Why we need sync – Grace Wheeler

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As a communicator, one of the things I always used to connect with people is stories.  I tell stories about dogs, about inspiring people, but mostly about me!  This is not because I love myself, it’s because I know me best and when I share something of my life it connects with my audience.

Stories are powerful.

I don’t know about you but I can remember the stories I read as a child, curled up with my mum on the sofa or fighting sleep as I settled down for the night.  And I do so for a very good scientific reason.  When we hear stories, our brain secretes powerful chemicals: cortisol which makes us pay attention, oxytocin (the same hormone that bonds mother and baby), which makes us feel empathy for the story’s characters and dopamine (also found in some ‘fun enhancing’ substances), which makes us feel good when there is a happy ending.  Moreover, brain scans during storytelling reveal that the same chemical patterns are observed in both teller’s and hearer’s brains.  It’s as if you sync your mind to the other person’s using the power of story.  It’s as if Jesus knew what he was doing when he used parables to communicate the deep truths of the cosmos.

And in youth culture stories resonate even more.  When you use Snapchat or Insta these days you are not just invited to capture a moment in time but to tell a story.  Our music videos and computer games have evolved.  The story is central to them.

What does this have to do with evangelism?

Recently I have been captivated by the idea that in evangelism, three stories collide.  We have a story, God has a story and our friend who does not yet know Jesus also has a story.  Great evangelism is about bringing these stories together through the power of relationship.  One of the first steps here is to know your own story.

Purpose, forgiveness, friendship, belonging, change, hope, life, love, adventure, guidance, mission.  All these words help young people tell a story of the difference Jesus makes in their life.  St Peter writes, ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.’  1 Peter 3:15. One of the best things we can do for our young people is to prepare them to tell their story.

As an evangelist, I am compelled by the idea that if every Christian young person knew their story, God’s story, was praying for a few mates and committed to intentional relationships with those around them, the viral potential for the Gospel could be unleashed in a new way.  That’s why at Youth for Christ we have created Sync, a Youtube channel to help young people know their story and be inspired to share it.  I would love you to check it out and run it for free with your young people.

 

Grace Wheeler is the National Evangelist at Youth for Christ.  You can explore the free Sync resources here and see the Youtube channel here

A different way to evangelise – Jonny Price

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I remember clearly when my faith became an exciting prospect for me.

I had been a Christian for about 5 years, and was travelling in Australia for a few months. Someone had very kindly given me an audiobook on CD (I know, I’m old) of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis. This was at the height of Rob’s influence in the Christian world, back before the cliff edge that Love Wins became.

I was on a train from Sydney to Newcastle, a journey of around 3 hours, and was listening, when something Rob said jumped out and grabbed me;

“I’m convinced being generous is a better way to live. I’m convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live. I’m convinced having compassion is a better way to live. I’m convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live. I’m convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live. I’m convinced being honest with people is a better way to live.”

During all the time I had been a Christian I had never heard anyone speak about Christianity like this. It was all about personal salvation, it was all to do with the cross and forgiveness. It was about what happened after death, I couldn’t recall anyone saying that it was about living before that.

This feeling has come back to me recently as I have been thinking about the way that we evangelise, and more generally, about how we talk about faith in the Church.

It seems that we are obsessed with the death of Jesus, but can take or leave His life.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus are absolutely non-negotiable in any understanding of orthodox Christianity, but in focusing so clearly on the end of Jesus’ life, I believe that we have missed something significant. If we can redress this balance, I think there are three significant impacts we could see:

  1. It shows us the best way to be Human

Through His life Jesus shows us the best way to be human, the best way to be an image bearer of God. He shows us a better way to live.

For a while now Christianity has been plagued by a version of humanism, the idea that human reason and logic are all that is needed for a better world. Some parts of Christianity have taken this idea, and said that because we are image bearers, we are able to make this a better world in our own strength.

The problem with this is that it is untrue, it is not our idea of image bearing that matters, but what Jesus shows us about being image bearers.

 

  1. It reminds us we are called to build God’s Kingdom

If we can call young people to a better way to live, as well as to salvation beyond, then we can help to grow excitement in them for building God’s Kingdom on Earth.

This ties into an ancient tradition in the Jewish faith, of tzedekah and mishpat. These literally mean righteousness and justice, but in their Jewish forms, evoke ideas of righteousness as something given by God, and of going from retributive justice to restorative justice.

If a young person makes a commitment to Christianity at age forteen, there is a lot of life still to live between their commitment and the results of their salvation. But if that same young person is taught about tzedekah and mishpat, then they can see how their life can tie into this incredible, rich tapestry of people building the Kingdom of God. They can live for a purpose greater than any other.

 

  1. We can make our evangelism more effective.

Millennials and post-millennials are keen to make the world a better place. They want to see equality in wealth, health, education, standards of living, and gender. They want to see peace.

And Christianity has an umbrella for all of these ideas to come under. If we can show people hungry for change that all of these causes can fit into the Kingdom, then think what a different picture that paints of the Church.

It ceases to be an institution desperate to serve and save itself, and becomes a movement that seeks to serve others. It becomes something people want to be a part of.

 

Final thoughts

Jesus died for the sins of the world, but let’s not forget that He lived a life as well. His life was more than a way to get to the cross, it was to show us how to live as image bearers, how to be Kingdom builders, and how to seek after His righteousness and justice, putting others before ourselves.

Jesus did die for us, but he also lived for us. Let’s not sit around waiting for heaven, but live fully alive just like Jesus did.

Exploring Emotional Health – with Liz Edge

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It was through adolescence that I began to feel a void in dialogue between my Christian faith, and being diagnosed with anxiety and depression. No one seemed to want to talk about emotional health and God in the same conversation; it was as if they simply didn’t mix.

Over the years, I was convinced that others out there must be thinking similar thoughts to me. I couldn’t be the only teenage Christian living in the void. As I got older, I would ask myself;

Why am I so anxious all the time, even though the Bible tells me not to worry?

Does God still love me, even though I self-harm?

How can I be a Christian and be diagnosed with depression?

As I gained more insight into the area of mental and emotional health, I realised Christian’s aren’t exempt from experiencing poor mental health. Being a follower of Christ is a lived experience, and that includes living with illnesses of all kinds.

If we pause, taking a moment to look at the reality people are currently facing, we’ll see that:

  1. Globally, an estimated 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression and it is the leading cause of disability worldwide. (WHO, 2015)
  2. In the UK, anxiety disorders are estimated to affect 5-19% of all children and adolescents. (NHS, 2014)
  3. The majority of people who are reported to self-harm are aged between 11 and 25. (Mental Health Foundation, 2017)

Here we have three statements that show a snapshot of the many challenges adolescents face in our society today.

The encouraging news is that research shows teenagers want to talk about these challenges with trusted adults; they want to break the silence and no longer identify them as ‘taboo’ topics. Whether it is because young people are facing these adversities themselves, or because friends/family are struggling, they want to talk and therefore we must listen.

So, for those of us working with young people, we’re left with a conundrum: How do we even begin to effectively support the young people we engage with in exploring their emotional well-being and Christian faith? Where does the conversation begin in this vast arena?

Exploring Emotional Health: six workshop outlines for youth leaders will enable you to begin these vital conversations. It is a practical resource which breaks open the void in exploring these challenges with teenagers. The book covers six key topics and even includes ready to go workshops on: self-esteem; anxiety; depression; self-harm; identifying and coping with emotions.

Each chapter presents an essential understanding of every topic so you are equipped to run the creative workshops. The flexibility of how they’re written means they could used as a series during term-time or simply as a one-off at a residential weekend.

A decade since my personal experience, there are still teenagers today asking the same questions. By using Exploring Emotional Health you’ll be helping to close the void in openly discussing emotional health and Christian faith. Don’t wait for someone else to talk to them – be the one to start the conversation today.

Exploring Emotional Health can be purchased for £9.99 from various Christian book shops, including KevinMahyew.com.

References:

Mental Health Foundation (2017), Self-harm [online]. Available at: <https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/self-harm> [Accessed 7 February 2017]

NHS (2014), Anxiety [online]. Available at http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anxiety-children/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Accessed 27 June 2017]

World Health Organisation (2015), Depression [online]. Available at: http://www.who.int/topics/depression/en/ [Accessed: 30 October 2016]

 

Liz Edge is a professionally qualified Youth Work Practitioner holding a First-Class BA (Hons) Degree in Youth Work & Ministry. She is the author of Exploring Emotional Health and has contributed to the work of local and national organisations; these include Romance Academy, selfharmUK and Premier Youth and Children’s Work.

As a freelancer, Liz is able to offer a wide range of youth work through education, training and intervention. Her practice is made authentic by drawing from her own life’s adversities, including living with depression and anxiety for over a decade.

In all her pioneering work, Liz’s ethos is to provide holistic support to adolescents in their relationships and to promote positive wellbeing; with themselves, with others and with the wider world.

You can find out more about Liz at Liz-Edge.co.uk and can follow her on Twitter @LizEdge_ and Facebook /LizEdgeYouthWorker – she’d love for you to say Hi!

Facing Your Fears as a Youth Leader

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Guest Post By Chloe Perrin. Volunteer Youth Worker, Musical Theatre Tutor and Youth Charity Trustee.

 

About three years ago, I was sat in an office telling my Supervisor that I’d love to do a gap year with the local Youth For Christ centre, provided that I only had to do background stuff like admin. Not, under any circumstance, did I want to come into contact with any actual front of house youth work or young person of any sort.

One year later I was wearing a sumo suit while flinging myself at one of said young people in an attempt to knock them out of the circle in a sumo fight to end all sumo fights.

Granted, I’m a young youth worker (only been in the business three years) but I feel I have a bit of authority on the subject of conquering fears, considering that my fear was one of the biggest and most ridiculous fear that can hinder any other youth worker of any age: I was terrified of teenagers.

Now, before you laugh, I think we can all agree that teenagers can be flipping scary. They decide what (and who) is cool this year, half of them think they’re smarter than they are and the other half are smarter than you so don’t even try. They can be scathing and have the ability to make you question every life choice you have ever made with one sarcastic comment.

All that said, those are also the reasons why we love them so much.

Whatever it is, be it young people themselves or something entirely different, every single youth worker in the world has fears, and those fears, no matter how big or small, have the capacity to block us from doing truly amazing work with young people. Here are some of the simple ways I managed to face my fears as a youth worker:

 1. Don’t pretend you’re not scared.

Look at that massive pile of admin you need to do, all those emails you need to send, all those kids waiting to hear the Bible study masterpiece that you’re presenting. How easy would it be if we could just close our eyes and those things would vanish in a puff of smoke?

You can stare at those emails while your heart plummets and mutter “I love emails so much” over and over all you want, but it’s not true. Acting like you love giving bible studies while you’re shaking with fear won’t work either – young people can smell a rat from a mile away.

Just remember when you’re facing these situations that no one important is expecting you to love every aspect of your job. And if your job is upfront youth ministry, no teenager will ever think less of you for being nervous – quite the opposite! If anything, it makes you human, and they’ll appreciate that more than anything.

Be upfront with your colleagues. Be honest about what scares you. Hidden situations only get worse.

2. Do what you need to do (within reason).

Step back. Take a breath. Ask yourself, what will make this situation less terrifying? For me, it was knowing that I had other more experienced youth workers with me, and I could take a few minutes in the back room if it got too much.

This is easier with some things than others. For example, if you need to take breaks between each email to stuff your face with chocolate then do it! Think you might need to call someone up you trust to help you through some admin? Do it!

If you need to ask for help, do it. Needing help doesn’t make you weak. There’s a reason God created more than one human. We’re not meant to go it alone.

3. JUST DO IT (Shia La Beouf voice)

My last piece of advice would be, NEVER let the fear stop you. There’s a part of me that still fills with fear when a new young person enters the room and I have to go and welcome them, but I never regret it when I do.

Who wants to look back on their time as a youth worker and see a list of things they never tried, or gave up on too early? The Bible isn’t made up of stories of people who would have but didn’t. It is, however, made up of stories of people who were scared but did it anyway, because God was with them.

And that’s the most important part (surprise). God’s with you. Anything good you do hasn’t actually been done by you anyway. God did it through you. It works the other way too; if you have Jesus at the centre of everything you do as a youth worker, then it won’t matter if you mess up; God meant for that, too. God doesn’t just use our triumphs, he does wonders with our failures too.

 

Of course, there is so much more to learn about conquering fears, but hopefully you’ll appreciate these little drops of advice.

Now I’m off to go swing a pair of orange-filled tights around my head around for the entertainment of my truly brilliant young people.

 

About Chloe

Chloe Perrin is a twenty two year old Christian who’s been doing youth work with Youth For Christ since her Gap Year, which has been going on about three years now!

When not doing youth work, she is a musical theatre tutor for children aged five to eighteen (keeps her fit!), and has lived in North Wales since she was born, and will continue to live here until they kick her out.

She also plays the saxophone but saves that for parties.

You can find her at any Comic-Con in the country, and her life ambition is to dress in cosplay more than in her regular clothes.

Changing Youth Work Jobs – Bx Belshaw

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Guest post by Bx Belshaw. Full time, experienced Church-based Youth and Families worker. A great story of change, challenge and and courage as she moved from her first full time ministry position into a new job.

 

Christmas season in a new church – and for me a new church denomination – is always a time of intense questioning. Do you have an advent liturgy? Is there a Christmas Day service? What happens on Christmas eve, at Christingles, and at carol services? Do you send Christmas cards or make donations? Where does the Christmas tree go? What is a nave arch? The list is endless! However, the Christmas season in a new position helps you get to grips with your new church context like no other. Even as I write this at the start of advent I am aware of how right my choice was to move on from me previous youth work job.

This time last year I was living in Wales, just over two years into a post that was growing, and mostly in unexpected areas. When I had arrived there had been no youth, children’s and families’ worker, so I had started from scratch and tried to build on what I saw God doing in the area. I had made some amazing friends, met some amazing colleague’s and made some wonderful contacts. I was feeling comfortable and happy spiritually, in work and with my social life.

When I decided it was time to move on, you should have heard the cries of ‘no, you can’t, you’ve not been here long enough, there’s more for you to do.’ Largely this came from my young people, and ecumenical colleagues. One of the reasons I knew it was right to leave was because the leadership in my church didn’t put up the same arguments. I paint a rosy picture of my last youth work post, but alongside the triumphs I had felt there were many struggles and power plays that had left me feeling warn and bitter.

I asked many questions of myself as I went to move on. Was I leaving before the time that God had appointed? Was I leaving for the right reasons? I decided that one way to help with that was to apply for new jobs and tell my church that I was moving on. I also applied for further training, but sadly it was not my time. I doubted whether what I was doing was right, but I had itchy feet and was on the move.

Getting Going

So I applied for other jobs similar to the one which I was doing. The application process – although time consuming and sometimes difficult – was a joy. I gave me an opportunity to think back over successes and mistakes that had happened in my ministry and left me with the sense that I had achieved so much. It was a clarifying moment. I was moving on for the right reasons and I was not moving on because I had failed!

The job that I am now in had a fantastic application pack, which gave plenty of information about the church, the area, and the expectations of the post. This was really helpful. One of the struggles with applying for a new church position is that many of the application packs I received were not helpful or clear. My poor mother spent three hours formatting one form just so I could open it on my computer. I found sometimes it was helpful to email back places to clarify things like wage, hours, and interview dates – hoping it made me seem enthusiastic and not to annoying, but also helping me get the right information.

Interview

As a bizarre person I don’t mind interviews so much. I find it’s easier to bounce off other people – which an interview situation gives the go ahead for.

In the interviews for the job I took, I found the church friendly, welcoming and honest. They showed us around, tried to give us a glimpse of the role, the whole church and how two interact. Part of the process was to give a five-minute presentation on forgiveness as if you were giving it to school years 7-9. I took giant blue flippers, (which they have never let me live down) and thankfully I stood out for all the right reasons, making sure that I had read the task and understood it fully beforehand. This was not something that all the other applicants had done.

My other two tips: take a breath before answering question, it gives you that space to think; and have at least one question to ask them. For me, as I was moving denominations, I wanted to know what preaching opportunities I would have.

Finding Support

I briefly spoke of my Mother who is an integral part of my amazing support network. She spent many hours proof reading every application I sent. She was one of many people who prayed with me, chatted with me, and sat with me as I wrote yet another form, or groaned about how there wasn’t a standardized form all churches used that you could then send off to all the possible jobs. (Inputting qualifications is just tedious!)

It was my support network who sat around me on holiday when I received the voicemail after my interview for my current post (which I really wanted), and it was they who listened to it first to see if it gave away any clues to what their response would be.

We are Polar Explorers

I was invited to join them for their summer holiday club (Scripture Unions’s Polar Explorers) before I started. This gave me the opportunity to see them in action, meet the rest of the staff team and see more clearly how the church operated and how I might fit in. I was – and still am – adventuring into the unknown.

Sometimes I still think that I have done the wrong thing, and question whether I am really supposed to be here. Usually these fears are put to rest quickly as – I imagine – there will always be doubts in all Christian ministry.

It’s been terrifying and exhilarating, and in it all I’ve held John Wesley’s words in the back of my head:

‘I am no longer my own, but yours…

let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,…

you are mine and I am yours. So be it.’

To sum up…

  • If you’re thinking about moving on, try making some small steps and fill in some applications, what the worst that could happen?
  • Go to interviews till you find the right fit – they may say no, but you can also say no.
  • Find support! Chat and pray it through with others and get them to proofread and screen your calls.
  • Remember that you belong first to God, and He has the plans for your work and life in His hands.

 

About Bx

Rebecca Belshaw (aka Bx!) is 24 and works for a church where she has a ridiculously long job title summed up as ‘the person who looks after those who can run.’ Bx loves living by the sea, camping and dragging people out geocaching.

She is passionate about preaching and talking to groups, although you will often find her sat behind the tech desk.

Bx has a BA in theology from Cliff College and enjoys encouraging all people in expressing their love for Christ through their talents and gifting.

Freedom To Fail in Youth Work – Ryan Rudolph

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Guest Post By Ryan Rudolph. Youth Worker in South Africa, graduate of Oak Hill College and blogger at ryangrudolph.wordpress.com

 

I found an old note I made to myself when I first entered seminary in 2006. I was asked to write down the following question:

“If I weren’t paid to do youth ministry, would I still do it?”

At that time I wasn’t being paid. I had a dream of being a paid for, “successful” youth pastor. My dreams back then were terribly flawed, self-centred and misplaced. Sure, I wanted to “serve” God, and I wanted to make His kingdom great, but I wanted to be an important factor in all that. I didn’t, therefore, like the aforementioned question very much.

Fast forward 9 years, 3 youth ministry positions in very different contexts on two different continents – I now LOVE that question. I often “dream” in fact, of attempting to do youth ministry whilst holding down a ‘normal’ job. Hear me out.

Whilst I recognise the huge benefits of being paid to spend quality time with young people and the ability to plan events and programs, I’ve come to an understanding that “successful” youth ministry – as we traditionally know it – doesn’t necessarily require the church to carve out a paid-for position.

If my church turned around and said to me “Ryan, we’re really sorry, but we just can’t afford to pay you anymore” it would be tough at first. I’m sure I would have some difficult questions to ask them like, “why don’t you take youth ministry seriously enough?” I’d ask myself a tougher question, however: “Am I failure?”

If that were to happen, I would remind myself though of the original question: “Would I still do youth ministry if I weren’t paid?” The answer is yes!

The reason I am so confident in my answer is because I’ve come to believe three things about God and therefore any ministry position that serves Him:

God Saves, God Calls, God Does.

These three beliefs have saved me many nights of feeling like a failure. Let me show you why.

God Saves

Each person God saves is a miracle. I am a miracle of God. God saved me. My utmost priority in life is not what I do, but who I am. By understanding that who I am is based on what God has done for me – saving me, giving me new life, calling me his child, son and friend – I have become far more free in my ability to serve God in ministry.

Dear un-named youth worker,
God knows your name. It is written in the book of life. He saved you first and foremost for himself. You are not here to save the world. That isn’t your destiny. It isn’t even your job. It’s God’s job. He saves. And you, my friend, are a miracle and proof of what God can do in any life. God is Saviour so you are free to fail.

God Calls

Another freeing belief I have found is that God calls every believer to ministry. That means theoretically you should not be alone in what you’re doing.

This isn’t your ministry, it’s God’s ministry, and he calls all His people to be involved in Kingdom ministry.

It also means that you are free to do what God has called to do, therefore let God affirm you, He is all you need. Imagine you’re on Idols or X-Factor. You know you can sing and other people have confirmed your ability by saying “you can sing!” and so you’re pretty confident in your ability. As you enter the competition, however, it becomes apparent that there are others that you now need to seek the approval of, the judges! And let’s be honest, there is only one judge who’s comment really matters. Sure the others might give you good comments, but unless Simon Cowell approves of you, you will never feel like you’ve made it. Every other judge could give you a terrible comment, but if Simon gives you his approval, I’d imagine your confidence would be sky high! If Simon says you can do it, then you really can!

In youth ministry, we have a far greater reason to not feel like failures. God has given you His approval already! And whilst some days are good and other days terrible, you will never be a failure because Jesus, who has saved you, has already approved you! All you need to do is faithfully stick to the One who gives you His approval. God calls so you can be free to do.

God Does

The third freeing belief I have come to understand is that God is busy doing all the time. I’m always amazed that God does awesome stuff despite me!

I remember walking a long and difficult journey with a young person. Everything always seemed hopeless, in every conversation I felt worn down, and I wasn’t even experiencing what that young person was! One Friday I took our youth to an old-school crusade (Do we even use that word anymore?). I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that there was nothing special about this event. There were no cool lights, the music was average sounding and even I struggled to understand the message. The guy literally gave a boring twenty-minute sermon and an altar call. I have no idea what he was trying to say! To my surprise, however, God was busy doing.

A week later this same young person was asking me some pretty deep questions. You see, this student had responded to the altar call. He had more questions. God was doing something incredible in his life. Two weeks after this, he became a Christian. Isn’t God good? I didn’t do any of that! I just got to be present, answer a few questions, and be faithful in praying for this young life in every conversation we had prior.

 

Free Yourself!

In light of the God who saves, the God who calls and the God who does, ask yourself: “If I weren’t paid to do youth ministry, would I still do it?”

Free yourself. Just be where God wants you to be. Be faithful and watch God WOW you. He does!

God is saviour so you’re free to fail. God Calls so you can be free to do. God Does so you can be free to just be who he’s saved and called you to be.

About Ryan:

Ryan Rudolph is a Youth Pastor in a small city church in East London, South Africa where he enjoys the challenges of multi-cultural, urban youth ministry.

He is married to a beautiful Texan lass, is a Sharks Rugby fan, and enjoys indie-board games and even more so loves introducing these games to some of his Youth!

He holds a BA(Hons) in Youth and Children’s Ministry from Oak Hill Theological College in London, and is currently studying towards a BTH.

Ryan loves young people, loves Jesus and deeply desires to see the two connect in powerful and authentic ways.

He blogs over at ryangrudolph.wordpress.com

Check out this years’ Youth Work Awards

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Guest post sent from Youthscape – a quality resource and research organisation dedicated to “working for the good of young people of all faiths and none.” Check them out at www.youthscape.co.uk

Youthscape launched the Christian Youth Work Awards in 2011 and recently opened nominations for the sixth year running.

The awards are intended to celebrate the very best of Christian youth work in churches and organisations across the UK, inviting nominations across six categories.

They also seek to encourage youth workers everywhere by sharing stories of the great things youth workers are doing and inspiring others to do the same. One of last year’s shortlisted nominees confirmed for us just how important it is to recognise and encourage our youth workers, saying,

“I have been involved in youth work for 15 years now, in many guises. I came back from the summer feeling pretty close to burnout and receiving the nomination and then hearing that I had been shortlisted, was an amazing boost and exactly what I needed.”

2015’s Youth Worker of the Year was Lee Kirkby from St Michael Le Belfry in York. Receiving the award, Lee thanked his wife and team, his church for their committed investment into youth work and said that he was “blown away by the honour shown to youth workers by the awards.”

Categories this year include Youth Worker of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Young Leader of the Year, Best Youth Work Resource, Best Youth Work Employer and Most Innovative Youth Work. All nominees receive a postcard to encourage them in their work and shortlisted candidates are invited to a prestigious award presentation event in November.

You can nominate someone for an award at youthworkawards.co.uk. Nominations close on 31st August 2016.

 

Youthwork Around The Globe: Hungary – with Rob Trenkmann

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In this new series, Youth Work Hacks interview experienced youthworkers from around the globe – starting here with Rob Trenkmann in Hungary.

Where are you based?

My wife, son, and I live and serve in Western Hungary. We serve with Josiah Venture, a missionary team in Central and Eastern Europe committed to equipping young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission through the local church.

What unique challenges do you face?

One thing unique to our context is the spiritual landscape of Hungary. Hungary is formerly very religious. 90% of the country claimed to be Protestant during the Reformation, but then the country swung back to Catholicism during the counter-reformation. Now, many young people are suspicious of all religion. People often wonder if we’re part of a cult or a sect, and it’s hard for them to hear the gospel amidst all of the ‘noise’ of their distant spiritual heritage.

What shape and format do your youth work projects most often take?

We focus on fruit in four key areas: evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, and healthy, reproducing churches. All of this is part of the disciple-making process. We partner with local churches for evangelistic camps, student discipleship, and both small and large group training for young leaders – all rooted in the life and model of Jesus.

What do you enjoy most and what are you most proud of?

Two things: First, a couple of years ago I was part of rewriting a youth ministry training resource called Walk26 that is based on a chronological study of the life and strategy of Jesus. We’ve translated this into more than a dozen languages, and I love getting to meet with our local leaders and go through a section of this every month. It’s amazing to see the clarity and focus that a Jesus-shaped strategy brings.

Second, our teammates have done an incredible job of reaching lost people in our country. For guys, they’ve set up a church-based evangelistic soccer league that has 25-35 guys attached to it who hear the gospel every week. For girls, we have multiple unsaved girls reading the Bible on their own and coming together every week to discuss it. I’m thrilled about how the gospel is working it’s way into their hearts.

What is your most valuable local resource?

At the risk of being simplistic—people! The gospel is designed to spread when the ‘Word becomes flesh.’ Anytime I see a young Hungarian leader captured by the dream and design of disciple-making, I know they will be part of changing this country for Jesus.

How often do you meet up with other youth workers? How easy or difficult is that and how valuable do you find it?

We’re blessed—we’re part of an organization that has 350 workers throughout Central and Eastern Europe (half of whom are nationals) that are all focused on the next generation. We gather parts of our team twice a year—once in the fall for our annual training conference (which I lead) and once in the spring for a care and equipping conference. Those times are extremely valuable for us, and we always come away with renewed vision and excitement.

Tell us a story about something significant that has happened.

I get most excited about multiplication—when students begin to make disciples of other students. The first year we were here, a young man came to our church who didn’t yet know Jesus. He came because another student invited him. He was so startled by the hope and joy he saw that he started to read the gospel of John and decided to follow Jesus. Sometime later, at a camp, he came up to me just bursting with excitement, because he had just prayed with another student to receive Christ. Now he’s often sharing Christ with others around him, including his family. I love it when students get a vision for sharing Christ with other students, and discipling them.

What gets you through difficult or stressful times in your ministry?

The last four years have easily been the hardest of my life. (I’ve written about them here and here.) For one long stretch, each of us were struggling with life-altering health challenges at the same time. It tested our marriage, our family, and our faith. We’ve been tempted to give up and quit. But, we know God called us here, and he hasn’t released us from our calling. And whenever we take a day and fast and pray, He’s very faithful to remind us of our calling and give us the strength to continue. Through it, He reminds us that His work of pruning and refining is very real—and always good.

Phenomenology, Faith and Young People

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Guest post by Katie Gough. Freelance writer, published poet and independent philosopher. Katie has been involved in Youth Work – across three countries – for nearly a decade. Read more at www.kategough.com

Concrete and Abstract – What’s The Difference?

When you were five years old, your mother was your mother because of her smell, the feel of her hand in yours, the familiarity of her shape, her voice, and her constant attention. The bond between you was tangible in many ways. She was the immediate physical experience of love.

Perhaps now, you’ve grown up. In your mind, your mother is your mother because she gave birth to you and took care of you and suffered long nights caring for you when you were ill. She is your mother because you carry her DNA inside you, and maybe you show some of her physical traits. She is where you came from.

The difference between these two recognitions is profound. One is very concrete and experiential and the other is abstract, assessing and stacking up ideas and reasons. As we grow, our minds move from being bound by concrete things to being able to grasp and work with more flexible abstract concepts.

We use both of these methods throughout our lives in order to perceive our surroundings and their meaning to us. We grow, not out of the concrete, experiential side of our selves, but beyond it such that we can now grasp a wider, deeper world than we did in the first years of our lives. If our whole selves were made to commune with God, then the more elemental ways we perceived as children are not less valid, only incomplete.

Are We Holding Back the Development of Our Young People?

Christian teachings often indicate that we are to leave behind the more physical parts of ourselves in our quest to become holy. Our direct, concrete childhood experiences are devalued, replaced by abstract teaching (peppered with real-life stories to keep everyone’s attention), and finally ‘relegated to youth work’. We essentially throw a large portion of our spiritual growth away and never expect to look at it again.

In youth work however, we are expected to use concrete examples and methods in our attempts to reach young people with the gospel. While the experiences and learning of childhood may not be seen as respectable or advanced, we accept that they are a necessary tool in teaching young people. Thus, we simplify things down rather than opening them up, shying away from questions or content that might be difficult enough to ‘put young people off’. There are even (dare we admit it) a variety of things we avoid because we still don’t know how to answer them ourselves.

The underlying message of this approach has a knock-on effect in our youth work worldview and the attitudes we pass on to our young people. In the end, we deign to teach youth in a childish way because we think they are too distracted, rebellious and/or lazy to tackle the big stuff. But young people feel this — that we make concessions, that we don’t respect how we are teaching them, that we are holding back and trying not to scare them off. They know when older people are filling space, even while they enjoy that space for what it is.

This age group is right at the cusp of abstract thought, spending much of their time and mental energy becoming facile with its application in their every day life. As the rest of the world begins to open out into a wide vista of abstract opportunity and difficulty, why do we continue to portray faith safely, with foolproof, concrete simplicity? Can we blame them if faith suddenly begins to seem a bit childish and limited? A small, immobile, inflexible, uncomplicated faith. A pandering and… easy belief. Not relevant.

Approaching the Abstract.

When I was about 12, there was a question burning away my insides. Something in a sermon or my Bible had sparked it and I couldn’t shake it. How could one possibly know the difference between God’s voice and Satan’s? I felt that I could tell, but I had no reasons for it. What if I was wrong? How could I speak with God and know the answer was really His? My uncertainty threw the truth of my entire relationship with God into question. I needed to know.

One Sunday, I asked every Christian adult I knew even a little, which wasn’t many. They all looked at me with trapped, blank eyes. So I was left alone, mired in fear, my spiritual mast swinging with indecision.

The entrance of abstract thought into my world had defeated my ability to engage with my faith — and no one knew. I was left entirely alone by those who were supposed to be my spiritual elders and mentors.

Embracing the Challenge of the Abstract.

If our whole selves were made to commune with God, then the more elemental ways we perceived as children are not less valid, only incomplete. Young people need to grow, not out of the concrete, experiential side of themselves, but beyond it so that they can grasp a wider, deeper world than they did in the first years of their lives.

As young people learn to assimilate and apply the abstract everywhere else in life, are we communicating to them that the answers to a very messy world are as simple as they looked when they were children?

Our youth need to be able to meet an abstractly complex world with a more abstractly complex faith. We could be leading them by the hand, showing them how this new, abstract language enriches and broadens the old and familiar one, encouraging it to grow solidly — and in relationship with — their faith.

We need to show them how big the world of faith gets as they grow older.
Are You Ready to Roll Up Your Sleeves?

As youth workers, we have a responsibility to meet young people relevantly and with the kind of care that asks and sees where they are at. As they learn to embrace and use abstract thought, we need to give them opportunities and tools that allow them to try their hand at marrying their whole experience of life to this unfamiliar piece.

Let’s face it: these are fast-maturing young adults, and they care for a challenge more than we dare to think. We need to get down into the nitty gritty ourselves, find the crux of the issues we teach, and lead our young people’s feet onto the crossroads — there to experience for themselves that the abstract is as real and as spiritual as the concrete, and worth getting messy with.

As followers of Christ, we have to allow God to be bigger than what we can teach about him — even in front of young people. Their entire conceptual framework is re-working itself in front of us, and we need to acknowledge that our concepts about God grow with us beyond the concrete experience we all began with. Then we have to be ready to roll up our sleeves and partner with our youth to make that growth happen. We are, by example, a bridge to maturity in the faith

Katie is a Californian writer and artist living in North Wales. She writes poetry, articles and creative fiction of all kinds, for all sorts of uses.

She has a degree in Philosophy from Calvin College and adores puzzling out the universe. She is always up on her toes, reaching for the next question and internalising everything she sees, reads, hears, or experiences – and is ready to apply where appropriate!

Katie is married to a full time Youth Worker, and has been involved in a wide range of Youth Work projects for a number of years across Britain and America.

You can always find Katie with a big cup of tea and a ball of wool, knitting happily in a corner while pondering the depths of the universe and mentally mapping out her next short story.

Persevering and Pushing Through In Youth work

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Guest post by Bex Baillie. A Youth Specialist at Trinity Network and Theology student at Bristol Bible College. Full bio below and check out her blog here.

 

Perseverance plays a big role in every generation of faith. If we stretch our minds back, we can see how our Youth Workers committed endless hours to supporting us, pushing through the tough times with little response in return. The art of persistence is a beautiful thing. It’s exercise for our hearts, and it helps to stretch our imaginations into new ways of thinking. Most of all, it’s a massive test of our faith.

‘Find out what God’s doing and join in.’

I love this motto! It’s a good saying to keep you grounded. Who says it has to be our original thought or creative new way of connecting with the young people? God is already there, doing great things in their lives. As the world’s greatest Youth Worker, He is their constant supporter and encourager, pushing them to think about what they believe and why.

Sometimes, maybe it’s best for us to take a step back, shadow what God is doing and then simply join in. While this might sound a bit vague at first, let’s look at our own lives for a moment. Have a think about the times we may have plowed ahead with our own great ideas – without watching out for God – and then finally given up after hitting a dead end. By tuning into God’s work, we can stay on the right track and follow the Master.
An Attitude For Perseverance

In all that we do, I don’t doubt that we have the intention to see young people grow in their faith and stick at church, but sometimes I wonder if our actions say otherwise.

If we want to produce healthy fruit that will last, it needs to grow from a well-rooted tree. While we may be well-rooted in our faith – and in many other ways – sometimes our attitude toward our work begins to lag. If we express flakiness towards our jobs or the young people, we shouldn’t expect it not to affect them. Even our attitudes teach young people. Part of perseverance is sticking at it and being committed to your plans. This means that the young people will be your priority when they need to be. When you are the best example of dedication, the young people will see it and adopt it as their own way of living.

Don’t feel like it is all up to you though, we are just one cog in a very big operation. We might be able to plant a seed in the young people’s lives; we can talk about God, tell stories and testimonies, provide pizza and give chunks of thoughtful advice here and there. Ultimately however, it will be God who will see that seed grow.

Don’t feel the pressure to complete His job and have each of your young people ‘fixed’. You have the wonderful role of Youth Worker, but you’re not God.
Perseverance For Long Lasting Ministry

Persistence. Staying Power. Tenacity. It’s not the art of proving your point, or finishing the ‘job’ for the sake of it. We want something that is long lasting, a ministry that will stand the test. Colossians 1:11 leads us to pray for “…not the grim strength of gritting your teeth, but the glory-strength God gives.” If we live by this sort of perseverance, our energy will be long-lasting and enjoyable!

In all the many ways that we attempt to strengthen our projects or clubs, we must remember that there is no quick-fix trick to success. As youth workers, we are all trialing different approaches all the time. Sometimes our ideas will take off and – BAM! – we’ve got it. Other times, we will have to ditch a plan and start again. Remember to stay on track with God, following His trail as you work with young people. Stick with it, and be glad that one day your fruit tree will blossom.

Galatians 6:9 says, “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit.”

Bex is a Youth Specialist working for Trinity Network Churches in North Bristol. Alongside her job, she is studying for a Degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission at Bristol Baptist Bible College.

Bex’s heart is in mentoring and inspiring young people. The favourite part of her job is meeting with young people over a Costa and tackling life’s big questions. In fact, the most likely place to find Bex is in Costa, with a Latte and slice of cake, scribbling down bits of wisdom from books, or typing out the next blog.

With a real sweet tooth, Bex loves to bake and trial new recipes. To burn off those extra calories, she loves to do park runs and go walking in the Peak District