Jon Jolly

A friend recently lent me a book by Donald Miller called To Own a Dragon: Reflections on Growing Up Without a Father which I have been making my way through. It’s a good book that’s informally written and as you would expect focuses on finding purpose and identity without a father figure. In one part of the book, Miller talks of a man called Salome Thomas-El, a teacher in Philadelphia who received acclaim as a teacher and chess coach whose students have gone on to win world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. Miller tells what he learnt of Thomas-EL:

[Salome] would walk up to kids hanging around outside a convenience store and ask them if they wanted to learn to play chess. Of course the kids said no, chess not being the most fashionable sport on the playground. So Salome would tell them that telling him no was a bad decision, that if someone offers to teach you something, you should give that person respect, and ask more questions to find out if you might need this information in the future. That was a bad decision, Salome said to the kids, to dismiss me in that way. The kids didn’t really know what to say, so they got tough threatening him. Ah, Salome would say, another bad decision. I can see that, if you and I were playing chess right now, you would be losing, because in chess, you cannot make bad decisions and win. You have to make good decisions.

“Have any of you ever played chess?” Salome asked.

“I know how to play chess”, one of the kids answered.

“What is the legal move for a Rook?” Salome asked the boy. The boy stood there silently until finally Salome spoke into his shifting eyes, “You are telling a lie aren’t you? You do not know how to play chess. A lie is another bad decision. If you knew how to play chess, you would not make so many bad decisions. You would know, intrinsically, the way to get ahead in life is to make good decisions. And so I will ask you again, and I want you to think about it for five seconds before you answer me. Don’t answer right away, because this isn’t wise. I want you to think about what I am going to ask you…

“Do you want me to teach you how to play chess?”

The children stood there, confused but interested, until one of them blurted out nervously, “Yes, I want to learn chess.”

“Fine then. You have made a good decision. This is the first rule of chess. Make good decisions. The only possible way you can lose in chess, and for that matter in life itself, is to make bad decisions. If you do not make bad decisions, you will not lose in chess, or in life. And the more good decisions you make, the better your life will be.”

I’m fascinated by this idea of good and bad decisions. Is this what youth workers are essentially trying to do, enable young people to make informed choices? Is it really that simple? Can young people learn key life skills from playing chess?

When I read this part of the book, I looked up Salome Thomas-El on Google and found his website I Choose To Stay.com. It seems that after gaining recognition for his work, Salome was offered a promotion with greater authority but turned it down to stay with his students.

“I can’t leave my students,” he said. “What happens if they come in on Monday and I’m not here? They’ll say ‘He left because of the money,’ and I don’t want them to think that way. I’m the only male role model these kids have. I want them to know at least one black male who is committed to staying.”

I expect much of Salome’s success is due to his character and his faith in the potential of others. I now plan to get hold of one of his books and find out more about his ideas.

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.

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!

I forgot to link to Marko’s post about the top 10 most influential Youth Ministry books when he posted it a couple of weeks ago (so here it is now). Many books I’ve picked up recently have come as recommendations from other bloggers, so it’s well worth checking out the list on his blog including the comments below to find new resources that may stretch your thinking.

I’ve been trying to think back over 2006 and sum up my thoughts of the year. All in all it’s been quite an emotional ride and I’ve taken on a lot of responsibilities; buying a house, working towards my DipHE Level 2, staff changes at work, etc. So I thought I’d be fun to take a look at my best of 2006!

• Best Movie: Casino Royale
• Best Books I read: Theology: The Basics, Whose Religion Is Christianity, The Time Traveller’s Wife
• Best Albums: Eyes Open by Snow Patrol, Twelve Stops And Home by The Feeling, Songs From The Deep Forest by Duke Special, The Eraser by Thom Yorke, Alright, Still by Lily Allen, Inside In/Inside Out by The Kooks. Worthy mentions include Pink, Lupe Fiasco and Gnarls Barkley
• Best Websites: Google Reader, Linerider, Flickr

So that was my year. Now here’s the challenge: Kirsty, Ben, Sam, Dan, Ruth, Dave, Pete, Mumf, Sim: You’ve been tagged! Let’s see your “Best of 2006″ lists online!

I was looking forward to reading this book as the original Peter Pan story is legendary, providing us with well known and much loved characters. It was always going to be difficult to follow up such a widely regarded novel 100 years after it was published! As the Description says:

In August 2004, the Special Trustees of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital launched the search for a sequel to JM Barrie’s timeless masterpiece, Peter Pan. The Special Trustees own the copyright and other intellectual property rights to Peter Pan, and to mark the work’s centenary, they authorized the creation of a new work that would share the same enchanting characters as the original, and bring as much pleasure to children and adults universally as Peter Pan has done. Fighting off fierce competition from over 100 other writers, Geraldine McCaughrean has been commissioned to write this official sequel. In her entry, the judges found something that captured the elusive spirit of the original whilst offering a fresh and astounding creative response. Like Barrie’s story, it will appeal to readers the world over.

Well, credit where it’s due, this book is a very good effort at staying true to Barrie’s original characters while providing a brand new adventure. The writing is fast paced and very matter-of-fact, telling the story succinctly without the need for detailed and drawn out description. This is similar to the original book and makes it feel like a true sequel while also being a great advantage for children who will understand clearly. That is not to say that adults won’t enjoy it either. There are the same brief references to wider themes (such as “The Great War”) that Barrie inserted into the original plus love, loss and friendship are equally measured out through the simple, childish narrative that Pan perpetuates.

Story wise the adventure is both creative and familiar, introducing us to new characters and landscapes while retaining enough of the recognisable to be comfortable. A grown-up Wendy and the Lost Boys head back to Neverland after dreams of pirates, crocodiles and such leak into the real world, only to find that Neverland has changed…

Initially, I had to remind myself that this novel does not have any continuity with the brilliant movie Hook, so had to forget about a grown-up Robin-Williams-shaped-Pan and pretend it never happened! Once I’d clarified the chronology (Scarlet is set around 20 years after the original) I was hooked! (*ahem, sorry*)

Perhaps my biggest praise of this book is how it manages to build and expand upon the original, adding explanation, insight and development, without ever changing or discrediting anything that had gone before (it even hints towards Peter’s own history by looking from a different perspective). For that reason, Peter Pan In Scarlet truly deserves to be the Official Sequel.

Having grown up in the evangelical/free church movement I have a rich heritage of vibrant, exciting worship and inspiring experiences of the Holy Spirit which have helped to shape my view of the faith over the years. However, although I have heard many gifted preachers and spent a lot of time in Bible Study (particular thanks to Johnny & Debs!), my understanding of the historical and theoretical background to the church has always been woefully inadequate.

Earlier this year I picked up The Lion History Of Christianity, a concise and colourful book that outlines the last 2000 years of Christian activity. Although I’ve not yet finished reading it - it’s good to dip in and out - it challenged me to look deeper at why Christians believe what they do and how they got to that point of view.

Hence I bought Theology: The Basics by Alister McGrath. In a few short chapters, McGrath covers the major themes of Christian thinking such as God, Jesus, Salvation, Church and Heaven by presenting a step-by-step analysis of the questions they raise for believers, the historical perspectives, and any significant alternative viewpoints. Although many of the topics within the book are complex, McGrath succeeds in outlining the main issues concisely in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

For me, I can simply say that this has been the most useful and influential book I have read for a few years. Its power is not in telling me what I should or shouldn’t believe as a Christian (as much religious literature does), but in simply helping me understand what has come before and where I stand in my Christian heritage today.

Since completing this book on holiday 2 weeks ago, I have had many conversations and heard much preaching that has been enlightened by my newfound understanding of the faith. Ideas and events such as the Reformation, Calvinism and Eschatology have a meaning beyond vague impression, while my thinking on theological subjects and my own opinions have deepened.

In all my gushing praise for this book, I do not believe that it will be as beneficial to everyone. My circumstances and interests made this purchase a timely and fascinating insight, yet the concepts may be too in depth or confusing for those with no questions about the history of church development.

I have two different outcomes from reading this book. The first is that I now intend to do more personal study around theology and widen my own understanding. The second is that I believe it would be beneficial to pass on some of this basic knowledge to young people so that they too can make sense of their faith. I’m not yet sure how ‘Theology 101′ will fit into my youth programme for 11-14’s, but it’s got me thinking…

The last 2 weeks have probably been the hardest I have yet had to face in my vocation as a youth worker because I have spent much of my time supporting particular families in crisis situations while wrestling with my own role at work. I have felt singularly useless and found myself exhausted of practical ideas or suggestions. After much effort, I feel I have come to the end of myself and have nothing left to give. This frustration and emptiness is new to me. Generally, I tend not to get too emotional or let situations effect me much so I have been learning a great deal about true faith and hope in the face of adversity. It reminded me of Rob Bell’s words in Velvet Elvis.

Ultimately our gift to the world around us is hope. Not blind hope that pretends everything is fine and refuses to acknowledge how things are. But the kind of hope that comes from staring pain and suffering right in the eyes and refusing to believe that this is all there is. It is what we all need - hope that comes not from going around suffering but from going through it.

This actually makes a lot of sense to me now. Although I’d understood it on an intellectual level before, I have actually experienced a tiny amount of the pain and suffering to which it refers. I have come to an understanding that sometimes I can’t do anything to help others apart from just being with them, silently lending my sympathy and support for their situations.

As youthwork has its heritage in the Christian faith, it makes sense that “being with” others is also a fundemental value of youthwork (or informal education). Jeffs and Smith put it well in “Informal Education: Conversation Democracy and Learning”

In other words, we should not be looking at other people, as looking with them at what they are seeking to communicate

Here’s a link to Jonny Baker’s poston the book ‘Whose Religion Is Christianity?‘ by Lamin Sanneh. Looks like an interesting read!