youth worker

…. as theologian

…. as leader

…. as missionary

…. as prophet

This will enable you to develop as a youth worker, drawing on the theological and socialogical perspectives. There will be space for personal reflection, dialogue with other practitioners, relaxation, laughter and focussing on God.

Organised by:

Churches Together in England
Baptist Union of Great Britain
Centre for Youth Ministry
United Reformed Church
The Church of England
Frontier Youth Trust
Youth for Christ
Scripture Union
AMAZE
YWAM
YMCA
MAYC
CYFA

Youth work standards

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.!.

New occupational and professional standards for youth work consultation – events NCVYS is holding two free events this month to discuss the New Occupational and Professional Standards for Youth Work, currently being developed by the Sector Skills Council Lifelong Learning UK. Events will be held in London and Birmingham; book online here.

Theology and Control

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I have been at the IASYM conference for the past few days and whilst hearing some good stuff and having some great conversations, it has raised issues for me around the academic paradigm and theology as a tool for control and reinforced some questions I had around Grenz and Franke model for re-imagining within a triangle of Tradition, Culture and Scripture. Andrew Root presented a paper looking at christopraxis, and how this takes place within a bracket – on one side Theological and Biblical Norms and on the other side a cultural perspective (that any action must not do harm to another person) so you seek to work out the will of God for a given situation swinging between the brackets. You can download the papers here. Whilst I agree in part with the brackets (the cultural perspective which I link with orthopraxis) the question for me is how these models can restrict change through a restriction of the heretical imperative or the surplus in the theological text, because this is outside the theological side of the bracket. Can we widen the bracket as there is no one theological norm or tradition. How can we protect the imaginative practice and creativity and give this space and do theology?

I know this may be a slightly confused post but I hope you get the idea

mobiles and detached

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I have been working on a project with some skaters and bikers in chard around getting lights and a path put in at the skate park. Yesterday at short notice the local paper wanted pictures. Whilst I dont keep record of young peoples mobile numbers, the fact they did have them made life easier. As soon as I saw one young person on the street they sent the word around and we had a good crowd within 20 minutes. The idea of being front page helped but it also meant I wasn’t going around rounding people up, and if I had not seen anyone we would have missed a really good opportunity.

As a rule I have not kept yp mobile numbers as recommended by some recent good practice guidelines, but it would make life easier. I amwondering if we should change the policy and am considering asking for consent to have the details once the young people are at stage 6 in the detached process. I wonder if with the ad hoc nature of detached projects there is more of a case. If there are other detached workers out there it would be know your policy.

IASYM

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Is anyone going to, or knows anyone going to IASYM in Cambridge from the South west that I could share a lift with, I am happy to drive but thought a car share may be good. I am in Somerset so could meet up here if someone was coming from Cornwall, Devon or Dorset, then I am travelling via A303 and M3?

Advent – How do you wait?

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We did an advent reflection in a the lift for a youth work training event last week. Below is the story we used but you can find the whole card here

The Waiting Room – How do you wait?

In a hot crowded waiting room full of noise and bustle you find yourself a seat. Do you sit away from people or next to them? Or do you sit near the exit, watching as people enter and leave? Perhaps you pick up an old magazine and leaf through it, idly looking at the pages but not actually seeing, always being alert to those around you. Or maybe you sit and think, running through lists or things to do when you leave. You might worry about the future or what lies for you behind that closed door.

You may wait expectantly, anticipating the answer to come soon, or you may know that your wait is a long one, maybe with no answer at the end. So how do you wait? As the world passes by you and round you, what is in the stillness of your mind, how is your spirit stirred?

Whether you find waiting easy or difficult we all have times in our lives where we just have to—wait.