Why did you decide to go to Soul Survivor?
Erm… because everyone else did! I also wanted to get to know more people in the youth group.
What were some of the highlights?
It was good that they had activities and things for everyone to do. They tried to fit as much in and do as many things as they could for each group of people.
Which activities did you personally enjoy the most?
I liked a couple of the seminars… that’s another good thing - the seminars weren’t all about one thing, they were on different things. I liked the UV Party. But that was the only evening activity that I went to because I was really tired.
What about the worst thing?
There’s nothing really bad about it. The weather was a bit bad at the beginning but that’s not Soul Survivor’s fault! The talks were a bit long and very full on. But they were good.
What were the hard things?
Trying to get your head around everything: all the information and everything that gets said. I think that’s tricky when it’s your first time. But as each day passed it got easier. And obviously, the more you go the easier it gets, because the routine stays the same.
Is there anything we could have done to help you process it?
Well, you did. When we decided that we only wanted to do one talk, someone sat with us and we spoke about everything that we needed to talk about and they answered any questions.
What would your top tips for someone going for the first time be?
Don’t pack too much! And be prepared for all weather!
You don’t need your hair straighteners! And be prepared for things that are hard to deal with, like at the talks and seminars and stuff; you have to be prepared for really sensitive topics. And you have to be prepared for how everyone reacts to it, because everyone reacts differently.
What improvements could we make for next year? (Other than praying harder for good weather!)
I don’t think there is anything. I think you just have to take it as comes. If you try and make things go a certain way and then it doesn’t go that way, then you won’t enjoy yourself. So you just need to be ready for things to change.
So I guess good advice for us as leaders is to be ready to be flexible?
Yeah. For any good or bad things that happen.
How have you found going back to church after the event?
It’s been ok. It’s not really changed. I have gone to church a bit more. I guess I feel better about going to church, and I understand it a bit more. And I listen a bit more… that sounds really bad because it sounds like I wasn’t listening before! But it’s because I understand it more, and I know that I can ask questions and there’ll be someone that hopefully knows the answer. And I’m not so shy any more, I’ll talk to people.
Is there anything else that you’d want to say about Soul Survivor that youth workers might benefit from?
I think the youth workers have a bit too much work to do. They don’t get to enjoy themselves as much as we do.
Becca: These interviews are a helpful youth work process, inviting dialogue about events between a youth worker and young person. In the situation where the young people only wanted to go to one talk I was impressed by the youth leaders supporting that decision in a proactive way. It’s a good example of co-constructing a youth work experience, which can be hard for youth workers if they’ve made plans and had expectations of an event going a particularly way. This ties in with the interviewee’s advice - to be prepared to be flexible for things being different to your expectations. What great advice for both young people and youth workers!
When I took young people to Soul Survivor I really appreciated the time talking about the event with the group. Because I wasn’t running the programme it freed me up to be more dialogical with less agenda of how I wanted the group to perceive everything. Youth workers could learn from this conversation about how chats with young people about the youth work we’re involved in can help them make sense of what they’re experiencing and help us understand what’s going on for them and how to adapt to that.
Soul Survivor was an important experience for this interviewee, which is great. Youth work, high moments, are often associated with residential trips away. Somehow the intensity of experience and quality and length of time together make these particularly formational times - spirituality and relationally. Youth workers should be aware of how much power we hold in these times, and so developing practice that gives more voice to the young people trusting us with their time and safety is a really positive approach towards handling our positions in empowering ways.
