All Issues articles – Page 63
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Issues
Editorial
One side effect of editing this magazine is occasionally being asked about the current ‘trends’ in youth ministry. ‘Jamie,’ these inquisitive youth workers ask, ‘You’re well-connected, you chat to people… what’s going on in the world of youth ministry?’ For my first few months in the job I’d mumble something along the lines of: ‘There’s a definite need to change… Is youth ministry really working? There are some really interesting things happening… It’s exciting to see people trying new things… But more importantly what do you see as the next big thing?’
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Issues
Editorial
Let’s be real for a few minutes here: sometimes youth work sucks. Sometimes the feeling of being responsible for youth ministry in a church, where you also want to go for support and fellowship is a total nightmare. Sometimes congregations forget that you’re a human being in need of love and community and instead see you as some kind of youth ministry vending machine, ready to dispense sage wisdom at a touch of the right button.
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Issues
Editorial
I was recently walking through the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral and saw a poster which caught my attention. It was made up of lots of sentences about stories. And there, in the corner was a quote that has been running around my mind ever since. The phrase, a Neil Gaiman-warping of G. K. Chesterton, read, ‘Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.’
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IssuesMindset issue: editorial
It is a rare privilege when people working in emotional health get to guest edit a main stream magazine…
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Issues
Editorial
I’m a pretty argumentative person. Sometimes I’ll argue because I genuinely believe I’m right (often about politics, specific interpretations of scripture or the correct way to pronounce ‘gif’). Sometimes I’ll argue to play devil’s advocate (often about politics, specific interpretations of scripture or how to pronounce ‘gif’). And then there’s the other times: the times I just try to incite others into arguments.
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Issues
Editorial
A group of youth workers asked me recently what my biggest failure in youth ministry was. Sometimes you wait a while before answering a question because you’re struggling to find an answer; other times it’s a case of narrowing down all the possibilities and finding the right one. Unsurprisingly, in this instance it was the latter…
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Issues
Editorial
It was all going wrong… one child was trying to get out of the fire escape, another was about to douse themselves in some terribly weak, church orange squash™ and approximately 50 per cent of the group weren’t listening. My attempt at story-telling was not only going wrong, it was doing so in spectacular, room-ruining fashion.
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IssuesEditorial
I love to read something that surprises me. That’s why I enjoyed reading David Csinos’ debut Childrenswork article, ‘Spirituality with Style’. As he talks about his own youth, the children’s spirituality expert draws a picture that may be unfamiliar for many of us. You see, as a child, David loved nothing more than watching the ‘sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes’ of the Catholic mass his family attended. In fact, he recalls, he ‘coerced my family to sit in the front pew… so that I could have the best view in the house.’ I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound a lot like my own childhood experiences of church, nor does it resonate with how my own children seem to engage with services.
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IssuesEditorial
When did you first realise you were called to youth ministry? It may have developed gradually over years, with small inklings along the way pointing you in the direction of working with young people. Or perhaps it was a sudden eureka moment, a lightning bolt from above, when you knew deep down in your soul that youth work was what you were born for. Or maybe you just stumbled into it, and aren’t really sure why you are doing what you are doing, or why you are reading a magazine about youth work.
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IssuesEditorial
While I was working as a schools worker a few years ago, the local authority went through a phase of renaming failing schools. It was as if they thought that if they changed its name and gave the children new jumpers, everyone would forget what a terrible school it had become and everything would be alright.
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Issues
Editorial
My heart sank as I arrived at church on Sunday. Having lovingly prepared a youth session with all sorts of whizzy activities and games and discussions and group work – only three young people turned up. We are never a huge and mighty army (we have six on a Sunday), but three is a tricky number ...
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Issues
Editorial
We’ve been trying out some new things in our children’s group recently. After a short story, we’ve been experimenting with letting the children respond as they want to, using various different materials. No worksheets or crafts prepared by the adults, and no leading or policing. It’s been interesting and exciting, but at times frustrating and disappointing.
