'Unfiltered Youth Ministry' Weekend Workshop

Had a great weekend in Canberra listening to and talking with Andrew Root from the US (who is fully aware of his surname in an Aussie context) with a bunch of energetic Youth Workers from various backgrounds. Andrew writes and advocates for stuff that takes me back to my beginnings and reinforces the reasons I'm a Youth Worker and what I try to focus on in stories, place sharing and relationship building for it's own sake!! It was great to be affirmed while tired from the struggle with those who see it so differently!!
More in coming days BUT it was a great time at a time when I am otherwise struggling with and wrestling with my own future and broader contexts for ministry and mission wher I would remain an advocate for those on the edges and whose voices are not heard...

"Fish Nets or Safety Nets" with Dave Male

This year I've broken my Workshop/Conference embargo for a couple of worthwhile days of listening/engagement... Restless and tired of 'talking' about mission, change and the future I decided not to attend any more talkfests.

This was a day with one of the heads of the new Training Institute for 'Pioneer Ministers' in the Fresh Expressions project which is now firmly a partnership between C of E and Methodist Churches in the UK.

Dave Male was engaging, had a sharp presentation with the right balance between stories and principles and his input wasn't new if you've done some reading but was focused on exactly the key points that stimulate thinking and bring focus.

I was able to think where I am with 'Salt [Factory]' and with places we work in encouraging change/mission and reinvention.

Some of the quotes evoking clear thinking included:

"... do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, beautiful as that may seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither of you has been before.' Vincent Donovan

"...what is taking place is not merely the the continued decline of orgnised Christianity but the death of the culture which formerly conferred Christian identity upon the British people as a whole..." Callum Browne 'Death of Christian Britain'

"...create a linguistic community which speaks to itself but gives up responsibility to put the gospel in a language which is understood by the whole of society..." Tim Keller

I suppose I'm highlighting these because they say what we do in all settings but because yuo can quote and author and book, people listen...

"Water" Themed Worship this week

Did some work this week on a 'water' themed worship or really 'living water' and used some things from recent ocassions but put them together in specific ways to be the happening that followed a 'workshop with the key group from East Maitland Uniting Contemporary Worship.

Pre worship live clip of "Ocean" John Butler Trio [youtube]
Four Voices Call asking for volunteers on the spot

VOICE ONE:
This is our worship
This is not a concert, a film or a play,
We set aside time to ‘be’ and to ‘know’

VOICE TWO:
What difference does God make?
How will we be the people of God in this place?
In all places?

VOICE THREE:
What do we celebrate? What do we lament?
How is the metaphor of ‘water’ meaningful for us?
God make yourself known to us

VOICE FOUR:
We own up to being less than we can be,
We accept the promise of God to forgive us,
May we live as forgiven people, with grace and freedom to share
God be with us in our time together...

Then introduced my Photostory 3 reflection on "Magnificent" U2

Having already used a 'confession' or 'owning up and being forgiven' word, we added reflection time with tracing or pouring in a tub of water while listening to "Wash Me Clean" Bernard Fanning

The Band led Communal Singing

Read part of "Previously" storybook as a reminder that we all have a 'previously' or a story of what went before...

"Woman at the Well" video from youtube and the Twist DVD
[5]questions.... who is this woman? what else strikes you? what did jesus mean? who else is this woman? how should we respond?

John 4: 7-15 read in [3] parts

Song/s

[9] Stations

[a] Words on Cards, to react/reflect on
[b] “Previously” to read
[c] “Water” doco/”Water” Blue King Brown clip AV write ‘post-it-note” prayer youtube
[d] Magnetic Poetry
[e] “NOOMA” DVD 'Today' looped
[f] Bible Passage on paper/further reflection Qs
[g] ‘Who is this Woman ?’ picture reflection
[h] “Pasha Bulker” Bob Evans looped with lyrics on paper
[i] Leunig Prayer OFFERING

SONG

FOUR VOICE SENDING OUT
VOICE FIVE:
Give us a blank piece of paper God
On it we will write our hopes and our questions.

VOICE SIX:
Shape us, guide us, through distractions, poor choices
and our own agenda
Help us find meaning in your story and make it our own through your Spirit

VOICE SEVEN:
Send us out to share our humanity, ourselves
Help us be sources of ‘life giving’ water in Jesus example

VOICE EIGHT:
Help us a create a new and different story,
So we move ourselves and others from “quietly screamed desperation”
To a different place.
AMEN
*Thoreau

FINAL SONG

"Telling Stories" Social Justice Stuff

Last saturday we did the workshops for "Telling Stories" at Mt Colah and promised people access to some of the info re Social Justice which Bradon used plus the details of the simple guide to capturing/converting Youtube clips...

I promised to load it all here but think it'd be easier to direct you to Bradon's blog here so you can find what works for you!!

"Telling Stories" Training Day 9th May

Here's a downloadable info and rego flyer for the upcoming training day at Mt Colah which is open to all comers!!

The workshops will include a stream on children's ministry, social justice as a discipleship appraoch, models of youth ministry, storytelling and faith shaping... plus Q&A opportunity and resources to access!!

Let us know if you're coming!!

101 Things I Wish I'd Known

Recently in the Riverina we put together a workshop around '101 Things I Wish I'd Known About Ministry with Young People When I Started.' The truth of that is most learnings only come through experience and I wouldn't trade most learnings for some artificial 'downloading' of the wisdom... but part of learning it is sharing and helping others reflect on their ministry and relationships!!

I made it into the 70's on the list and will see how we go sharing some here [or in batches]:

1. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN MINISTRY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
2. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS RELATIONAL> INCARNATIONAL
3. WE NEED TO BE AT MISSION OR ‘SENT’ TO ENGAGE OUR CONTEXT
4. YOUTH ARE PARTICIPANTS IN GOD’S MISSION> NOT TARGETS
5. THE GOSPEL REQUIRES ‘TRANSLATION’ INTO THE CONTEXT
6. INTUITION TELLS US WE’RE DOING SOMETHING THAT’S NOT RIGHT
7. WE NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF PEOPLE TEACHING FAITH AND PRACTISING FAITH AS THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAS
8. COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE...
9. FLEXIBILITY COMES FROM PREPARATION
10. GROUPS FORM> STORM> NORM and have a 'personality'
11. ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP CAN BE LEARNT FROM SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING
12. NO RESOURCE CAN BE USED WITHOUT SOME MODIFICATION
13. KNOW THE STAKEHOLDERS EXPECTATIONS
14. PEOPLE DON’T MEAN IT WHEN THEY SAY THEY WANT QUALITY PROGRAM/S OR MISSION AND NOT NUMBERS
15. "IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE"
16. AT SOME POINT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING 17. IT IS ONLY SOMETIMES EASIER TO SEEK FORGIVENESS RATHER THAN ASK PERMISSION
18. NOBODY RSVPs FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE
19. GIVE IT A GO… MAYBE YOUR IDEA ISN’T STUPID!
20. NETWORKING WITH OTHER LEADERS IS VALUABLE
21. READ NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
22. BE HONEST
23. DON’T PRETEND TO LIKE MUSIC, FASHION,ACTIVITIES YOU DON’T… YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SOPHISTICATED ‘CRAP DETECTORS’
24. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AMAZING
25. TAKE TIME OUT TO ‘SHARPEN THE SAW’ [to have your own recreation]
26. GROW OWNERSHIP BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN PROGRAM PLANNING
27. GROW CAPACITY BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP
28. BUILD ASSETS FOR RESILIENCE
29. CHURCH COUNCILS AND MINISTERS DON’T LIKE SURPRISES
30. YOU DON’T HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT… NOBODY DOES
31. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING EVERY YOUNG PERSONS BEST FRIEND
32. YOUNG PEOPLE’S ISSUES ARE SERIOUS FOR THEM
33. PARENTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY
34. YOUR BEST SOURCE OF HELPERS AND OTHER LEADERS ARE THOSE MOST ABLE TO SEE THE MISSIONAL VALUE OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING
35. YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL> MINISTER
36. NOT EVERY PLANNED ACTIVITY HAS TO HAPPEN
37. SAFETY IS AN ISSUE
38. ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN GROUP DEALS OR COVENANTS WHEN IT COMES TO RULES
39. EXPRESS RULES IN THE POSITIVE
40. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE
41. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS CHANGING
42. LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN SPIRITUALITY & FAITH IN YOUR RYTHMN
43. IT’S EASY TO ‘LOVE’ AND BEFRIEND THE ‘COOL’ BUT HARDER WITH THE AWKWARD, WEIRD, AND DIFFICULT
44. YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HANDLE BIBLICAL STORIES AND EXPLORATION
45. MUSIC IS A TASTE SENSITIVE RESOURCE
46. MOVIES ARE MORE NEUTRAL
47. STORIES ARE POWERFUL FOR AT LEAST [4] REASONS

They cross boundaries [time, culture, language]

We seem wired for narrative

Stories create identity [what we accept, take on, reject etc]

Stories create community [ones we gather around]
48. BE A GIVER OF ‘HOPE’ the gospel is 'good news'
49. CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT
50. CONTACT ALL> CONNECT MANY > CARE for A FEW> CHALLENGE 1 OR 2
51. ACTIVELY LISTEN> ASK QUESTIONS
52. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MODEL OF YOUTH MINISTRY
53. KEEP PARENTS/FAMILIES INFORMED THROUGH PUBLICITY/INFO SHEETS

54. YOUTH MINISTRY MUST BECOME A SHARED MINISTRY OF THE WHOLE CHURCH
55. MOVE TOWARDS COMPREHENSIVE YOUTH MINISTRY [mission and ministry with all generations]
56. OBEY TRAFFIC RULES AND CAR SAFETY
57. FAITH SHAPING TASKS NOT STAGES
58. IDENTITY, BELONGING, MEANING AND FAITH SHAPING are building block aims
59. YOUTH MINISTRY SHOULD BE AS MUCH A PART OF THE CHURCH’S MINISTRY AS ANY OTHER
60. LEADERSHIP WORKS BEST ‘OUT OF YOUR GIFTS’ not just seniority> who's free
61. YOU NEED TO SET BOUNDARIES> LIMITS
62. KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SIMPLY DESCRIBE AS ‘GOOD NEWS’
63. REFLECTION AND SELF AWARENESS GROWS GOOD LEADERSHIP
64. ACTS 17: PAUL IN ATHENS or indeed Silas who actually lived in his missional community
65. DROP THE LANGUAGE OF ‘IN’ AND ‘OUT’
66. BELONGING NOT MEMBERSHIP> ETHOS NOT COMMITMENT
67. SUBMIT REPORTS
68. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUNG PEOPLES CAPACITY FOR WORSHIP
69. CREATING SAFE SPACES TAKES A LOT OF WORK
70. GEN Y ARE NOT THE GENERATION WHO LEFT THE CHURCH

71. FUNDRAISE IN THE COMMUNITY not just the same church crowd

72......

"Teenage Song"

Saw this clip on the Today Show last week and it seems to be cropping up on a few blogs!! Great clip for talking about all sorts of communication issues with teenagers: family issues; asking them what they'd like to see/do in any club or program; generational differences etc!!