Category: Theory

What might the future of..Community/youth work management?..be like after the covid-19 pandemic?

On By JamesIn Context, Theory, Youthwork, Youthwork management2 Comments

Yeah, I know. That’s what I thought too…

The question that literally no one is asking.

I’ve got to admit, when it comes to the ‘future’ of, things that are buzzing around, future of the church, future of youth ministry, future of communities, future of society and welfare, they all conjure up radical thinking, deep reflection and an energy.  Practice led passions, practice led prophetic crystal ball gazing, and trying to construct a way of being for the new normal.

But the same can’t be said about management can it?

I mean, has there been a ‘future of community practice management zoom webinar yet?’

No, didn’t think so.

It’s not going to get the digital airwaves crashing.

And that’s mainly why I wasn’t too sure about this piece. But then again, as I thought about it again and chatted with a few friends, colleagues and my team, I came to a different conclusion.

Because. If a new normal will exist in practice in the future, then a new approach to governance, management and leadership might be required too. Not only that , maybe its as good as time as any for a rethink about the construct of management entirely.

Why?

Well it’s not just because huge number of people have lost their jobs and therefore managing tasks and people, one of the key definitions of management, at this time has taken a back seat. But I think something else has happened too.  For not since possibly the second world war has there been such a sense of collective unity, and a collective line in the sand moment across the entire world. A collective draw breath, after what seems like a relentless pursuit of goods, consumables, and work and earnings to collect such things. Much management and its motivation through the last 50 years has been market driven.

The collective draw of breath, and this has happened in the most vulnerable places as , yeah, not even the poorest have been sanctioned, (nature is healing, it won’t last, not with the tories in power).

But maybe then its the perfect time to think about management, when actually the pressure is off a bit.

Theres another reason too.

Have you noticed something?

What has struck a chord with you in the last few months, covid-19 and the pursuits of justice for the black community, oh and the outcry of Dominic Cummings?

What links them all?

That people when they are united over something operate for the good of many. That people in community react positively in crisis. That people don’t seem to need to be motivated to do good. That also, leaders (Johnson/Trump included) can become so cocooned in their own power, and shielded from real people that they can only think the worst of them.

I have ,as you know, become a big fan of Rutger Bregman, and his latest book , Humankind (2020).

It brings to the fore a new reality, one witnessed profoundly in the last 10 weeks that society did not crumble during covid-19, even if the negatives seem closer in the memories, that actually what kept things going was a collective spirit and energy, from clergy being innovative, communities looking out for each other, respectful queuing, NHS claps and rainbow banners, you tube videos and, yeah, even the media showing less stress filled tv shows. Things got so bad/good that many people can retweet Piers Morgan confidently.

Bregman also reflects on the issues in organisations and companies when leaders, who may well once have been good people, become corrupted by power, and the implications of the lack of distance from top floor to bottom floor. Its worth a read,  because in relation to a hidden but closer reality to the truth, he asks the following question:

‘Can we use our heads and harness rationally to design new institutions? Institutions that operate on a wholly different view of human nature? What if schools and businesses, cities and nations expect the best of people instead of presuming the worst? (Bregman, 2020)

He uses the examples of a number of institutions, negatively, including police forces that adopted harmful approaches, and positively prisons in Norway that have emphasised human respect not punitive punishment, schools that focus on Individual learning – as practices that are shaped around human dignity (or not as in the case of the police) .

But what if schools presumed the best in their pupils? for example?  and how many times have the police suggested that detached youth workers are required to do informal policing, and yet 99 times out 100 the youths workers discover that young people are sitting, chatting and doing nothing more than being young people, creatively energetically enjoying the space. Like young people should be. And people tend to be 99% of the time.

And that’s about practice not about management.

Through managing practices where staff and resources are used to enhance the goodness, gifts of people, might well be considerably easier than the effort it takes to put policies and practicers in place that avoid the worst. (And I’m not advocating the removal of policies by the way)

Management takes a number of forms, even in the third sector, from management of organisations, management of churches, of charities and managing those who manage churches, and even where the word management isn’t used, its often what is done. Theres also management of the self, but that’s not for now. Though we might manage ourselves differently if part of it is to recognise that we might actually be good kind humans at our core.

And we might, because of the likely personality issues in management and those with power (10% more likely) act, if not under stress better that is often expected.  Admit it, ‘I didn’t expect you to do that’ is usually only said when someone acts in a better way.

Is it time to do a Control-Alt-delete with management and give it a reboot?

  1. Might it be time to loosen control?

Many organisations die with limited imagination, innovation and creativity.  Too much control and bureaucracy and everything stagnates. The creatives, the argumentatives, those who generate conflict of ideas are often sidelined, yet, more often than not conflict is good, it spurs things on. Storms shake.

Sometimes it’s better not to to try herding the cats. Its not really in their nature. But just make sure there’s the best environment for the cats to be able to be themselves.

Human nature is more good than bad. People do generally want to please. People do in the main want to have purpose and be creative, significant and contribute.

A type of control that is perpetuated by the attitude that people are only motivated by carrot or stick has to change too. They aren’t. Even if its still widely mythically attributed.  Especially in the aspects of our lives where its not about money, why volunteer for the myriad of things if its carrot or stick- neither make sense..?

Deci and Ryan suggest that as humans were motivated by three things, competence, autonomy and belonging.  Being part of something, being good at something, and being able to be in the decision making process of the things themselves. Research described by Bregman actually showed that  monetary incentives demotivated. You’ve heard me write about this before. 

Now, all of competence, belonging, autonomy, automatically assumes that people are good at stuff, people are likeable to have personal connections and that people enjoy rising to challenges, taking risks  and having their reigns loosened a bit. In short, people are motivated by being treated respectfully and humanely, when they are believed in. Strange that. Time to lose control a bit. Treat people like animals or caged in, and how might they behave. Then its about control and policing. Think about institutions again. Schools and prisons, but also not just there..

2. What about an alt – and Alternative view of Humanity, in which management is about trust and believing in people as people who are not just capable of kindness but for whom it is closer to their core. Yes there are exceptions and some people may abuse this – but why should the exception determine the approach?

What might alternative management look like – before hurrying back to what was before?

What needs to shift?

And thirdly, and I’m desperately trying to make the best use of this concept..

Delete?

Is it attitudes?

Actually, it could be our own as managers and leaders. For, there’s too easy a temptation to think, no, presume, the worst in people. Leaders and managers can be so easily corrupted by power.

If human endeavour has been witnesses, maybe the way people are managed, if at all, needs to change. What needs to change in the management of people in community work? What needs to change in management of projects of Youthwork? What even could be deleted in the management styles of supermarket like Asda (where people have risen to the cause, significantly) and Clergy (who have adapted equally) and anyone else..

So,

If our beliefs about people are shifted in the realisation that humans are kinder, more generous, more supportive than we realised – for a whole generation… what might that mean about managing people in the future?

Thats the question, that no one will be asking.

But it’s here to start a reflection…

References

Bregman, Rutger, 2020, Humankind. (obviously)

13 ways Zoom could be more Youth work Friendly

On By JamesIn Context, Theory, Youthwork, Youthwork Methods1 Comment

Just imagine that world before zoom, feels a long time ago now doesn’t it, those heady days of early march, spring sunshine, freedom of movement, travel and many other things in life we did with barely a thought, that we dont have now. But one we do have now, at the forefront of many of our lives, in a way that wasn’t before is zoom. And there’s zoom churches, zoom conferences, zoom dinner parties and quiz nights, and its great to maintain so much social connection whilst there’s physical distancing.

But have you actually thought how unfriendly Zoom is for doing youthwork? I mean, its a bit businesslike isnt it? clinical even? so, I was wondering, what might be ways in which zoom could become more youth work friendly.

Heres my few:

  1. No waiting room, and make the room number public, as in the whole local community public, no youth work session is really authentic without the overriding fear that anyone could barge in and disrupt that one moment of depth with a young person that you’ve been wanting to have for months, that gets disrupted by an older group of young people popping their head through the doors on the way back from the pub
  2. Backgrounds. To make your zoom youth work session moire realistic, a number of new backgrounds should be adopted, there’s the following
      1. busy but dilapidated 1950’s build octagon with pool table
      2. empty shiny ‘One Zone’ building with a fire alarm every 40 mins
      3. complete darkness – this is the ‘minibus broken down on the m6 at 10pm’ background
      4. Tiny school classroom – for mentoring
      5. Cold dark bus stop to simulate detached
  3. You should be able to have a ‘swearing acceptance’ button. You can choose what level swearing you think is acceptable, and the punishment that the swearing invokes, from 1- instant exit from the session room for an accidental ‘bloody’, to 10 – full on clap reactions for every Bernard Manning tirade (as long as its not racist) . You could also set this gradation for every different young person , given the different tolerances.
  4. A new feature is the virtual table tennis game. A primitive attempt to cause a 3d ball to float on the screen and be knocked back from one person to another. This feature obviously only works on the sessions when the youthworker has been able to get to the sports shop to replace the broken ball from last week.
  5. To help the youth worker out a bit, there’s a number of repeated commands that can be robotically stated, when the group gets out of hand, these include:
    1. Are you the kind of person that should try and damage the virtual pool cues?
    2. Do you think we should have a conversation about that?
    3. Where are all your friends tonight? (dont tell me you haven’t been saying this since the first quiet night in the youth club in 1984)
    4. No we can’t do that next week, and
    5. Dont you know how much effort we put into this session every week, for yo0u to destroy it?
  6. For the youthworker, the new youthwork friendly Zoom will only let you begin a youthwork session with the uploading of a scanned risk assessment, health and safety certificate and the manual uploading of all the DBS certificate numbers for all the volunteers present, and the date they all completed first aid and food hygiene certificate, not that any of these are needed for seeing young people digitally in their dining rooms, but you never know, that game of house bound treasure hunt could get rowdy.
  7. The Democracy button will mean that every person in the session will be allotted exactly the same amount of time to speak during it. So that this is fair. They can ‘sell time’ to their peers, for the sake of a quiet night, but that is up to them. But democracy and equality…
  8. The added jeopardy feature, will, add significantly more unpredictability that just unwarranted disruptions by barging in. It’ll be a feature that you can set yourself, depending on whether you have new volunteers (a time for high jeopardy) or a more experienced team and feeling like its a boring night with some drug fuelled violent argument between two young people taking place, but it is quiet. To help with staff training, the youth manager can set the jeopardies beforehand, their severity and frequency during the night and not inform the volunteers. The advice is to vary it, as the rampaging of escaping digital goats from the local organic farm through the pool room happening every week whilst funny the first time, does get a bit easy for the volunteers to predict.
  9. In an added twist, sometimes the young peoples themselves can have control of the jeopardy button themselves…
  10. The share button, will be tailored with a range of youthwork friendly features, you’ll be able to share jokes, chips and sweets on ‘detached zoom’, the over enthusiastic youthworker may hope that they can press the share button to get a game of digital pool, other things that can be shared include the magic flip chart paper and pens, and the usual zoom business features.
  11. One of the best features in the Youthworker friendly zoom is the button labelled ‘Mary Poppins’ . Yeah, no more hours of glitter, glue, mud or sand all over the place, tables full of juice, crips crumbs everywhere. The Mary Poppins feature means that you just switch off and leave the meeting. Leaving the young person, and their carers in the lounge to tidy it all up. Yup, absolutely nowt for you to do!
  12. Before any of the persons in the youth zoom meeting leave it, they must take part in ‘zoom flect’, its what zoom are heralding as the silver bullet for youthwork reflective practice. Anyone who attends the zoom youth meeting, must answer a series of questions about the session including its
    1. nature
    2. approach,
    3. philosophy,
    4. style,
    5. crisp flavour,
    6. environment,
    7. ideas for next week,
    8. therapeutic referral preference,
    9. reason for not filling in all these questions,
    10. feedback on the leadership style,
    11. a photo,
    12. a story of the sessions impact on a deep seated need, and
    13. which game they liked,

And although you can be lenient ( switching on the ‘voluntary participation’ icon) – its best for the long term sustainability of the youth work zoom platform that every participant fills all this in as they ‘exit meeting’, there is an added incentive, in that if they do not then their laptop freezes for an hour, zoom flect, its the way to go. Zoom will also automatically record all the content of the conversations, and for an extra subscription turn them into a fancy graph at the end of each month.

13. Speaking of conversations, Youth work zoom has a perception setting, and like predictive text, will read the body language of all the young people as they are in conversation on the screen, and above their names, unbeknown to the young people will give prompts to you, the youth leader as to which to say. This will make your youth work sessions far more efficient, reduce unnecessary banter and give you the edge. You’ll be able to ignore it of course, to keep things fun and buoyant, and the ‘high empath’ setting on this can mean that there’s also a requirement for digital tissues.

So, just a few ideas from me, on how zoom could be made more youthwork friendly, do add your own suggestions below;

Is the problem of absent young people taken seriously enough by churches? (enough, even to read a book?)

On By JamesIn Theory, Youth ministryLeave a comment

If only there were lots of books to read that congregations and churches could read to help them think through the pressing issue of trying to attract, trying to keep, and trying to disciple young people in churches. If only there were just so many, that there would be an exhaustion of so many to choose from.

But faced with the task, no, faced with the pressing need of trying to make church, discipleship and faith real for young people – where do churches and congregations turn? Well, its not books.

Therefore it is not those who think through, and do research about young people. For study

It is not the youthworkers of the past who have written up their experiences, shared their story and reflected it in way that makes it accessible for others.

And, without having an hankering for thinking and theory – what do current practices rely on? – just experience? just the latest fashion? just with the second hand learning of others? the youthworker youre about to employ, the student who is amazing, and just hope they know what to do.

What am i getting at? Whats my problem.

Well, i wish I was surprised. Im just a bit disappointed. I thought churches cared about young people, i really wish, the desire to connect with young people, and understand their world was really like. At least try.

At least engage with actual research. Published , verified research by one of the UKs leading statisticians on church numbers and data.

This is what I am getting at.

Are churches bypassing books to read up themselves and just employing someone to get their knowledge?

But reading a book might solve a lot of hassle.. mightnt it?

The following book was given to me last week for free.

(you can buy it for 1p here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reaching-Keeping-Tweenagers-Peter-Brierley/dp/1853211478/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=reaching+and+keepping&qid=1555273495&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell )

I was given it free from the North East Religious resources centre (RRC), as they were having a clear out.

It was in their youth ministry and childrens ministry section, yes it is a title from 2001. But why was it given to me free?

Because it had not been taken out of the RRC for 10 years.

Actually, the last person who did did so in 2007. That is 12 years.

12 years when no one from any church congregation in the north east took out a book that detailed statistics, findings, analysis, reflections on the lives of, the thinking of, the behaviours of young people aged 8-13 in the UK. Statistics and reflections from one of the UKs leading statisticians on churches and church growth. (his website is http://www.brierleyconsultancy.co.uk)

12 years where it doesnt appear that churches really wanted to do any difficult work around young people and think through things.

It may be out of date now, but it really wasnt in 2007,8,9, 10…

12 years where something else was more important.

12 years where research about young people hasnt defined or shaped practice in regard to young people – but something else might have done.. And im not saying general research is everything, on these pages you will know that i have issues about such general research and making generalisations. But at the same time, what might it say that this kind of book hasnt featured in any thinking about youth ministry, childrens ministry in the north east for over 12 years.

Maybe it also says something about how many people know about the fabulous religious resources centre, and please do register, connect and make use of the fabulous resources. And the books. The many 1000’s of books. Almost free, with an annual fee to join…

So, when youth work books are being given away for lack of use, what is going on? – what isnt going on?

What priority does youth work actually have ? And who might actually be prepared to graft, to read, to think about it, before embarking on the long term journey of it..

Books may be out of fashion, but come on, leaving them unused, unread and not part of the process of developing youth ministry practice… really?

Im not shocked, just a bit disappointed. When a resource this good has been laying dormant. What a waste.

Get a new qualification in spiritual blog reading! details here:

On By JamesIn Theory2 Comments

After lengthy protracted and often difficult negotiations, (and one of the reasons why I’ve been a little quieter on here than usual). I have a little announcement;

Learning from the streets is proud to announce a new partnership with Cleveland college. I can also announce a breakthrough pioneering course that will become available in the north east this year.

Background

After the proliferation of spiritually related blogs, from ‘Babylon bee’ to ‘the gospel coalition’, ‘learning from the streets’ and many others in-between, the time is right for it to be possible to gain accreditation after reading, consuming and learning from all these digitally articulated spiritual web sites. No longer does the sacred myth emanate from ancient texts alone. Image result for blog

And now you can

From September 2019, thanks to Cleveland college and their significantly talented arts, digital and faith department. You will be able to undertake a BA degree in ‘digital articulation (with) superficial spirituality’

In effect, it is a course in which you can study and reference all digitally articulated blogs and articles that claim to be spiritual, including I might add, this one, in order to gain a Bachelor award. Image result for studying

As you might imagine, this is a massive step forward internationally in recognising the spirituality of blog writing and reading, giving us professionals in the field part acknowledgement for the efforts made to spew spiritual recommendations into the online world.

Applications can be made for the BA (digital articulation (with) superficial spirituality) from today and do apply soon as places are bound to be filled quickly.

The BA course, internally its being calling BADASS for short, will include the following modules which can be taken up to 360 credits on a flexible two or three year basis, with an essential dissertation to be completed. These details are below:

Diploma- year 1

1. Digital communication and spirituality or ‘how to get loads of reads and views using a controversial title’.

2. The history of blogging in the context of faith based written guidance. From Paul’s letters to the gospel coalitions articles, this will give students opportunities to ask the question: ‘what went so wrong’ with the message of the gospel.?

Each candidate must complete coursework and a final year exam. A number of resources are available. At the end of the first year students, having studied blogs for a year are given a digital detox. And encouraged to read a book. And soak their head in a bucket of vinegar.

Year 2 – Degree level

Module 3. The culture of spiritual blogs and their effect on the church.

Module 4. ‘Is it all ego?’ This fourth module option looks at the psychology of those who write spiritual blogs and what the effect is on them

Students will be encourage in their second year to begin critically analysing spiritually themed blogs ahead of their dissertation submission which can be present in their second or third year.

The principle question for the dissertation will be:

‘How far down a spiritual blog do people realise that it’s an April fool?’

This title will bring to the fore the skills required for critical thinking and recovering truth from bullshit in blogs. Using the annual April fools day japery as as a theme, students will present a 15,000 word essay, and 2000 word blog piece on this subject. To pass the course student must get their blog post read by over 3000 people.

If this interests you, don’t delay. Apply now. For detail ring 0104 0002019 and ask for Dee Gital .

Apply now for your BADASS qualification now!

 

Detached youthwork stage 1; Observation

On By JamesIn Detached youthwork, Mission, Theory, YouthworkLeave a comment

Instead of writing a whole load of stuff on observation. I decided to make a film about it instead. See what you think.

Yes I need help with the technical bits.. but enjoy none the less…

Here it is detached youthwork stage 1 – observation

The stages stuff you’ve seen before. And I go into more in detail in Here be Dragons.

Anyway. Enjoy. Cringe or Laugh..

Young people need autonomy and connectedness, can Christian youthwork provide it?

On By JamesIn Discipleship, Theodrama, Theory, Youth ministry, Youthwork, Youthwork MethodsLeave a comment

I Saw this on social media the other day:

A great tension for young people is their desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves while making their own rules. Impossible. (Michael Wear)

Think about it for a moment, then think about what being a young person was like for you in regard to these two things. At the point of wondering about an individuals place in the world, comes a desire to also be in control and make their own rules.

It might be fair to say, the more privileged a young person is, the more opportunity they have to make their own rules, or at least have more autonomy about their own future. But that doesn’t take away their desire to be a rule maker, or have autonomy in situations

It might also be fair to say, that the less day to day responsibilities, stress and turbulence a young person encounters in daily life, the more opportunities that they might have to contemplate the ‘bigger story’.  But again, that doesnt mean to say that it is absent. Neither does it mean that it isnt speculated – just often might not be given the opportunity. Thats the Maslow hierarchy, its only when basic needs are met that actualisation can occur – well thats not quite accurate.

Maybe the question for young people might be how they place themselves in the great Universe, do they consider themselves free – to do what they want – or controlled – as if God already knows therefore humanity is merely puppetry. What if these questions are the ones young people are contemplating in their deep recesses of their soul – beyond or during the distractions from technology?

There might be an argument, that there is a lack of coherent stories in the western world that young people can metaphorically attribute to their own existence. Young People  (as they grow, psychologists tell us) form a narrative identity (probably) to piece together all the parts of their life as a story – yet the most common stories about their existence dont hold water, even if they want them too, such as Disney or materialism. For each generation of people, the founding stories and sacred myths lose their half life. The problem here is that once the story collapses, and there is confusion amongst the personal identity, as well as reduced autonomy and connection, then there are higher levels of mental health problems. Young people dont have a story to live by (McAdams, 1997), just a day to day existence in which accumulation of stuff, of popularity or personal display of images is what derives meaning. Its not a story to live by, but a station on the journey that might be full of mirrors., that gets adopted as a story.  Even via technology young people are not setting the rules, its adults who shape the apps, create the platforms, sell the games and keep young people attracted/addicted/manipulated by them. Young peoples autonomy is temporarily met, as might be their connection. If Studies show that getting a ‘like’ or a ‘follow’ is equivalent to a drug hit, then its no wonder alcohol sales have reduced amongst young people. (To be honest, I’m just the same when a person reads one of my articles -its nowt to do with young people.) Its temporary connection repeated often. Everything louder than everything else.

In their narrative identity, should they be able to adapt one that suits their being, the best one that young people choose is likely to allow for them to have autonomy, and probably also give them purpose, its also likely to provide self worth, confidence and also meaning, and it orientates the person into society in a way that enables them to connect, to function and to be purposeful in their history and that they can have consistency in their previous, current and future recognition of self (Bryan, 2016, p95). What is significantly interesting is that areas of stronger folk religion, of tribes and of community history have lower, almost invisible, incidents of mental health issues. (see: https://newint.org/columns/essays/2016/04/01/psycho-spiritual-crisis) Ie they have a story that they can live by that is not subject to constant challenge, crisis or breakage.

This was published today (21st December.) An existential crisis is impacting mental health. https://opendemocracy.net/transformation/john-f-schumaker/demoralized-mind 

In a much acclaimed study that discovered that MTD was the faith position of many american young people. What Christian Smith also discovered was that belonging to youth groups and believing in a sacred story that gave young people meaning was a ‘good’ thing in terms of their social, mental and physical health. (Smith, C, 2005) I have sidetracked somewhat. Believing in something sacred might be better than believing in nothing.

The question from the outset was whether young people can have both autonomy and connection. I wonder whether young people leave churches and groups because they feel that neither of these things are met. At a time they want connection, they get passed from group to group, at a time they want autonomy they dont have choice. But that could of course all change. Change because we might begin to realise in working with young people that these two factors, in tension, are at play all the time.

When young people challenge me on the streets, asking ‘why are you here?’ what they actually mean is can I trust you. 

They are searching for connection, a connection they can believe in. When young people give up on church, is it because theres nothing for them, or nothing for them. They spot a rat from a mile off and will protect themselves accordingly. Why invest in something not worth investing in. If playing football gives more value and provides more meaning. Or homework does, because the ‘story’ of school and achievement within education has ‘higher’ meaning. But often no more rule making or connected ness, just a rung to place that might lead to this. ‘Having a job, Having a house’ the promise of future autonomy.

So, what about faith. No Sacred story conveys all the human being might require at least not to what psychologists suggest. If the story does, then often the community that practices it might not do. We have to take seriously that young people, especially young women might not have any autonomy in a church, often ignored for the ‘leader’ privileges within youth ministry.. -so why stay? even if the Bible can be read in a way that values women (because it does) – a limited interpretation and power dynamics might say otherwise in a local congregation. So it is stay and believe it and accept submission, or challenge (which many young people do) not find a ‘home’ where challenge is possible, then leave. Leaving as an exercise of autonomy.

It might be more key that young people, do not just hear stories of the gospel, but believe that they are part of the story, performers of its drama. Narratives go so far. Young people can be connected to the story of the past, and yet also have agency in the drama in the future to act in response to God in the midst. Being connected and autonomous at the same time.

Considering the Christian story as a drama to perform, might provide the Connnectedness and Autonomy that a young person is looking for and needing. Youth Ministry, as i suggested in my previous post, would do well to reflect on the possibility that it has the task of the formation of performers who need to know their part, their location in the drama and to be attuned to hearing the ongoing voice of God who prompts in the midst. If young people feel that they are only a number


or one of many in a queue in the church, then they’ll search elsewhere for the autonomy and connection that being a young person is all about for them. Its what many gangs provide. Can Youth Ministry appeal to young people tense need for connection and autonomy? – it could. Why doesnt it?

Its our role to be witnesses of the Story, and maintain not its believing and telling, but its participation and performing. What might Theodrama offer youth ministry? A whole story to participate in and view the world through, and a task of human flourishing, the reconciliation to perform along with the principle actor Christ in the midst. I see no better way of a young person finding connection and autonomy than that. So how might our practices do the same?

Maybe values of empowerment and participation are psychologically important after all.

 

 

References

Bryan, Jocelyn, Human Being, 2016

McAdams Dan, The stories we live by, 1997

Smith Christian, Soul searching, The rise and fall of faith of American Teenagers, 2005

Vanhoozer Edification, Volume 4 Issue 1, 2010, The transdisciplinary journal of Christian Psychology. Vanhoozer.

Vanhoozer, Faith Speaking Understanding, 2010.

Why daily life, not data is more important knowledge for the youth worker

On By JamesIn Context, Detached youthwork, Theory, Youth ministry, YouthworkLeave a comment

Early in youth ministry for me it seemed to be implied that being a good youthworker was about maintaining an ongoing knowledge of popular culture. This was reflected in youthwork magazine (circa 1997) suggesting ‘what was hot’ and what was not. A tool to ‘help’ the beleaguered youth ministry volunteer ‘stay relevant’  by being up to date and have a knowledge of popular culture. That youthwork magazine was printed bi-monthly then, by definition it was already out of date, but never mind it suggested a view that learning is required from popular culture. And as cultural workers who connect with young people this is true. To an extent. But its tiring trying to keep to date. As this photo shows, knowing about David Beckham and Teletubbies was crucial youthwork knowledge in 1997. (and yes I have kept old youthwork magazines..for such a time as this..)

Popular culture has developed a new more recent tool. For a significant energy is invested in the cumulative report and research from culture. It is from this that more general assessments are made, such as generation X, Y or ‘millenial’ . Image result for generation xThere may be learning that can be gleaned from these, though often it is little more than general knowledge, it gives an insight into a culture, if a general culture actually exists amongst young people/people.

Then there is written knowledge, the theories, research and thinking behind youth work and ministry, from education to sociology, politics, from theology to Mission and psychology even. Youth Ministry adopts knowledge from a number  of sources, even business, entertainment and advertising, all wrapped up in Books. Books that are sometimes read, sometimes written essays on, and so, one form of knowledge is that from the books. Books though require time, and considerable reviewing before being published, not all are useful, but at least time has gone into them. Unlike the bloggers. Like this. Just whip out a blog in an hour or so. It is still the sharing of knowledge in written form though. Bloggers might provoke, the odd question maybe.

However, though some of the knowledge might fore-arm you for the task of youth work. There is no hiding the reality that knowledge of the local context is also required.

That local knowledge can be in the form of Data. From Nomisweb.gov.uk. to the NHS and Police, you can find many pieces of data about a local area. From obesity in the under 5’s, smoking in the over 65’s, employment, population and households, again, some of this information is revealing. Some concerning. Some, when shared in churches might actually cause congregations to realise that at times they might know very little about their local area. And as a youthworker, all this information is critical for being able to do fantastic youth work in the local area isnt it. You know find out what the community needs, see where the gaps are, think about anti social behaviour from the police stats, alcohol consumption from the health ones, and there you go, project up and running.

But data, doesnt give the full picture.

It points to the consequences, not always the causes. It points to the deficiencies not the desires, the needs not the personalities. The only data found is usually negative. There is no data for musical instrument use, or drama classes, or number of books read ( just literacy issues), or games of football played, jokes told, friends who did something caring.

We need to build up knowledge of the context, from within the context. We might learn the name of the shop keeper by actually using it, the favourite colour of the boy who is on the obesity statistic. What that 15 year old girl who does smoke, what does she dream of, hope for and care about? – what might she be good at? What is her story? what is all their stories? And so – from the streets and in our churches, communities, we need to hear and share stories, hear the buzz of life. Statistics might tell us one thing, stories involve us in another, the heart of the community. There is no such place as no place (apart from the ‘no place’ in county Durham) – because community and society is where people are and interact. There are a myriad of stories every day. As Freire said, all the theoretical knowledge he had was nothing compared to the knowledge of the community that every person living there had.Image result for stories It was only from there, and with people that he was able to create the possibility of change. It is this kind of knowledge that we need, of what is actually happening. No amount of strategising with statistics, consultation without concrete collaboration, planning without people will do anything other than provide a service that people might only reject or reluctantly accept (as a user). It is back to the strategising from the context and shaping possibilities through conversations, thats the knowledge we need. Its knowledge from people, with people and of people. As they really are.  As youthworkers, we need to leave spaces to be trusted to be told stories. Often i hear more stories of life from young people on the streets, than those in schools or churches, the environment doesnt always lend itself. Yet that doesnt mean that we dont keep trying at listening, hearing and provide spaces where we value stories as knowledge more than anything.  As youthworkers we need to be in the heat of the action, and attentive to learning from it.

After all,  Its not as if anyone said – thats the greatest data ever told.

The White elephants within Youth Ministry. 

On By JamesIn Context, Discipleship, Mission, Theology, Theory, Youthwork, Youthwork MethodsLeave a comment

This month Youth and Childrens work magazine have produced one of their gems. I caught a copy of it at the Religious resources centre in North Shields yesterday. It is based upon 8 of the serious issues in youth ministry that they suggest that youth leaders and churches are ‘scared to touch’, it felt like a top ten run down of the most embarrassing conversations to have with the parents. So included was gender, sexuality, masturbation for example and a whole host of others.

These white elephants in the room were mostly all ‘ things that we think we need to talk about with young people but dont know how to’ . What instead if there were white elephants in the room about the practice of youth ministry that we might need to consider as practitioners, over and above thinking about what to talk about with young people in our groups, schools and sessions? Or on the streets, where discussion about faith, gender, sexuality, ghosts and relationships seem much more spontaneous and frequent, however.

So: Some of the white Elephants within Youth Ministry: 

The first one is based upon a number of recent blog posts of mine. How might the practice of youth ministry – focussed on teaching, telling, groupwork, events and church based activities have deliberately and implicitly excluded the poorer, working class young people in communities? How might this be addressed? who wants to face this reality? (That previous post is here: Youth Ministry has always abandoned the poor)

The second, Can Youth Ministry be a genuine missional endeavour – if it relies on ‘friendship’ evangelism within young people – that barely works for adults. If groups in churches find difficulty ‘accepting’ the estate kids, or fear them, or ‘call’ them chavs. I have had three conversations in the last week alone in which groups fell apart because of ‘estate’ kids trying to attend the ‘church kids fun night’ – and put those reflections here: ‘What to do when the estate kids turn up: http://wp.me/p2Az40-13t) 

The Third one – How much funding needs to address the north/south divide in youth ministry resources? And are there ways of allocating resources to young people in some areas in the same way parish share/ministry funds do to focus on areas lacking.

The fourth – Has Youth Ministry focussed too heavily on helping young people learn about faith, worship, and find salvation – and less about how young people perform what faith is all about? Again, this is potentially cultural, as sermons are often heavy on content, less on action. Where might churches help young people enact Gods goodness to the world, beyond that God loves them individually.

The fifth. Has youth ministry become too scientific? predictable? If Making disciples has been the intention of youth ministry, has the ready to use material, tools and resources reduced making disciples to methods, programmes and activities. Instead – what of Youth Ministry as a local art form? The youth worker who facilitates an ongoing masterpiece of creativity, of young people participating and contributing?

The sixth. Do only the strong survive in Youth Ministry? The leader material – rather than the quiet one, those who can hack the youth group, those who have the right parents, those who look and act the part. And if so – what might that say about developing a theology of youth ministry that is ‘for the least’, the ill, the lonely even. Those even who stick their necks out and take risks, those who are provocative and challenge. Can youth ministry house and host the rebellious?

The seventh. The church is only working with 5% of the population of young people. And that includes every pay to go to event, camp, festival, club and group. For every 10,000 who attend soul survivor, there are 500,000 young people who watch on from Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth, within 150 miles up the road and dont give a monkeys.  If there is a north/south split in the youth ministry, then my guess, especially that even in the Durham diocese churches are in contact with 200 young people – then that is less than 2%. It is not a numbers game. Its a reality game that 98% of young peoples contact with faith is a vicar at an assembly. Youth Ministry has to become a whole church response, a whole diocese response, a whole focus response. There is no other way. And in many areas the ways that will happen will not look like the club, group or activity, it is something else. (want to chat about what this might look like – contact me above). It is not posters but persons, it is not programmes, but presence.

The eighth elephant in the room. One year gap year students. Serve only their own purpose to get experience in ministry, and serve a local church. If youth ministry is trying to be about meeting the needs of young people and develop sustainable faith. The persons who are only present for 1 year will not suffice. It is just not good enough. Neither realistically are two year contracts for youthworkers.

The ninth elephant in the room. We need to name the powers. No not greed, or the government. But be honest about where the pinch points are, where the dominant forces lie in youth ministry, and how those influences are shaping practices in too many ways. Does a business and managerial culture affect youth ministry organisations and their desire for growth? or efficiency? or world branding and fame? Do other groups hold the keys to publishing, to conference platforms, to festivals, to resources even?  Who holds keys, and what is that game all about in the coridoors of power in youth ministry? influence? money? profile? survival?

The tenth elephant in the room. If Theological training for ministers has excluded any references to young people as a distinct ministry, or even the process of community work and development and how this would help in a parish – the the same is to be said on the reverse – Youth Ministry training in the next 10 years needs to include community development (and its tenets from youth & community work), emerging church & fresh expressions, digital and media, detached work (in all seriousness, it is still where young people are, on the streets), working with families and helping older congregations get involved in youth ministry, Youth ministry as a whole church enterprise, youth ministry and developing entrepreneurial initiatives for young people & self funding, and developing asset based youth ministry.

The eleventh elephant. Youth ministry has been too slow to deal with racism. Too slow to advocate anti-oppressive practice. Not sure ive heard much from evangelical youth ministry about condemning the actions of terrorists in the USA over the weekend. (Nb I started this post on charlottesville weekend)

The 12th. Are young people leaving youth ministry with any biblical literacy. So they know more than 10 verses out of context that appear on fridge magnets. Do they know how to interpret it, reflect on it and see it in context.?

13th. Church has always been a problem. Kids from Sunday schools didn’t end up in them (only 4%) so youth ministry has an ongoing battle. It can’t be the end game. But this issue has always been the case.

Not sure which of these is the worst, depends on your perspective. But any serious attempt to ensure that youth ministry disciples young people in the UK. Aiming high that they become followers of Christ and perform goodness in their local contexts. It’ll be radical, prophetic and challenging. But being good is risky.

Abandoning the poor isnt new, Youth Ministry has been doing it for 100 years.

On By JamesIn Mission, Theory, Youth ministry, Youthwork3 Comments

The Bishop of Burnley, Rev Philip North has stirred up a few feathers this week. In a sermon at New wine he criticised the church for failing to invest in the poorer areas of the UK, and also highlighted the popular plight of ‘new churches’ to find a suitable place that God was calling them to be that conveniently is near trendy coffee shops and artisan deli’s. One of the many articles that refers to his sermon is here: https://www.christiantoday.com/article/bishops.anger.at.middle.class.church.the.poorer.you.are.the.less.we.value.you/111455.htm

One thing that this avoids is a different complex that the church can often be criticised of having. And that is the white saviour complex. But if the church is only planting somewhere trendy, and full of youthful vibrancy, then at least it is only attracting similar people. The similar people who can cope with courses, activities, groups, and also helping from these spaces to help others. And there are countless ministries who can help. I mean, there’s only so much that you can do in a church nowadays that doesnt require paying money to some ministry for the privilege of using their programme to do it – all of which requires a church to have a resource in the first place.  Of course white saviour syndrome is when a community is ‘targetted’ with well meaning initiatives and intentions without actually being listened to and given the space to create their own forms of community.

What is most surprising is that this seems to be a ‘new’ conversation. The shock being felt around the faith community that Rev North is perpetuating something new. Oh My. Rev North himself has preached this same sermon a number of times, was it only picked up because it was at New Wine? or a larger platform? or a tweeting audience. When preached in the north in his home diocese, it was known but barely raised a glimmer. Because its also where the ‘poor’ is most known.  I cannot imagine what kind of church or country we think we in that we have to be reminded that the church isnt connecting with is urban, or post industrial communities. Yet at the same time, every one of these communities will be part of a parish. Though the last time the CofE produced anything of note that regarded socio economic class with any urgency was the Church in the City Report, in 1987…

In a way though none of this is the point. The point is that this isnt new. It is that the ministry of the church has abandoned young people in ‘so-called’ poor areas for over a century.

I know this is a big claim. But it has to be said.

It is based on a number of factors. The principle one is that in the majority of scenarios faith has been equated with order, behaviour and attractional methods.

Part of my dissertation is on the writing of sociologist Irvine Goffman. What he argues is that as persons we present ourselves in a number of ways to other people in social interactions, on the basis that throughout these interactions we hope to gain or give information, often for our own or another persons gain. From a faith perspective we might reflect on whether in our interactions with others we embody christian values, but that is a different story. And theres a post on interactions waiting to happen. However, what Goffman also suggests is that performances can be managed by the performer. And critically for this piece, that the performances can undergo dramatic circumspection. What this means is that those who want to give a performance also take into account their audience, and shape the audience to ensure that a performance has the most effect.

In short what this means is that a youth minister who want to to share an eloquent story, or have a detailed programme down to the last minute is likely to select young people who can cope with this type of presentation, or remove young people from it who arent able to cope with this. Dramatic circumspection is rife within the church. It is why it seems inappropriate to to interrupt a sermon, as a culture of dialogue and critical questioning is deterred, for the sake of one person monologues, see any conference, festival or stage performance. Dramatic circumspection is about controlling the audience, the size of audience and the environment to ensure that the performance can be given.

My argument is that since youth ministry became a programmed activity, that dramatic circumspection has determined that young people who cannot cope, for a variety of reasons, have been pushed to the edges of youth ministry.

Anyone with a passing interest in youth work and ministry will know that the 1850-1890’s was a boom time for late victorian philanthropy. Yes it might be ‘white saviour complex’, but in those years philanthropic actions by many heralded the establishment of organisations like Barnados, YMCA and also Sunday schools which had started in the late 1700’s, with Robert Raikes (who made them fashionable and used publishing to spread their universal appeal, but they started with John Wesley (1737) and Rev Lindsey in 1763¹). Ragged schools and Detached work also began from this point, because those who pioneered them realised that the poor were being left behind. They, like Barnados started from meeting young people head on in their communities.

As interest in working with young people grew, especially from Sunday Schools, to colleges and universities, then so also did the more programmed activities and education. SCCU held beach missions, and discussions in the boardroom, and this became Scripture Union as we know today. Uniformed organisations helped with the war effort, including Boys brigades. The advent of publishing and resources enabled universal programmes and activities to be distributed, and SU obviously became influential.

There was no one moment where the church forgot the poor. Whilst it was in a position of strength it could legitimately argue for behaviour adherance. And reports from the methodist churches in the 1950’s suggest that they couldnt cope with broken windows and the trials of ‘open’ youth clubs were banished to the history books. Even in 1960’s statutory youth services were down to meeting 50% of young people, hence why people like Joan Tash went out and met young people on the streets. You can read more about this , in a book review here: a reflection of their work in light of ‘being innovative in youth ministry & meeting needs of young people is here: http://wp.me/p2Az40-QK , 50% of young people were rejecting youth services then.

I dread to think how many then were also rejecting the church. I dread to think, but whilst the churches might have had full sunday schools in the 1960s (of baby boomer children) then it didnt matter. But that wasnt to say it wasnt happening. The church could reject being in the poor areas and develop ways of helping people encounter faith in less circumspect ways, because they had people. And today, ‘having people’ and number of people attending a church service/festival/gathering/ecumenical meeting is all that matters. There is no value in a number, or even any problem that all the people are christians, and all from the ‘costa coffee’ end of the socio economic class, rather than the instant coffee in a polystyrene cup. In a culture of church survival and status decline, there is no point trying to waste resources on the ‘hard to reach’ – efficiency, control and quick wins to get a pioneer church, or fresh expression full and ‘twitterable’ is the key. Doesnt matter who comes to it.

Anyway back to Youth Ministry … when it really took off (Billy Graham im looking at you). It became even more regimented, resourced, controlled and with echelons of efficiency. If messages of the gospel were reduced to 4 statements, then participation was reduced to attendance, and regular ongoing attendance. There was no sense of ensuring that young people from working class background could participate in the christian faith, it was about how to make christianity attractive to those who can cope with the resources and structures of it, and to keep those in it from harm. Hence the christian faith sub culture and its festivals and events that charge people for an encounter with Jesus. It is about managing the conditions of faith.

‘Yes, but we put on all of these activities for young people surely that means they have to behave… its their fault, they are self excluding.’ If they cant see what we’re trying to do for them….. 

In a way it is not that there needs to be resources within youth ministry in order that it can be present and active in poorer areas, it is that to be able to do ministry in those areas is to abandon resources altogether. It is about being present to develop faith community in the space. Any attempt to shape what that might look like, to make it ‘valid’ or people to adhere, is either disrespectful, or white saviour complex. If our only strategy is to connect with people in working class estates and help them to do ‘our ways’ of church, then this restricts the performance to those who can access it.

Resources are not to blame, because they fit within a culture of programmes, events and teaching that has developed a non formal framework. They also fit within a church and schooling system that dominates the methods of learning, access and inclusion. What is fascinating currently is that whilst SU are hosting conversations about how to work with 90% of the population of young people that the church isnt working with, it is asking churches for whom have only their own programmes and experiences of working with the 10%. People in churches dont know how to connect with the 10% because in the main they havent been able to, or deliberately, or (or less deliberately) unintentionally used resources that have caused exclusion. The formation of disciples in working class estates, now that needs proper resourcing, structure and long term investment. If it is not volunteers with the right guidance and support (from people like FYT) or youthworkers with a 10 year contract, then anything hit and run, will crash and burn.

So, what i am saying is that forms of youth ministry deliberately advocate managing the delivery of youth ministry into those who can cope with structures and programmes and those who dont. By almost definition, those who dont will be rejected from the space, never to be seen again, and what that might leave through a process of elimination is a small group who might be able to cope within a group setting. To eventually become leaders and involved even further. Of course it is far more efficient to work with young people this way. Work with brightest and best. Those who became leaders of 1960/70’s youth ministry are still leaders in churches now.  Dramatical circumspection clearly worked. It is efficient, it controls the performance. It creates leaders in youth ministry.

Tell me again, the method that Jesus used to interact with those who ‘were lesser in society’?  It was availability, willingness to be interrupted, (Zaccheus/ woman bleeding/ Bartimeus) and being present in the space. Yes they may have followed, but they found him interruptable, they found him accessible. It was the disciples that sought to maintain control of the performance ( ‘tell them to go away’) . There is no other solution but availability, listening making faith something people can opt into on their terms.

Performance management leaves others behind. Cast aside. If that happened in one generation, then that legacy continues. In our churches we might moan that these estates have big families, they also have long memories. As church we might need to repair what might be the cause of why that family dont attend, due to an injustice when a young person (now the patriarch) was kicked out the youth club in the 1960s.

Thats why, aside from the pioneers who maintain a presence on the housing estates, and develop church from within (not from outside) we are in the situation Philip North described. But in youth ministry its been going on since the dawn of education, resources and programmes, in stages, stadiums and developing leaders. Accessing Faith becomes to intrinsically linked to being able to behave.

A follow up to this post is here: http://wp.me/p2Az40-12Z and is much shorter, and describes how the outcomes in youth ministry reveal an exclusion of the poor. 

References:

¹An introductory History of English Education since 1800, Curtis, Boultwood, University tutorial press, (1960)

Irving Goffman: The presentation of the Self in everyday life, 1960, penguin press

Goetchius & Tash: Working with the unattached, 1967

Brierley, Danny, All joined up, 2003, Scripture union

for more details of FYT, click here: http://www.fyt.org ,

As i pressed publish, i realise that most of the themes of this are in an earlier post ; Sorry young people, church we messed up: which is Here, it is a post which also includes research by Naomi Thompson on how the church abandoned young people: http://wp.me/p2Az40-44

 

Rethinking learning styles in Youth Ministry; Helping young people have an active faith

On By JamesIn Discipleship, Mission, Theodrama, Theology, Theory, Youth ministry, Youthwork and TheologyLeave a comment

In Youth Ministry – How might we use Learning styles? 

I know, there has been some talk recently about the validity of learning styles and whether they actually exist and are of value. there are some fascinating thoughts here: http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2017/5/25-1   But for the sake of what might be an interesting read, stick with me on this one. It not that kind of re-think that i am proposing. I am suggesting when it comes to faith- learning styles might be helpful.

Lets start from the beginning. When i was doing voluntary training in youth ministry and education back in 1996 and even work based training courses in the early 2000’s, the principle learning styles were the following, as it was said that people learned in one of these kind of ways:

Activist – they needed to ‘do’ something to learn it

Pragmatist – ‘it needs to be ‘useful’ applied to a real life situation

Reflector – ‘they need time to process the information and chew the cud of it’ 

Theorist – ‘ they need to know where it came from, that it is proved and validated’ 

(Of course, any theorist is switching off now, as none of what i have said is proven…. ) – and so, in Youth Ministry, especially in ready to use guides and in most session plans, there has become an implicit need to accomodate these learning styles.   Theres a game (with a reference), a piece of information, a way of reflecting on it (through prayer usually) and then ways of applying the learning to real life. The same might also be said of the anglican service, aspects of which are active, reflective, theory (the sermon?) and pragmatic- how it all applies.  For those of you that like to be known as millenials, which is none of you, these old fashioned learning styles have been updated, they are now VARK, and include:

Visual

Audial

Reading/reflective

Kinesthetic. 

though a look onto the worlds most popular search engine, and theres images like this;

Related image

So Learning styles are pretty complicated, because, by the looks of things, each of as humans are pretty complicated.

I am aware that Nick Shepherd, in his excellent faith generation (2016) suggests that young people need to be considered as more than learners, and i completely agree. What i am about to say backs this up. The question that I have pondered is;  might learning styles help in faith & discipleship more broadly?  And this is not just for young people. Nothing ever is.

If I could use the older learning styles for the purposes of what I am thinking. Just to save a bit of confusion. So for example, in the ongoing process of discipling people how might

  • faith be an active thing
  • faith be a pragmatic thing
  • faith be a reflective thing
  • faith be a theoretical thing

Because, what it can seem to be, and going on with what Nick Shepherd suggests, is that a large proportion of the activities of the church and for young people especially, they are regarded as learners, and so a huge amount of energy is spent on increasing their knowledge of the faith – through games, activities, sessions – and even for them, going to a worship event, is still to a point a learning experience that is largely cognitive, and thus reflective. If I used the newer learning styles, then I might be suggesting that young people need to ‘see’ faith, to ‘act’ it out, to ‘feel’ it , picture it and use their imaginations’ and so on.

As an addition, if we conceptualise what young people are as disciples as ‘actors’ who are on the stage of the world, needing to be trained to act in a myriad of situations the fullness of the gospel. Then as actors, we wouldnt expect Matt Damon, or Kiera Knightly to only learn their lines. That is only reading, not acting. An actor in most productions, especially theatre, needs to use their whole selves in the productions, to read the cues, to memorise, to improvise, mind, body, spirit.  Church might be a great place for young people to rehearse, but that shouldnt minimalise the encouragement that faith and discipleship might be a complex thing, encompassing action, reflection, usefulness and theory. All of which is key in how it is seen, heard, pictured, felt and imagined. Young people as performers of the christian faith – how how might the forming of them change as a result..?

Here might be a few examples for each

How might young people act out their faith? 

  1. If the play is about goodness (not being good- Balthasar, 1980) – then they need to see that the goodness they do is part of their performance, and then this ultimately translates into acts of justice, reconciliation and hospitality to their friends & enemies
  2. They act out their faith when they speak up against the oppression of others
  3. They act out their faith when they use their ideas and initiative to solve a community problem – like litter, or food waste, or poverty,
  4. They act out their faith when they get chance to lead, decide and speak, being given the opportunity to how others their learning.
  5. They act out their faith when they are tuned to hear God prompting them in the everyday decisions and decide to follow.

In a way the reflective and Theorist aspects of faith are pretty well covered. From Prayer to bible studies. Reflection and theory takes up a large proportion.

What is interesting is that recent research shows that young people want faith, not to be ‘true’ but to be ‘useful’. Now, there are dangers with this, a faith that provides only usefulness for young people seems to stack faith solely as the problem solver for young people, and only an individual young person will know how ‘useful’ faith is for them. And Christian Smith in 2005 highlighted that a faith that ‘helped young people do what they wanted’ permeated in aspects of youth ministry. Leaving that aside, what might it mean for faith to be ‘useful’ for young people, and be something that on one hand might be ‘pragmatic’ .

It might be useful because it helps a young person conceive of a way of shaping their life story

It might be useful because it can help them answer some of lifes big questions, like personal purpose

It might be useful because it offers hope – the end of the drama, has an ending! 

It might be useful because God offers presence throughout all of lifes activities

On the other hand, useful discipleship might be like doing the things that Jesus asked of the disciples, like find out iif anyone has food, finding the donkey or preparing the upper room, or catching fish. In the every day usefulness, God is at work and needing things to be done. 

Practical young people might need a practical faith.

Yes, young people ‘act’ out their discipleship in the mid week – like the rest of us do (!). I am just wondering about whether re thinking learning styles for ‘faith’ not ‘just’ the content of a session might be appropriate. If we have child actors in the kingdom, what might be the methods of ongoing formation that encourage active performances of faith, of following the ‘way’ of God in the world. Of course, it will help, if in using the other learning styles, that they ‘see’ faith, ‘feel it’ and understand it logically. – Where do young people ‘see’ faith?  or be in a place where they see ‘God at work’? and join in.

What i dont have is the imagination to provide all of what might be creative ideas to develop this thought further, however, if i put the concept out there of young people as performers of the gospel, not just hearers, lets shape how the church might work with young people in a way that has action and usefulness as as much of a priority as reflection and theory. Image result for action

After all we want young people to have an ‘active’ faith. So – let them perform…