The trap cause we really need to remove from our youth work contracts

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Endemic in the youth work world is employers who don’t really know why they want a youth worker. Most churches know they want someone to work with young people – running Sunday schools, keeping them entertained, organising camps, and doing some measure of discipleship – but beyond this, it all gets a little fuzzy.

If a church can’t answer the question ‘why do you want a youth worker’ with anything more than generic broad generalities, then my suspicion is that they don’t really know what youth worker does, and how a youth worker will need to spend their time.

With such a limited understanding of a youth worker’s working week, and with pressure to justify the cost hiring one, a sneaky clause gets added into job descriptions. It usually runs like this:

‘Any other duty or duties that the pastor or elders deem necessary.’

And it’s everywhere!

I recently asked some professional Christian youth workers whether they have a similar clause in their contract – all of whom did. Here’s what it looks like for them:

‘Other duties as assigned’

‘Other duties as found applicable.’

‘Yes and it’s been crazy trying to say no. It’s a trap clause.’

‘Oh yeah! And I’ve realized that can entail so much.’

‘We have the other duties as assigned clause as well. They include hospital visits, handy work around the church, senior adult outings, and many other things that don’t always equal youth ministry. Throw in to that mix the fact that I am children’s pastor as well, and yea, time can be sparse.’

‘That or, “Youth and Associate Minister.”’

‘Ah, yes… youth pastors can wear many “hats.” … I don’t mind doing other things so long as they don’t begin competing for time where my focus needs to be… youth ministry. Learning to say, “No” is big!’

In all my time helping churches hire youth workers, I’ve not seen a contract that did not have this clause. It’s everywhere!

So what’s the problem?

When I was working my first full-time youth work position, this sneaky little cause in my contract could easily account for between 40% and 60% of my working week. I had three-hour staff meetings every Monday morning with the two Ministers, which required my input for maybe 20 minutes at most. This met in my office, and set the tone of my whole week. Off the back of this, I would often have to you organise prayer meetings, home-group gatherings, music, lifts, and sometimes with no warning or preparation time. This very often bleed into my days off – which, as you can imagine, were rarely taken.

Because I was still trying to do my youth work job, this stuff was piled on top of what I was supposed to be doing. This meant that I was regularly working 70 hour weeks. After a year of this, I raised it as an issue with my senior pastor. His slight impatient response was this:

‘Well, we all do that Tim. That’s just ministry!’

As a result I was always tired, always forgetting things, always navigating conflict, and spiralling quickly towards burnout. After nearly four years of decreasing health, and acting on the advice of a doctor, I sought another position – and almost quit youth work all together.

Now this was nearly ten years ago, and it is a particularly extreme example. It should be nuanced by the fact I was too young and inexperienced to battle for my time properly, and I actually wasn’t line-managed in all the time I was there.

It does, however, flag up the potential dangers of the ‘any other duties’ clause.

How to fix it

Some of the youth workers that I spoke to saw the necessity of a clause like this when working for small churches with under resourced teams. Some even enjoyed the added experience that came from these additional jobs. However, all of these said that it should be for a specific, pre-agreed, maximum amount of time. For instance, they said that the ‘other duties’ clause should account for ‘no more than 5% of working week.’

This is not a bad idea, however, I have a slightly different answer:

Just take it out!

The ‘other duties’ clause is a trap cause, as someone said above, and as such is a recipe for abuse. It demonstrates a lack of understanding by the church of their youth worker’s week, and gives contractual, legal permission to burn out a fellow minister of the gospel.

This is not ok.

I do believe that youth workers should be actively involved in their church outside of youth ministry; but that it should be voluntary and given as an act of service. It’s a pastoral issue, therefore, and not a contractual one.

If you hire a youth worker properly, and line-manage them clearly, then you won’t need to dictate their priorities. A quality youth worker will develop ministry that integrates, and supports the wider church. Making sure they’re in line and supportive of the church ethos and mission will work without needing to leave a hook in.

So, let’s please please please get rid of the ‘other duties’ clause – and see if we can’t extend the health and longevity of our youth workers by a few years, eh?

Thanks 🙂

I ask 150 youth workers what they would be if they were not a youth worker… here’s what they said

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A few months ago I wrote to a huge number of vocational youth ministers and said this:

‘Finish this sentence: If I wasn’t a youth minister than I’d be…’

The following list is the results. On the surface this seems like an odd, slightly fun, but irrelevant question. If you read carefully, however, it provides some interesting insight into the heart, attitudes, skill sets, passions, and varieties of people in youth ministry.

Some of these were what people used to do, some are what they would like to do – others or a little more existential! Here’s the answers…

A tree surgeon (that one was me)

Working in the copier/printer industry

Running a golf club

Living in a van down by the river!

Dead

A millionaire

A rollerblading coach

Much better rested

Selling dolphins on the black market

Police Officer

Social Worker

Open my own health food store/cafe

Working for the outdoor channel/have my own hunting show that ministers to men/dads and their families

A rodeo clown. Sometimes I feel like it’s nearly the same line of work!

Account manager

Funeral industry

Bored

I’d get my alternate certification and teach at a High School

Miserable, unless I knew God was leading me in a different direction

Teacher/Coach

A teacher or missionary

A dentist

Sane

Teaching high school English

Military

Rich probably, or at least have a comma in my bank account

A funeral director

A Pokémon Master!!!

Not answering this question

Indiana Jones

Social worker

Board game/coffee shop owner

Living somewhere else

Bartender

A chef

Financially stable

Server

Still discipling students

Well rested

Missing our

A coach or a teacher

A college professor

Coach

Accountant

Relaxed and full of free time…just kidding…kind of.

Coach

Missing my kids

School teacher or coach

Mobile sales

Happy

Real estate agent

Working in technology of some sort

Game show host

Web or graphic designer

Less tired

Financial advisor

Pursuing a job at Disney

Sad

In HR

Politician or Insurance Salesman

Owner of a gymnastics gym

Sane

Bummed

A voice over actor! I do a mean Mickey Mouse!

A volunteer youth worker, with some job that pays the bills and drives me crazy

Radio DJ

In Coaching or Teaching at a high school

Sane

Coach or teacher

Marketing guru

Teacher

Wildlife Biologist

Social worker

Bus driver

Searching

Taco/Chicken wing Food Truck owner

Paying all my bills on time

Driving a new F150

POTUS or food critic on the Food Network

Working at one of my businesses

Working with people with cognitive disabilities

Full time counsellor

Small business owner. Specifically in coffee

Bored

Idk… can’t picture myself doing anything else honestly

A real pastor

A Jedi Master

Preacher

Working at a 5 star resort serving everyone

I would try to open up a live music venue/coffee shop. Coffee shop during the week, shows on the weekend!

Well rested

Either a small-time politician or an author

A Care Bear! Oh wait….only in youth ministry can you be a Care Bear

Running a comic/game store. Holding events for tabletop role playing. Interacting with youth that way

Lounge singer on a cruise line

Distilling bourbon

Surf bum

Actually do the whole “Jesus Thing” by being a fisherman and a carpenter that tells everyone to be nice to one another and fights for love and equality

History Teacher or a brewmaster

Fishing

Teacher

The epic movie trailer guy/ voice overs /audio book narrator

Either a HS Teacher or a Law Enforcement Officer

A coffee house owner

Teacher/coach and/or do bass fishing tourney’s full time

Photographer

Real estate investor

Unemployed

Photographer

Architect

On broadway

Well slept

Missing out on my dream job

A police officer, still working with youth and mentoring

Financially strapped

A family counsellor

Artist

IT Tech

Graphic designer, journalist, or writer

An Ancient Near Eastern Historian

Rich

Lumberjack

A cruise director

Public Address Announcer for a college or professional basketball team

A comedian

Rich

Without a career, because I put all my eggs into this basket

Board game store owner

Lost

Sane

Either high school teacher or an electrician

An ice-cream taster

Videographer/editor

Writer

Asleep

Venture capitalist

A youth volunteer…… or in politics

Not living in a one bedroom apartment with a 1996 car

Depressed. I love what I do

Landscape Designer

Cabinet Maker

Salesman

Able to afford date night regularly

Fuller brush salesman

More rested

Married

Strength and conditioning coach or mna fighter

Designing logos for companies all over the world! Or playing pro ball

Salesman

In jail

Dr. Andrew Root’s Response to Me

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Last week I published a post encouraging us to read Dr. Andrew Root with a bit more theological care. Before I posted it, however, I sent it to Dr. Root, and he very graciously responded.

Tim,

Thanks for this email and thanks for engaging the work.  I think this is fine and mostly fair, but there are parts I’m not sure about.

First, the reduction of evangelicalism is a fair critique but this must be read next to my support, affirmation, and commitment to an evangelical perspective in Christopraxis.  As a matter of fact, to truly understand what I’m up to, you’d have to look there.  The other works, as you mention, are trying to balance idea construction with the practice of ministry.

Second, no doubt, I’m bound to Bonhoeffer as a theological dialogue partner, and seem to understand the atonement different than you.  But to understand this all you’d have to engage the conceptions of Luther and the passivity of human action.  My point is that your critique is not so much with Bonhoeffer as it is with Luther.  Looking at work from Christopraxis on will show a deeper engagement with orthodox and Pauline conceptions, which don’t show up in your review.  You mainly just stick with 2007, 2009, and 2011 work.  I hope I’ve developed since then.  So putting your critiques in dialogue with Christopraxis, Faith Formation, and Exploding Stars would be important, I think.  I’d imagine some of your concerns will remain.

Third, the burnout thing is most troubling.  I’ve mentioned in multiple places that you can only be a place-sharer to about 5 young people.  The push of the perspective is to change the youth worker’s conception from being the one doing all the relational ministry to ordaining other adults into ministry, to take responsibility for their young people.  I’ve also discussed a lot about open/closedness and claimed that place-sharing provides starker boundaries than other forms of ministry.  And this is based in a certain anthropology.  You may rightly disagree, but it isn’t right to assume that my perspective doesn’t see or deal with boundaries.  Also, you mention Blair and Christy’s review, but don’t offer how I responded to their critiques.  You’re welcome to critique my responses to them and call it inadequate…but I did have responses to their critiques you don’t mention.

Finally, and this is probably where we differ, my whole project revolves around conceptions of revelation.  I’m simply trying to explore where and how we encounter the living presence of God.  I think a legitimate critique is found in contrasting my views of revelation with those of others.  The first question really is, “Do you see ministry as centrally about revelation, or something else?”  So critiquing my conception that ministry bears the weight of revelation is fair, as is offering an opposing view of revelation.  At the end, stellvertretung (place-sharing) really isn’t the center of my thought (I mean, it’s close to the center) but the real core is ministry as the constituting reality of God’s act and being.  So yes, sin, salvation, etc. must be seen through the biblical narrative of God’s act to minister to Israel, to be a God who is found in historical acts.  Again, wrestling with Christopraxis will more clearly show this.

These are simply my reactions, since you kindly asked.  But again, thanks for writing something up.

Blessings to you,

A call for more careful reading of Dr. Andrew Root

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For Dr. Roots gracious reply to this, please click here.

This is just a gentle post asking for some care when reading Dr. Andrew Root. He is well worth the effort and he is invaluable to interact with. I am personally challenged by his experience working with so many hurting and broken young people throughout his career. I’m inspired by Root! I like him, and he has a lot of value to add to the conversation.

However, his densely written work is easily accepted as completely correct because it is written a head higher than most other youth work literature is. Many of us in the youth ministry world are simply not used to reading academics, and therefore we don’t bring the level of conversational critique required when engaging with the convincing and well-cited prose that academics, like Root, writes in.

Dr. Root brings us a massively useful set of perspectives that we should carefully consider in our work, but that doesn’t mean that he is completely, one-hundred-percent on the ball, or that his views should be appropriated in their entirety. Academia works by moving conversations forward in micro-increments, with hypotheses tested, and attempts made to falsify. That’s how iron sharpens iron in the academic world. However, as Root’s books tend to skirt the middle ground between academia and populous, that context can easily be lost through no fault of his own.

I’m sure Root himself, from an academic background, would fully support me by encouraging us to engage in these kinds of innovative conversations with critical thinking and great care. Nothing should be swallowed hook, line and sinker, without some real thought – especially when it is at this kind of level.

Before publishing this, I sent a copy to Dr. Root who very graciously replied. You can see his response in full here.

This short post isn’t written to target Dr. Root, but to use him as an example of taking care when reading literature that sits on the line between dense academic work, and popular practical materials. Root has become this example because of the number of blogs and groups currently reviewing him in complete agreement and with total support. It concerns me that reviewers and interviewers don’t ask critical questions of some of his more abstract or innovative ideas.

I recently wrote a paper analyzing the last few decades of ‘incarnational’ youth ministry theory (mainly looking at Pete Ward, Dean Borgman, and Andrew Root), and – after reading everything Root has published on the subject – I was left with a few concerns that I’d like to outline here:

 

First, Root’s own analysis of evangelical youth ministry is a little bit reductionist at times and comes with a tendency to erect a straw man in its place. He may, therefore, simply be fixing the wrong leak!

There is plenty to agree with in his survey of youth ministry. For instance, he says that there is a ‘dangerously high reading of cultural influence its blood stream’ (2007:23, 81) and it has settled into a pattern ‘that is more embedded in individualism’ (2013:110-111). Amen to that and let’s get on it!

He then, however, reduces evangelical youth ministry into a formulaic or purely functional approach, that makes ministry ‘goal-orientated rather than a companionship-orientated’ (2007:23). He, using this false dichotomy, writes as if any kind of potential influence is unhealthy, and thus any youth ministry that is trying to influence a young person to become a Christian is depersonalized and dishonest (2013:113-114). He sees this as manipulative leverage (2007:17; 2011:151).

There is very little nuance in Root’s critique. He doesn’t, for instance, differentiate been healthy and unhealthy influence. Talking someone down from the ledge before committing suicide would surely be an example of healthy influence? Many evangelicals would argue that this is exactly the type of influence they exercise by trying to help young people know the Gospel. Root, however, doesn’t consider these potential perspectives. Because of this, academic reviewers such as Dr. M. Dodrill (2013:12), Dr. B. Bertrand (2013:46), and Prof. R. Haitch (2013:38) believe that Root misunderstands evangelicals.

Root provides an important cautionary tale about manipulating young people through inauthentic relationships. However, he would do well to read other evangelical youth work theorists less as strawmen. Further, his sweepingly negative comments about influence cannot stand under scrutiny. Relationships are by their nature influential and contain a variety of moving goals.

 

Second, Root’s view of ‘place-sharing’ is dangerous if improperly applied. As much as I love Root’s compassion-driven model which focuses on empathy with the pain of young people, I’m troubled about what that could look like in practice.

For Root, we most deeply encounter the nearness of Jesus in His crucifixion, so Jesus empathised with our pain deeply that we – using the crucifixion as our base line – should likewise share in the pain of young people. Place-sharing requires us to indwell or inhabit another’s pain so completely that it becomes our own (2007:129-130; see Smith, 2009:113). This is not about getting young people to ‘accept… the gospel message’ it is about ‘sharing in suffering and joy, about persons meeting with persons with no pretence of secret motives’ (2007:15). One begins to wonder what the distinctive of the ‘Gospel message’ are under Root’s theology (a point we’ll return to in objection four)?

Root’s approach puts the youth minister into very vulnerable positions. In his impassioned plea to place-share in the pain of young people, Root has encouraged muggy boundaries (Hickford, 2003:111). An immersed relationship cannot extend to twenty-some young people, twenty-four hours a day. This is a recipe for burnout — and sets a precedent for young people to allow themselves into unsafe situations.

This reveals another significant problem in Root’s writing. His relational examples are only between equal partners (marriage and friendship). This ‘leads to an overly simplistic and gendered divide between instrumental and expressive relationships’ (Betrand and Hearlson, 2013:49). Frankly, expecting a teenager to be an ‘equal partner’ and carry the baggage of a much older youth minster is a recipe for relational abuse – if not actually abusive in itself.

Place-sharing, if clearer boundaries were applied, could be a helpful way to talk about the value of interested adults in the lives of young people. However, Root’s presentation of it as the Incarnation’s continuous form is unsound, and as a practical approach it is a recipe for burnout and abuse.

 

Third, Root uses Dietrich Bonhoeffer as his de facto foundational thinker, but he also sees Bonhoeffer through rose tinted lens. As much as I would agree that we have a plethora of helpful things to learn from Bonhoeffer, it is also worth noting that there are problems and nuances in Bonhoeffer’s theology which are heavily influenced by his context.

Bonhoeffer’s Christology was born out of a very turbulent life experience. He emphasised the this-world focus and concrete nature of Jesus becoming flesh (words used by Root) which was heavily outworked in a strongly social gospel. Abstract or internal knowledge of God was almost entirely dismissed by Bonhoeffer. He intended that ‘all Christian doctrines be reinterpreted in “this world” terms… The only way to find God, then, is to live fully in the midst of this world. Christians must participate in Jesus’ living for others’ (Godsey, 1991). Bonhoeffer, during the later period of his life, discontinued his daily Bible meditation, denying that Scripture contained any timeless principles. He said, ‘we may no longer seek after universal, eternal truths’ reading the Bible (Bonhoeffer and Krauss 2010:71). Further, as someone who leaned towards universalism, Bonhoeffer lacked a strong theology of atonement or soteriology (Weikart, 2015).

In many ways, Root’s understanding of the Incarnation is not his own. The ghost of Dietrich Bonhoeffer walks each and every page. Haitch sees Root’s work as little more than a ‘cut and paste’ approach (2013:13-14). Even the phrase place-sharer is Bonhoeffer’s (Stellvertreter) (2007:83). Root said that Bonhoeffer’s part in the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler was driven by the belief ‘that it was the only way that he could truly (truly = in the imitation of Christ) share the place of those crushed by the wheels of the Nazi political machine’ (2007:85). This would have been the ideal place for Root to have added some words of caution about using Bonhoeffer as a de facto position on Christology, however we are left wanting.

It’s not that Root using Bonhoeffer is a problem. Bonhoeffer is a legend with much to teach us! However, Root uses him uncritically, and that is what causes issues. This is the same difficulty that I’m having with popular reviews of Root. There is much for value, but it must be read carefully and in balance.

 

Fourth, Root’s theology seems to miss key creedal components. He seems to go out of his way, for instance, to avoid talking about the atonement in any distinctive form, which makes me wonder what Root’s theology of salvation really is? He writes as if he is trying to unstick the incarnation from any kind of soteriology (2013: 132-133, 148-149; 2007:91-94), and avoids it being the way in which God’s wrath is appeased (2013:128).

From my reading of Root, salvation is reclassified as ‘finding your person bound to God’ (2013:70; see Bertrand and Hearlson, 2013:47); sin is re-understood as ‘antihumanity’ (2007:90-91); and new-creation is deemphasized in favour of individual, world-bound empathy (2013:99, 149). He does not cogently discuss victory, God’s glory, heaven, obedience, or proclamation in mission. He, I believe, marginalises the Father and subtly remoulds the classical understanding of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (2013:147). Finally, Root neglects to properly unpack essential views that emphasise the historically understood divine aspects of the Incarnation (such as Athanasius or the Nicene Creed) – and favours writers like Barth, Torrance, and Bonhoeffer, all of whom lean towards the Incarnation being something in itself salvific.

I find it difficult, in how Root has written, to see much effectual reason for Jesus to have died for sins apart from fulfilling some kind of ultimate act of place-sharing in our death. Root frequently moves the ‘goal’ of incarnation from a divine action to a participative human action (2007:89-94).

 

Summary

Do I think these objections result in an insurmountable problem with the work of Dr. Root? Certainly not – and in many ways I don’t like nit-picking someone whom I respect so deeply. It’s easy to find problems in anyone, and I’m sure Root could answer or clarify his approach to all of the above. Many of these are probably just misunderstandings, or rabbit holes that needed a little more clarification and nuance at the time of writing.

The problem is I – as a reasonably well-informed, theologically-educated, and experienced youth leader – after reading all of Root’s work, came away with these issues. It worries me greatly, therefore, that in the youth work populous, little, if any, critique is being offered. Why is it that the only real critical questioning has been relegated to the academic realm?

Let’s please read innovative work carefully, and appropriate it into our contexts with great attention to the young people that God has placed in our lives.

My absolute best to Dr. Root, who I think is an invaluable thinker in our times. My hope for all of us, however, is that we can gracefully look deeper and more carefully at what we adopt.

 

References:

Bertrand, B, & Hearlson, C 2013, ‘Relationships, personalism, and Andrew Root’, The Journal of Youth Ministry, 12, 1, pp. 45-55

Billings, JT 2012, ‘The Problem with ‘Incarnational Ministry.”, Christianity Today, 56, 7, pp. 58-63

Bonhoeffer, D. and Krauss, R. (2010). Letters and papers from prison. Minneapolis, Minn.: Fortress Press.

Cutteridge, J. (2005), Relational youth ministry: In conversation with Dr. Andrew Root. Available at https://www.youthandchildrens.work/Youthwork-past-issues/2015/May-2015/Relational-Youth-Ministry

Dodrill, M. 2013, ‘A call for more critical thinking regarding the ‘theological turn’ in youth ministry’, The Journal Of Youth Ministry, 12, 1, pp. 7-20

Glassford, DK 2016, ‘Bonhoeffer as youth worker: a theological vision for discipleship and life together’, Christian Education Journal, 13, 2, pp. 435-437

Godsey, J. (1991), Bonhoeffer’s costly theology. Available at http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-32/bonhoeffers-costly-theology.html

Haitch, R 2013, ‘Response to ‘Incarnation and place-sharing’ by Andrew Root’, The Journal Of Youth Ministry, 12, 1, pp. 37-43

Hickford, A. (2003) Essential youth: Why your church needs young people. Eastbourne: Kingsway Publications

Root, A. (2014) Bonhoeffer as youth worker: a theological vision for discipleship and life together. Grand Rapids: Baker Books

Root. A. (2013), How we talk about sin in youth ministry. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7I4gHCKElw

Root, A 2011, ‘Participation and mediation: a practical theology for the liquid church’, International Journal of Practical Theology, 15, 1, pp. 137-139

Root, A. Relationality as the Objective of Incarnational Ministry: A Reexamination of the Theological Foundations of Adolescent Ministry in Griffiths, S. (ed.) and International Association for the study of Youth Ministry (2004) Journal of Youth and Theology Vol.3 No. 1 April 2004. pp.97-113

Root, A. (2007) Revisiting relational youth ministry: from a strategy of influence to a theology of incarnation. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books

Root, A 2013, ‘The incarnation, place-sharing, and youth ministry: experiencing the transcendence of God’, The Journal of Youth Ministry, 12, 1, pp. 21-36

Root, A. (2013) The relational pastor: sharing in Christ by sharing ourselves. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP

Root, A. and Dean, K.C. (2011) The theological turn in youth ministry. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books

Smith, FJ 2009, ‘Revisiting relational youth ministry: from a strategy of influence to a theology of incarnation’, Theology Today, 66, 1, p. 109

Weikart, R. (2015), The Troubling Truth About Bonhoeffer’s Theology. Available at http://www.equip.org/article/troubling-truth-bonhoeffers-theology/

White, D.F. 2008, ‘Toward an adequate sociology of youth ministry: a dialogue with Andrew Root and Anthony Giddens’, The Journal of Youth Ministry, 7, 1, pp. 91-100

Winstead, B. 2016, ‘Bonhoeffer as youth worker: a theological vision for discipleship and life together’, Wesleyan Theological Journal, 51, 1, pp. 230-233

What does a Church based youth worker do – Jonny Price

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What does an average week look like?

There is a strange mix of regular, set in stone, activities; those things that need doing week-by-week, and then some less regular things which come around monthly, annually, or are just a one off. The few things that I know will be in the diary each week are:

  • Staff meeting
  • Wednesday Youth Cafe
  • Friday Drop In
  • Sunday morning
  • Younger JAM, our Discipleship group for 11-14s.
  • Older JAM, our Discipleship group for 14-18s.

Around those I generally have prep time, admin time, supervisions, and meetings. Meeting up with young people, meeting with volunteers, meeting with other youth workers from around the city… just generally a lot of meetings!

Each week I try and make sure I have one solid office day. This is so I can really get my head down and power through my to-do list, as well as take a slightly wider look at what is going on across the ministries I oversee. Alongside that I have half a day reading time each week as well, although often that is the first thing to get squeezed out when things get hectic.

Finally, there are the things that come up within the calendar. At the moment, for instance, we are looking ahead to our Good Friday sleepover, and putting together all the practical things for prayer stations, food, films, popcorn, and all the rest of it.

What are your top priorities?

There are three really that carry across everything we do in Clifton Parish. They are:

  • Make sure that my volunteers are equipped and feel able to fulfil their roles to the best of their abilities.
  • Give all the young people and children we come into contact with the opportunity to explore their spirituality, and to introduce them to Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life.
  • Make sure that – across everything we do – we are allowing our young people and children to take the next step in their faith, and to take their faith wherever they go in the world.

I feel that I need to explain why my volunteers are at the top of my list of priorities. Without them, nothing else can happen. If my volunteers are well equipped and trained, if they feel called to what they do, and if they feel confident in what they do, then everything else will follow. If they aren’t, then priorities 2 and 3 are a bit pointless.

What are the hardest things about being in church based youth work?

There are a couple that really stand out to me. The first is that often you are treated as a young person because you work with young people. I have lost count of the number of meetings I have been in with clergy who have felt the need to explain to me how I should be doing my job, as if it is not something I have spent a significant amount of time and energy thinking, praying, and reflecting on.

The second is the weight that you can carry for other people. Because of the part we can play in young people’s lives they will unload their burdens to us, open up to us about things they haven’t told anyone else, and they can lean on us heavily. The challenge in creating boundaries so that we can serve them safely, look after ourselves, and not create a culture of dependancy, which can be really hard.

What are the best things?

Because you are investing in a community and (hopefully) spending a significant amount of time there, you see young people grow up. I spent nearly seven years in my last job, and seeing the young people grow from young teenagers to adults was one of the greatest privileges.

As well as that, I love seeing people step out in faith and try things for the first time. I have a number of people on my teams who have stepped out of their comfort zone to get involved in youth or children’s ministry, and it has helped them understand what gifts God has given them, and has had a wider impact on their lives.

How do you think Church based youth work is different to other kinds of youth work?

Being Church based means that we can be more holistic in our approach to young people than many other organisations. We can offer them the chance to become part of an multi-generational movement through which we can transform local communities.

Many organisations can do the individual bits which make up church based youth work, but having the church as the basis for the work that we do is what gives us the opportunity to have long-term, significant, and hope-giving impact on communities which otherwise struggle to find any hope in the world.

What would you say to someone considering becoming a church based youth worker?

‘Great, are you sure?’

It is a fantastic role and I would not have spend the last 9 years doing anything else, but you need to be ready for it.

Talk to people who have been doing it for a while, find out what to expect, make sure they are telling you about the ugly bits of it, and then pray. If God wants you in this, you won’t be able to stay away.

And before you jump in, make sure that you have people there to support you when things get tough.

Anything else you’d like to add?

This is the best role in the world. We have the opportunity and privilege to connect a generation to the church, and through doing that to transform both. We can see young people discover who God made them to be, see them step free of damaging patterns of behaviour, and watch them have a positive impact on the world around them.

And if we occasionally have to explain why we don’t want to be vicars, then I think I can live with that.

Why study at Nazarene Theological College? By Alia Pike

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Hello, my name is Alia Pike and I am the Youth and Community Course Coordinator at Nazarene Theological College (NTC). This course is actually delivered at both NTC in Manchester and at the Scottish School of Christian Mission in Glasgow, which means it has joint professional validation with the National Youth Agency (NYA) and the CLD Council for Scotland. This is one of the only courses to offer this… plus I get frequent trips to Glasgow to stock up on Scottish Tablet for a yummy sweet treat!

Reflective Practice

My role at NTC includes teaching and my favourite class is what’s called the ‘Placement Seminar’. This is where students talk about their placements and we reflect together as a group. This space is an essential part of our degree course as it gives students the opportunity to link theory to practice, drawing on their knowledge of theology, experience of Youth and Community Work, and understanding social policies, theory, and professional standards.

Reflective Practice is so important when working with people as it allows an individual time to think through the decisions they made and the action that they took. It is also about looking at yourself as the Youth Worker reflecting on your personal values and how you are developing and changing as a person.

Since I’ve been working at NTC I have reflected on my experience of training to be a Youth Worker and how much both I and my Youth Work practice changed during those years. Even now I am constantly reflecting and challenging myself to develop as a practitioner. I guess that is why I am so passionate about professional Youth Work degrees and continuous training; because I know the difference it can make to have a solid grounding in theory and theology.

The Theological and Professional Core of NTC

It is theology that comes first at NTC, embedded in Wesleyan Holiness, as students who study with us leave with a BA(hons) Theology and specialism in their chosen pathway of either Practical Theology or Youth and Community.

The Youth and Community pathway provides students with the added bonus of gaining a professional qualification which is important as Youth Workers are being asked to work in a range of settings including hospitals, schools, and prisons, as well as the traditional youth clubs and detached projects.  Knowing that they have a University of Manchester degree with accreditation from the NYA and CLD gives our students confidence and validity when speaking with Social Workers, Teachers, and other professionals.

Youth Work has often been seen as the poorer relation to Social Work as the role doesn’t come with the power or legal framework of Social Work. The tide is turning, however, and as public services are being cut, it is Youth Workers who are stepping in to fill the gaps. This really excites me as I see our graduates becoming part of a work force which is diverse, professional, creative, and able to work where the greatest needs are. Last year’s graduates are working across the UK and abroad in roles that include youth drop-ins, women’s aid work, as well as the traditional church Youth Worker.

We work hard at NTC to ensure our students graduate with an excellent degree and employability skills, so they are work ready.

Graduation and Study Patterns at NTC

Graduation is truly a special time at NTC as it brings together the whole NTC community and we are able to celebrate the success of our students. The ceremony takes place at Whitworth Hall at University of Manchester where students can bring as many guests as they like to clap and celebrate with them. We then all come back to the NTC campus for an afternoon tea party and lots of photos.

Before I sign off I’ll just explain the pattern of study at NTC for a Youth and Community student as the course is a blend of both Placement and Classroom based learning. Students spend 15 hours a week on Placement and this can be in a community project or a church, where they are supported by a Line Manager and working with young people aged 11 – 25. Placement is usually between a Thursday and Sunday and NTC classes take place Monday to Wednesday.  Our students also complete an Alternative Placement which gives them the opportunity to experience a different Placement and increase their knowledge and skills.

Find out more

If you or someone you know would like to find out more about studying at NTC come along to one of our regular Open Events as advertised on our website. And, if you’re in Manchester any weekday at 10.45am, feel free to visit our campus and join us for coffee.

Thanks for reading, pop along and say ‘Hi’ to me on our NTC exhibition stand at Spring Harvest Harrogate, Big Church Day Out North, and Soul Survivor week A in Stafford.

Email: apike@nazarene.ac.uk

Twitter: AliaPikeNTC

Website: www.nazarene.ac.uk

What does a freelance youth worker do? With Liz Edge

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A ‘freelance Youth Work Practitioner’ sounds like a dream job, right? From writing youth work articles in my pyjamas and drinking coffee at networking meetings – many fellow youth workers would kill for this freedom. So, what do I actually ‘do’?

Like many of us, most of my working days begin with a substantial caffeine hit and a commute to the office. The spare bedroom in my apartment is my ‘office’ – comprising of a desk, white board and spare dining room chair. It takes about 30 seconds to get to which means even on snow days, I can make it to the office. I open up my emails, check my to do list and crack on with whatever project I’m currently working on.

Freelancing means I’m my own boss. I choose the hours I work, the projects I take on and the work expenses I can claim. I have no allegiance to one particular company, charity or church denomination. There are no geographical limits. I’m able to work locally, regionally and nationally – heck, even internationally if I wanted to. I have no job description as such that I have to fulfil, but rather tailor my work to a specific project that I choose to work in. I try to fully embrace the freedom in freelance – yet it’s not without its challenges.

Freelance is not for the faint hearted. It takes courage to ‘sell’ yourself – putting your skill set and expertise ‘out there’ without any backing from a company. Being a youth worker for a church or a charity means you have a safety net – you’re advocating for their work and living by their ethos. For me, there’s nowhere to hide. I’m on the frontline being the sales rep, accountant and the youth worker delivering the project – there’s no comfort from an institution. It’s incredibly vulnerable. I’ve had to create my own ethos and boundaries; learning to trust myself so I stick to them – even if it means declining work.

There’s no average week for me. No Monday morning team meetings or Wednesday afternoon supervisions. My to do list can be anything from writing a training session on depression to chasing up unpaid invoices. Days can be full of networking meetings or phone calls to writing thousands of words alone on the sofa.

Freelance means I can tailor make my work to suit the needs of the organisation. The different ‘hats’ I wear are anything from trainer to author, consultant to mentor. In the past this has looked like:

– Regularly contributing articles for magazines, websites and blogs.

– Volunteering at the Friday night youth club of my local church.

– Creating a series of cell group outlines on spiritual disciplines.

– Training youth workers, school staff and chaplains on mental health topics.

– Lecturing undergraduate students on young people and self-harm.

– Running therapeutic group work in schools.

– Mentoring a student on a Christian gap year programme.

– Publishing a resource for youth leaders on emotional health and young people.

– Speaking at one-off youth clubs.

I recognise that I’m a bit of a rare breed. Freelancing in youth work isn’t the norm and isn’t what I thought I’d be doing once I graduated with a degree in Youth Work and Ministry. I knew I didn’t want to become a youth pastor of a church or pastoral worker in a school. What I did know was I wanted to make a positive difference to the lives of young people; focusing on their mental health and exploring how a Christian faith fits into it all.

The flexibility of being self-employed means I’m able to manage my own poor mental health and still pursue my own chosen career. Having depression and anxiety means I’m less likely to find a job that can suit my needs. This could be anything from waking up exhausted after a nightmare induced sleep to managing the side effects of a change in antidepressants. I’m breaking the mould of a traditional youth work job – using my personal experiences and academic ability to enhance the lives of young people, both inside and outside the Church.

So, let’s not forget that there is value in all of our work. No matter what tile your role may have or whom you work for, there is value in all of our ministries. There is no mould for a youth worker to fit in to. Join me, as someone who regularly feels overwhelmed, underqualified and under paid, in remembering this quote: Do what you can, with whatever you’ve got, from wherever you are.

What does a youth work consultant do? With Ali Campbell

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Yeah, that is a good question!  As I work for myself, as a sole trader, it is not something I have been appointed to – so, in some ways, I get to define what it looks like for me.

I set up The Resource in order to be that, a resource for the local church and faith based organisations working with children, young people and families.

So that is the first thing, I aim to be a “resource” through sharing ideas, material, thoughts and articles about ministry and signposting those I engage with to the resources, ideas and material of others – a key thing for me is adding value, so I try and make a point of knowing what is “out there” and, if I can’t help directly – I try and make sure I know who can!

Secondly, I work for people in a number of ways – it could be writing resources and material, it could be doing a piece of research around children, young people and the home (which I’m particularly interested in from a faith perspective), it could be visiting churches and helping them think through their strategy and vision, it could be advising organisations on employing youth and children’s workers – looking at job descriptions and contracts, stuff like that, it could be training sessions delivered for a diocese or group of churches or a theological college.

What does an ‘average week’ look like for you?

Ha!  There is no average week – but here is a snapshot.  Most mornings I start early, about 7am, to get emails replied to and maybe line up a few scheduled posts for my Facebook Page and, if I’m feeling inspired, cracking out a blog post on ministry.  I then look through my “up coming” deadlines and try and prioritise what I need to work at – so, right now I’m planning for a lecture I’m delivering this weekend coming (as I type) on Reflective Practice at a residential retreat for those preparing for ordination.  I’m on a retainer with a small charity, so a portion of most days is spent doing work for them – generally involving funding applications, tinkering with their website and general promotion of their activity.  As my time is flexible, I also generally do school drop off and pick up for my youngest daughter.  I then have this sign in front of my face that, from 9am, I try and keep at the forefront of my mind – it just says, “do what is in front of you.”  Working for myself, I could spend my days chasing work (if I don’t do work for people, I don’t get paid so that is a motivator for getting myself out there!), however, I’ve found my days are more productive if I focus on the work I already have – not might have one day.  Working through my work generally means writing, preparing presentations, researching and hanging out with my Mac and a coffee 🙂

How is it different to other types of youth ministry you’ve been involved with?

I’ve been involved in six different kinds of roles within youth work, each is different, with it’s own challenges and joys – these are ::

Being a volunteer youth worker.  Where I started at 18, did this for a decade.

Being a student worker. Two years study with Oasis before there were degrees, getting a certificate in youth ministry.

Being a full time youth worker.  Worked for a local church for 7 years.

Being a diocesan adviser.  Worked for a Church of England Diocese for 9 years.

Being a children’s and youth event host / leader.  Led children’s and youth stuff at a national family conference for 14 years (this isn’t concurrent, I’m not that old – this was while doing some of the rolls above.

Being a youth conference organiser.  Led a team organising a couple of national conferences plus worked with a team of people to plan and run the now sadly finished “Youthwork The Conference”.

I don’t count what I do now as a seventh, it is more an amalgamation of all of the above.  The main difference is not being responsible for a bunch of young people – although I have gone full circle, and volunteer in my own church.  I guess this means I can be pretty objective as I go out and about to encourage and support others.  It also means I have to find ways of keeping my hand in, there is nothing worse in ministry than teaching, lecturing or speaking to people about what you “used to do”.

What are the pros and cons of being a consultant?  /  What do you find easier, and what’s harder?

I think I’ve learnt from a lot of mistakes I’ve made in the past about how I manage my time, plan work, invest in my own live with God – I wouldn’t say they are any easier (!) I think that just comes from age, being nearly 50.  Big pros are working for myself and, in a work context, being asked to do a piece of work because people want me to do it – that might sound odd, but I don’t sit around wondering if I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing when it doesn’t match up to my job description.  Generally, the work I’m asked to do is pretty focused, and if people come to me with a very vague proposal, I try and help them drill down to what they actually want me to do, when they want it by.  I also love the variety and pushing myself in to new skill areas (when I started The Resource in September 2014 I had to get to grips with creating my website, how I was going to communicate what I was doing, becoming a sole trader and thinking about tax, invoicing and all that admin stuff).

What is hard is not, at this moment, mentoring or discipling a group of young people myself.  Although, that isn’t strictly true as I have a 10 and almost 13 year old in my own house.  It is also hard, at times, not being part of a wider organisation – that sometimes creates “Credibility” all by itself – “hey, I work for such and such.” I have to demonstrate to people I know what I am doing and share a bit of my story about why I’m working for myself.  However, what I love, love, LOVE is not being involved in politics and hierarchy stuff – I sometimes feel I don’t have the influence I could have, but then I am reminded that I can (within reason) say what I like if there is injustice, young people are not being listened to or valued, or I think the national church needs to sort its priorities out and – cause I work for myself – nobody can “fire me!”

What do you miss from before you were a consultant?

A team.  And growing a team.

Firstly, I miss having my own team to be part of – throw ideas around, encourage each other, iron sharpens youth ministry iron etc.  I’ve had two very different teams.  One, when I was a full time youth worker at a church, were all a decade or more younger than me – encouraging, equipping and releasing them in to ministry stuff was a joy.  Secondly, I had a team of experienced people at the diocese, I had to determine best how to focus their many talents so we could be of most benefit to the churches we served.

I’d love a team again.  Right now, don’t see how that happens, I think being a sole trader and just being / doing “The Resource” is the fit for me, but – I’m open to what God says about that!

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a youth work consultant?

It is wonderful.  It is hard work.  It is flippin’ scary starting out.  You have to have a combo of confidence in the Lord and confidence in what He has called you to.  There are knocks, work you think you should have had you don’t get – challenges around your identity and worth, depending how you get going with being a consultant – I haven’t mentioned it, but – although it feels absolutely right for me, I had to go through a redundancy to get here.  If you can chose to make a start with this, rather than react to circumstances – I’d take that route.

A couple of things I would say you have to do if it is going to work ::

You have to put yourself out there.  It is you that you are selling, you represent yourself not an organisation.  So, work out what you have to offer that is distinctive, create stuff for free that shows people what you can do, add value to the work of others, bless other ministries doing similar things to you.

Network like crazy.

Be at things that matter in your field of work.  Whether that is conferences, gatherings, training.  Look for gaps – what isn’t being spoken about or done? What training isn’t being offered but should be?

Get a bunch of people around you who will pray for you and encourage you and back you – but will also call you out for heresy and when you are working to hard and losing perspective and balance – you might need to sacrifice things to make this work, but don’t let those things be friends or family.

I love it and, right now, wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

You can get in touch and / or follow via ::

Twitter : @AliCampbell_68

Facebook : www.facebook.com/alitheresource

www.theresource.org.uk

Call : 07921 472589

Email : ali@theresource.org.uk

When musical tastes become the preconditions for worship

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The time of musical worship can be a nightmare to crack! With so many tastes and values in the room it’s amazing that we ever get through it without broken teeth, flying drumsticks, or choral tantrums.

Part of the issue is we’re just so darn picky!

I, for instance, am really cynical about 90s-00s contemporary worship music. I find it simplistic, boring, messy, boring, poorly written, boring, rubbish to play, boring, and theologically… quirky. Is this a fair assessment of all worship music from that era? Probably not. Does it summarise all of that era’s worship? Definitely not! Does it tell me something about my heart? Very yes!

And here’s our problem. The straight line we draw from ‘does this please me’ to ‘does it please God’ is logically absurd!

Our worship should reach in three directions:

  • Upward. We’re to love and honour God.
  • Outwards. We’re to serve and uplift each other.
  • Inwards. We’re to encourage our silly hearts and tired minds to respond.

Then problem is we tend to add a fourth step, which is, ‘we’re to like the music’. This totally reverses the process which ends up looking a little like this:

  • Double Inwards: Am I properly entertained by, and comfortable with, the music provided?
  • Inwards: Do I feel like I can now respond to God?
  • Outwards: Do I feel like I can encourage others to get stuck in?
  • Upwards: Do I feel like God likes what I’m doing?

The problem here is that every stage is now governed by ‘do I feel…?’, which makes worship self-serving rather than God-serving. This is a huge problem when you consider that worship in the Bible always included sacrifice and making ourselves lower.

It’s not entirely this straight forward, but you can see the problem. If our ability to worship is governed by our acceptance of the music provided, then everything stops working.

Put another way: if worship must first reach our conditions, then we won’t be worshipping when they do.

If the music fits us so perfectly that we ‘switch on’ our worship mode, then it’s likely that is it isn’t worship that we’re doing. It’s not that you can’t worship to your music preference (of course you can), the problem is making your worship and adoration of God conditional on your music preference. Our love for God shouldn’t be conditional upon anything but His love for us.

How many times have you heard (or thought!) something like:

  • I can’t worship to an organ
  • The music is too loud to worship
  • I can’t focus on God because the singer was off-key
  • God can’t get through to me though a guitar solo

etc.

For me – I always lose it if a drummer goes out of time!

Now some of this is simple human distraction – worked on with time and patience. However, these things can be heart issues. It’s a heart issue when we won’t try to worship if our preferences aren’t met.

Thank you Billy Graham

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When I was 14 I first heard of the work of Billy Graham. I couldn’t believe the size of the crowds that he drew, or the authority of his voice. Could Christians really have that kind of impact?

By the time I reached 18 I knew I wanted to do exactly what he did. I wanted to speak to as many people as possible about Jesus. I packed up for Bible College and started to train. During my time there I read two biographies of Billy – which taught of the lengths he would go to speak the gospel to small groups of people. I was inspired by how he kept ‘the main thing’ the main thing, and how clearly he made worship of the the Jesus of the cross his central focus

Billy was the first Youth for Christ staff worker, a charity that I’m proud to be a part of today. He was a fabulous youth worker, a bold preacher, a warm counsellor, and a wise leader. It was always in my heart to one day meet him and say thank you for inspiring me.

Today, at 99 years old, Billy passed away in his home. He is with the Jesus that he loved so dearly and publicly.

Billy had spoken to over 200 million people since becoming ordained just as WW2 broke out. He gave his life to Jesus at 16, and followed him faithfully every since. He grew into a wise and solid figure and I’m always going to be grateful for the seed of inspiration he gave to me when I was so young.

Thank you Billy. Still can’t wait to meet you.