A couple of weeks ago, I was speaking at a youthwork training in Havering Deanery. Takeaway has been going for 20 years, the initiative of Michael Eastman, legendary youthworker, former CEO of Frontier Youth Trust and Romford YMCA. It was an inspiring day and led a session on Bringing Hope and Sharing Faith with Young People.
I'm sharing my notes here for future reference and for those who came on the day who might want to look back at what I said (or planned to say, as I didn't get through it all!) Anyway, here you go:
Introductions: Bring experience of 14 years of local and regional youth ministry (paid) and 7 years volunteering before that. I became a Christian at 15 from no church background, through the local church, where youth ministry and inter generational ministry was resourced, encouraged, envisioned.
Since we moved to Essex from NE in 2006, I've had 2 babies, now 7&2, been part of 4, nearly five churches (charismatic evangelical, liberal catholic, conservative evangelical, new monastic church plant) as well as joining a religious order. Husband Andy ordained June 2014 to St Andrews Basildon. As family, we're passionate about kids, family on mission, hospitality, Missional community.
Work for the Diocese, helping churches do youth work and do it well. Within that, integrate with membership of TOM, household of faith, oikos, networks and communities rather than events.
Roy talked about vision this morning: hope for the future, support to get there. Aquila. Story of Chantelle - sofa surfing, drug addiction, pregnancy, tenancy, church links, individuals going beyond.
Passionate about young people - engaging, Discipling, offering family, potential, creativity, cultural earthquakes.
Passionate about young leaders - being identified, envisioned, equipped and released.
Passionate about youth workers - who are supported, stretched, discipled and equipped.
Passionate about the church - in all it's craziness. It's Gods only plan but we do need to get our priorities right and our priority must be Jesus, relationships, mission, discipleship, Jesus. Changing us and changing others and changing the world.
Mix today of group discussions, feedback, small group & input from me.
Questions are great - stick em in, if I need to park it cos we'll address later I'll let you know, if we need to address separately I'll do my best to fit in!
In bringing hope, we need to be conscious of the world and culture we are placed in and bringing hope to - not the situations we'd like to be in or we have convinced ourselves we're in or the cosy Christian world looking out onto the hope and despair out there.
But the real world, that we live in, interact in, influence....so many times, I sit in meetings or have discussions and while all very worthy and important, much of what we think is important as Christians is not what most of our friends, peers, colleague, neighbours, are seeing is important, talking about, engaging with.
That's not to say that we shouldn't be challenging some world views and drawing peoples eyes wider and higher but if our concerns are our primary aim or need, we can become distracted at best and irrelevant at worst.
Group Discussion: flip chart paper and pens What do you understand to be the biggest issues facing young people today?
Feedback
Today is Self Harm Awareness Day.
8% of teens aged 13-18 have an anxiety disorder. Of these teens only 18% received mental health care. Mental health awareness day today.
1 in 12 young people have self harmed at some point.
Children's Society research - Good Childhood report/research
Well being - factors that have biggest impact are: family, friends, health, appearance, time use, future, home, money and possessions, school, choice.
Children's happiness with choices available to them drops steadily between ages of 8 and 15 and rises at 16. Lack of choice in relationships (family, friends) begins to damage them relating to appearance and self expression.
So, not sure where that ties into what Roy was saying this morning about giving young people less choice.
Maybe it's about opportunity....
The drop in teenagers well being is more than grumpiness - it has a far, broad reaching effect. Drop in all the factors listed above. Add in difficulties at home, stress at school, health concerns and it doesn't take much for things to plummet.
But today is about HOPE!
So what does this all mean for our topic? What does this mean for us as Christians, involved in youth ministry, following Jesus, seeking to see his Kingdom come in our little slice of God's earth?
Bringing hope - great commandment. Disciple who make disciples,
Sharing Faith - equipping young people to share their faith, impact their networks, maintain faith through to adulthood.
Understanding and putting ourselves back in their place.
Up In Out - The Triangle teaching
What can we do? Good Childhood and New Economics Foundation found 5 ways to boost well being:
Connect - with friends and family
Be active - exercise, activity, outdoors
Take notice - awareness of environment, feelings, emotions
Keep learning - encourage natural curiosity, exposure, keep the world large
Creativity and play - encourage imagination, problem solving, creative approaches and new stimulus
What does it look like for your household - those you live with, those you spend your most time with, those in your extended family - to respond to some of these boosts to well being? Any ideas?
Missional Community model - who are you already connected with?
Who are the people in your life who love you, like you, serve you, listen to you? Talk to others in that...
Information Imitation Innovation
Practical ideas - small groups.
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