Today while working hard in the kitchen, I finally started listening to Rob Bell’s teaching series on ‘Jesus wants to save Christians’. For those of you who regularly listen to the Mars Hill Podcasts, you’ll know that I’m waaaaaay behind (actually these were the first ones I’ve listened too), but I was recommended this series in particular.
The basic thrust of the whole series of talks is that throughout history God’s own people were called to live lives that glorified Him and demonstrated to others who He is. Of course the people rebelled and God sent them to exile. When Jesus came on the scene, he spoke and taught almost exclusively to the Jews (thoroughly religious people) telling them to spiritually come out of exile (stories like the prodigal Son illustrate this) and reminding them of the lives God had called them to leave (light of the world, salt of the earth).
Of course what this means for us today is the same! As followers of Christ we are to show others His glory by living our lives in ways that glorify Him. We are NOT called to be “the moral compass” of the world, criticising or condemning others as so many Christians seem to (or are seen to) do.
There’s a lot more that could be said on this, so I recommend that you subscribe to the podcast and have a listen for yourself.
This week is DIY week as I am on “holiday” sorting out the kitchen I demolished at the beginning of January. So far I have ripped out the old kitchen, channeled conduit into the walls, built up a brick wall, and today I quickly learnt the art of plastering (sort of)! Hopefully tomorrow I’ll start getting the flooring down so that some of the units can be in by the end of the week. Next week I’m away in Wales and I need to leave Kirsty with something…!
I found this awesome video a while ago but never posted it here. After posting the Beatbox Recipe I thought I should probably add this too… He says he cannot play drums or piano, just edited the video!
There’s a really interesting article on the BBC website about the use of pornography by children and young people. According to the article:
figures obtained by the BBC from Nielsen NetRatings reveal one in four of those aged 12 to 16 who goes online at home looks at sexual images at least once a month. That is one in three among boys and one in five girls.
What an incredibly scary and challenging thought. If that figure is correct, then a quarter of our youth groups are REGULARLY accessing porn. What does that mean for us as youthworkers? How do we start to address such ‘underground’ issues?
The article itself balances out the views, suggesting that it could be causing dysfunction in relationships and damaging to society in general, or conversely, just a phase and part of growing up. To illustrate the point they quote a 17 year-old who regularly watches porn on his mobile:
“If I didn’t have work I’d be watching it constantly every day because it’s something to do, like a drug… No-one can change my attitude to porn. I mean, I’ve been watching it for years. I’ll carry on watching it, probably till I die. I see it as a normal thing and will always see it as a normal thing. No matter what people say.”
I often think that reading a good book is all about timing. If the book covers a particular topic or theme that is relevant to your current situation then it can have far more impact and significance than it would otherwise have achieved. This is true for ‘Seven Myths of Youth Ministry: How To Re-ignite Your Passion‘ by Nigel James (with Gary Smith), because I am currently thinking through my own approach to youth ministry and the book raises some valuable points.
To its credit, it is an easy-to-read and straightforward book that approaches some of the issues within youth ministry in a refreshingly honest and no-nonsense way. Unsurprisingly, it focuses on seven ‘myths’ that seem to have arisen within the field of church youth work and tackles each one seperately in bite-size chunks that explain the concepts well before offering possible solutions or biblical perspectives. The seven myths covered are:
We really make a difference in our one hour a week
Size isn’t important
We don’t preach - we are just sowing the seeds
You have to ask them what they want
Young People lack commitment
Young people are the future of the church
We aren’t in the entertainment business
Personally I found very little fault with the content here; it is well presented, it got me thinking and has even prompted me to make some changes in my own work. However my big criticism is that the book doesn’t actually expel any myths, rather it gives seven practical tips for what the authors believe should be part of effective youth ministry (In my view, the whole ‘myth’ approach seems to be more about giving the book an angle and catchy title). As it turns out though this isn’t actually a hindrance to what the book is saying, it just confuses how you initially approach it.
In all, this book is a helpful little tool for youth ministers and workers to quickly remind themselves of some important approaches and attitudes in their work. Worth a quick read.
So I followed this link about a free ipod. Apparently the BBC ran a news item on it and it’s legit. All you have to do is buy, try or participate in one of their offers and sign up some friends to do the same. Unsurprisingly the offers include insurance, sky TV etc. I’m not convinced yet… If you’re interested and want to help me get a free electronics item, click here.
If not, why not sign up for greasy palm? It’s a similar idea but every time you buy something from hundreds of online stores (Argos, John Lewis, Boots, etc.) you gain cashback on your account. Having just bought a kitchen, it’s saved us a packet!
Today the local paper ran a story about the closure of The WIRE. In all, it was a positive piece that focused on the good work we’ve achieved, however there are some problematic statements and halve-truths contained in the article that have already caused some consternation (and it’s only 12:30pm).
In particular, with personal reference, the Gazette claimed that I will be working for Arun Community Church from April 1st while my colleague Al Evans will continue in his current role under SureStart. Neither of these statements are true, although they are currently being explored.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the article is how it so cavalier with the facts, sensationalizing the transformation the project is going through. Many of the vulnerable families and young people with whom we work wouldn’t have been aware of some of the changes that are happening and we were at pains to communicate to them sensitively. Unfortunately this article may have made my job a little harder!
My name is Jon and I'm a full-time Youth & Schools Worker in Littlehampton, UK. This site reflects my thoughts, ideas and experiences of working with Young People. I hope you find it useful!
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