funky doo

Letter from God

A Great clip and a great track - so many possibilities for discussion starters or to play during a service...there are some interesting theological debates to be had too, if you're brave!! popout

labyrinth and worship wonderings

Mark Berry (way out west) has a really useful blog with all sorts of reflections and resources and thinking about worship in all it's forms as well as stuff about his pioneer role in Telford. Click on 'worship/prayer' in his cloud to get the full selection.

In the midst of toddler vomiting episodes, car servicing appointments and guests departing from a weekend of birthday celebrations, I have been starting to pin down the thinking and piecemeal preparation I had already done for the Labyrinth in St Alban's on Friday night.

The link above to Mark's blog is to his section of worship and prayer resources and a particular piece that has helped my thinking is titled 'Bored with Worship'. As we start to put together the elements for this Labyrinth and the stations to fit around the theme of 'Darkness into Light' - we're really concious of this being an indigenous and organic process for the people who come and share in it with us. We provide some prompts, some words, some ideas, and leave them to connect them in their own way. We want to enhance the journey, provide a stake in the ground as a point to say 'what am I doing here and what is God doing?', but worship, youth work and faith has to be non-directive...so we go with the flow! Hard for me who likes to have a plan!

It's going to be a different event altogether from the SolidReMix event in January in Chelmsford Cathedral. For a start, we have a much bigger and seperate space, but that means we need to fill it appropriately!!

Here are some pics of the January event:

Holy Space - rest in the centre, BE and take some bread for the journey.

The prayer/reflection wall on the way out - leave an encouraging word for those who follow you or thank God for something he has shown you. Pretty full as you can see!

Seeing yourself as God sees you - created in love and fearfully and wonderfully made. Self portraits...
 
 Some of these elements will be appearing at the St Alban's event, but there will be some new things too, some stolen and others totally original (!) - so we'll post photos next weekend when we've caught up on some sleep!
 

Creativity and Creeds

This blog post http://timabbott.typepad.com/timabbott/2009/10/creativity-and-creeds.html from Tim Abbott of CYO in Colchester quoting Mark Sayers has really connected and inspired me today.

The quote of the day: loving this as is resonates so tinglingly with our personal journey (www.funkydoofamily.blogspot.com)

"The Christian movement which ditches the creeds and covenants in favor of total experimentation finds itself looking less and less Christian. The movement which favors creeds at the expense of innovation finds itself theologically correct yet culturally irrelevant. However movements which are able to find the perfect point of tension between creativity and creeds have the ability to become something truly special."

 

Thanks Tim for the H/T and to Mark for his original post which I received second hand...but no longer for the Origins blog is now in my Google Reader!

"The Christian movement which ditches the creeds and covenants in favor of total experimentation finds itself looking less and less Christian. The movement which favors creeds at the expense of innovation finds itself theologically correct yet culturally irrelevant. However movements which are able to find the perfect point of tension between creativity and creeds have the ability to become something truly special."

 

Thanks Tim for the H/T and to Mark for his original post which I received second hand...but no longer for the Origins blog is now in my Google Reader!

Education and Employment Champion - Job Opportunity

Langley House Trust

    Breaking the chain of re-offending

Education and Employment Champion

£27,877

Location: reporting to Maldon, Essex.

Langley House Trust is a national Christian charity specialising in providing at-risk marginalised groups, including those leaving prison, with accommodation, support and rehabilitation in a supportive Christian environment.

Do you have experience of developing partnerships with education, training and voluntary work providers? Could you interpret our mission in today’s society? Then this role offers challenge, variety and boundless job satisfaction.

Reporting to the Head of Housing Management at our Maldon, Essex offices, you’ll play a key role in helping our residents and other users realize their full potential by coordinating and developing a Trust-wide programme of training, education and voluntary work placements. You will coordinate and provide resources to allow our support workers to deliver initially the City & Guilds 3071 but in the future an extensive portfolio of other externally accredited training programmes. You will also act as our Internal Verifier, monitoring quality and effectiveness. Your other tasks will range from supporting Job Clubs and preparation for employment activities, building links with providers and creating a network of social opportunities for our users to providing colleges with the information they need. At all times you’ll be expected to promote continual improvement and develop a Christ-centred culture.

We are looking for a highly organised person who has excellent administrative skills but is able and willing to travel regularly to cover all our Trust sites. You will also be someone who can motivate and lead others.

You will be capable of developing a portfolio of opportunities that all our service users can access.  These will include a range of externally accredited qualifications, voluntary work placements and employment preparation courses. You will be able to develop appropriate resources that support staff can use to assist in the local delivery of programmes such as the City and Guilds 3071. Your appointment will be subject to a satisfactory CRB check.  This job could change your life. It will certainly change others for the better.

This is a key role which fully integrates the Christian values of the organisation by ensuring the spiritual ethos of the Trust is upheld and promoted in all our business.  The post holder will be a committed and practicing Christian with a passion for working to change the lives of those who have previously offended or who are at risk of offending.

If you wish to find out more or obtain an application pack please visit our website www.langleyhousetrust.org or call on 01993 705999 quoting reference CD/587. Closing date 28^th October 2009

ReSource course

The Resource course, looking at church planting, mission, leadership and much else besides starts in a couple of weeks. Some people from our Diocese received grant money to go on the course a couple of years ago and got a lot from it.

As it's a low budget course in terms of advertising and marketing, I post this link here to spread the word.

http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2009/10/resource-weekends-time-to-sign-up.html

Would you like to go to Copenhagen??

 

ECO-ESSAY COMPETITION

 

·     Are you a Christian?

·     Are you aged between 18 and 29 years old?

·     Are you passionate to make a difference in God’s precious world?

·     Would you like to be a part of one of the most significant events of our time?

·     Could you be an ambassador and champion in our Diocese of churches?

 

“Yes!”.....?

…then this Eco-Essay competition is for you!

 

December's UN climate summit in Copenhagen will shape the way the world combats climate change.  It’s vital an effective deal is done for the sake of the planet which is God’s good creation and for the millions in the poorest countries who are suffering the effects of climate change now.

Chelmsford Diocesan Environment Group (DEG) is pleased to be able to offer to pay to send

FIVE DIOCESAN DELEGATES to Copenhagen.

 

Could you be one of the five?!?...

 

If so, you will be joining a group from Christian Aid, for a packed itinerary!...

 

Friday 11^th

·    Travel from UK to Copenhagen, arriving in the evening for dinner and bed at a school, where basic accommodation will be provided in dormitory-style.

Saturday 12^th:

·    Participate in large civil society march from Copenhagen city centre to the Bella Centre, where the United Nations climate change talks are taking place. You will be marching with Christian Aid partners who have come to take part in the talks and campaigners from all over the globe.

Sunday 13^th  

·    Participate in an event, where Archbishop Desmond Tutu will handover all the Countdown to Copenhagen pledges collected in the UK together with actions from across the globe to a representative of the UN. This event is being organised by Aprodev, the European coalition of which Christian Aid is a member.

·    Participate in an ecumenical church service, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury will speak. The service is taking place in Copenhagen cathedral; we hope to join in via big TV screens nearby.

·    Depart Copenhagen early evening. (time TBC)

Monday 14^th

·    Arrive back in the UK at various times!

So, what do you need to do to enter this competition and be one of the five?...

 

Simply write an essay of between 2000 and 2500 words, which addresses the following brief:

 

 

“Climate-change and sustainable lifestyles are vital issues for our shared future in God’s good creation. What perspective and contribution can the Christian faith bring?  And how do we raise up a prophetic generation of young people to live out this faith and make a difference?”

  

Submission deadline: Friday 13 November 2009

 

Entries will be judged by a panel of members from the Diocesan Environment Group.

The winners will be announced by the Bishop of Colchester on Friday 20 November 2009.

 

Please send your essay entry to Paul Trathen, the Bishop’s Advisor for ‘Faith in Action’, at:

 

Rawreth Rectory,

Church Road,

Rawreth,

Essex.

SS11 8SH

 

or

 

paul.trathen@btopenworld.com

shifting focus

Since we've now set up a family blog at www.funkydoofamily.blogspot.com this blog will be more youthwork and theology and work practice based.

On that note, my colleague in Oxford Diocese, Ian Macdonald posted a link to his blog www.youthblog.org referencing an article in this week's Guardian. As we were at a wedding this weekend (which you can read more about on the family blog :-)) I didn't get my usual Saturday paper fix and missed this gem.

Thank goodness for online newspapers - this article Teen Spirit, the Secret Life of Teenage Boys has really helped with my thinking a preparation for a training event this evening for a church about to embark on a new Tweenagers group. This new group at St Paul's Great Baddow is aimed at years 4-8 (roughly 9-13 years old) and initially will be for the current kids in the church, but will hopefully become more outward focused. It's great to be part of an initiative like this right from the beginning and to be able to offer ideas, support and training.

So I've been adapting sessions I already deliver on Adolescent and Faith Development, Working with Tweenagers and Boundaries training to create a cohesive whole for this evenings session! Will keep you posted on how this group develops and I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers!

Diocesan Youth Officers - mad or heroic??

Following on from my post at the DYO conference the other week, I thought I'd share my notes from Chris Curtis' session with us, before the notebook goes awry or I lose the sense of what he was saying.

Are DYO's mad or heroic?

A cross between Mighty Mouse, Wonderwoman and Inspector Gadget!

The church needs DYO's to be: Perception Changers, Dream Casters and Hope Chasers

Perception Changers:  the church's view of young people is often profoundly mistaken. The Church is at a point where it believes it has nothing left to offer young people, a crisis of confidence and we minister into the midst of that. We need to change the idea of what youth work is, how it works and where it happens...

Chris shared a poem by Rose written in a school in Luton which included the line:                             God is in the midnight shadow that might have been there if the cloud only moved.

Dream Casters: Chris shared a picture of a bridge in Honduras which had ended up crossing nothing as the the river changed course after a hurrican hit the country. When does a bridge stop being a bridge? This is almost a picture of where the church now finds itself.

What should the bridge builders do in response to this disaster which is not their fault? What should the church do in response to where it now finds itself? Many churches are not able to dream themselves out of this situation - need Youth Advisers to be the dream casters and ask "What is the new road?".

Hope Chasers: Failure in all areas of life is a certainty. The Church and young people need Youth Adviser's to to keep us going when things don't work out.

Chris used a boat origami making activity to help us pray for parishes. Encouraging us to pray for them in sensing going to where the river is NOW. Might now be very fast moving and feel treacherous.

Year Out Opportunites

I have details of 2 great year out options for you (or those you know) to investigate:

Legacy Congregation in Benfleet, South East Essex have opportunities for Interns to join their team, anytime in the year subject to vacancies. Contact details can be found on the link above but I also have some flyers and application forms I can send you. Just email me off line.

Aquila Way in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear are a Christian charity offering support, accommodation, mentoring and life skills to the young homeless in the community. This is an amazing charity (I used to work for them) and they are offering an Intern programme, starting in September and including work experience within the charity and a local church placement as well as training and leadership mentoring through the year. A great opportunity - contact me for more info about what they do and for a flyer with more info.