February 2012
I’m six months in and just about starting to get my head around this Reality Youth Worker stuff….just!
Ncounter Extra!
The last time I ‘blogged’ I was gearing up for my first Ncounter Extra weekend and all my anticipation was worth it as it was a whirlwind of excitement!
Drumming, hot chocolate and sofas around the clock tower, treasure hunting, acts of random kindness and community action by day, a youth praise event Friday evening followed by a game packed party on the Saturday, where I got to show the youth my awesome moves. It was inspirational and uplifting and we hope impacted the lives of the people we spoke to and helped.
Though now I suppose it is confession time. (mostly because if I don’t confess it my youth will grass me up anyway) I was a bit of a big wimp…. :-/ For those of you who don’t know what treasure hunting is, it’s when you spend some time waiting on God for clues to find a person; what they’re wearing, where you’ll find them, what they may want prayer for. While my young people sat in quiet(ish) waiting for their clues I too checked in with God and asked for him speak to me. I got a picture of a woman and wrote down a Bible verse I felt would help her. Setting out to actually find our people, however, I couldn’t help but pray a prayer of “Dear God, help my young people find their treasure, but its ok, I don’t need to find mine….I’ll just help them”. Trying to duck out of things where God is concerned is never a good plan, yet we still tend to try it a lot! My young people sure enough found their treasure – a boy with a blue hoodie and white shoes was found eating chicken by Maryland and was confidently approached by two boys in my group. “We’re representing Christian youth in Leicester and we were just wondering if you want prayer for anything?” They declared. Sure enough the young lad did want prayer for a job interview that was approaching and then his friends also asked for prayer for some things including an ill grandmother. Success!
Full of faith we strode around Leicester city canter looking for more people to bless. Then, in the crowd I see a lady; tall and slim, long brown skirt, green scarf, exactly the picture God has given me during my quiet time….oh no! Unfortunately I had shared this picture with my youth who also then spotted this lady. By this time, however, she had disappeared…phew! But the president little critters that were my young people insisted we went into a nearby shop to look, and sure enough, there she was. There was nothing for it now, I tried to dodge it, but now it was time to be direct: “I don’t want to!” I rather groaningly said. They tried encouragement, they tried gentle coercion, and when neither of those worked they shoved a pen and paper in my hand ( “you can just write it down!” they said) and forcibly dragged me over there. The conversation that followed was much less succinct and far more waffled than the great job my young people did, but I did just about conquer my fear and established that she was in fact very worried at the moment about a driving test she had coming up. After explaining a little about God and why we were in Fat Face, wearing florescent jackets and stalking this her, I gave her the Bible verse that God told me to write down:
“
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
So thank you to my young people who made me overcome my fears that day and give some words of comfort to that lady, straight from a God who cares for all.
Six months on and it’s all set to happen again this weekend at Laburnum Road Community Church in Wigston. Let’s hope I’m a bit less of a wimp this time or I’ll never live it down!
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Schools
Slowly but surely I’m starting to get recognised round Thomas Estley Community College (Broughton Astley). I’ve been in there every week helping with the CU, running Abundant life courses and teaching Sex Education in modules week. A run of Christmas assembles where I had to pretend it was my Birthday for five days in a row, has lead to a running joke around school where some of the pupils whish me a happy Birthday whenever they see me – which is always quite nice (even if I don’t get presents every day!)
The CU has been some of the most fun I’ve had. The Christmas play was a bit of manic race to the finish line but they were all absolutely fantastic little thespians’ on the day.
Yesterday we served almost 200 pancakes to the school to raise money for our sponsored Compassion Child. A bit of a crazy lunchtime but everyone left as happy customers.
As well as being in my local school I have been spending a lot of time over at fellow youth worker, Martin Write’s schools, in Countesthorp. Helping out with lessons in Leysland and the collage had proved very interesting and challenging, not just because some of the subject matter (such as teaching Christian perspectives on Euthanasia) but also because of that scary bit of time at the end when we say “ask us anything”. The most difficult question I think we have had during this time is a year 8 girl who innocently put her hand up and asked “what do you think about Stigmata”. After a short attempt to stall when we got her to explain what it was (bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixction wounds of Jesus) Hayley smoothly passed the buck by saying “hmmm interesting…. Emily, what do you think about that?” darn you Hayley Gask, I’ll get you back one day!
Church
Friday nights are fast becoming my favourite night of the week as I go to the two youth groups that Sutton run at the school and Church. Open to all youth we get about thirty to each one and they’re all a great bunch of kids. We have some very deep debates and when that gets a bit too serious we break off into the church to play a bit of ‘hide and seek back to base’.
Thanks to all those who came to the pancake part at Andrew’s house last night – I had a great time. Even though I do say so myself, I think I was a dab hand at making those pancakes and I hope no one was too stuffed to get into bed last night :-)
Ready, Steady, GO!
Well it's been a great first couple of weeks. My first day started with a youth team meeting. The main topic of conversation was this weekend’s Ncounter Extra in the City. I’m still getting used to the fact that sitting around a table discussion dressing up in leg warmers and lycra is not a funny distraction from work, but my actual job now! The meeting was a great way of getting to know my new colleagues at Reality. Charlotte made a ‘welcome’ cake, putting her in the lead as my favourite member of the youth team, closely followed by Hayley who brought in tasty homemade biscuits the next week. I hope the rest of the team are as good at cooking, as I could definitely get used to this!
Thankfully I wasn’t the only newbie as Luke Wigston is starting a gap year at Whetstone Church. We’ve been spending the last few weeks doing our induction training with Matt (Black Bear) Brown. It has been a LOT of information to take in but I’ve been getting home every day brimming with excitement for all that Reality does and feeling immensely blessed that I get to be a part of making it all happen.
One of the highlights of the week was learning all about the Abundant Life courses that Reality delivers in schools. I wasn’t brought up knowing about God and was a bit of a troubled teen, so these courses are really close to my heart. I love how they deal with the issues so many young people struggle with today in a way that doesn’t patronise them and isn’t about preaching at them. Offering interactive, discussion based activities, the courses give the young people a chance to help process their feelings, as well as offing practical coping strategies and advise. I love that the courses are all underpinned with Biblical principals and designed to show God’s love to the young people, without forcing religion down their throats and bashing them over the head with a Bible, which is never helpful!
My New Church….
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(A lesson in church building....sort of)
Another highlight was getting to know the young people at my new church in Sutton in the Elms. They have all made me feel so welcome! Though, in a bid to give proper tribute to their former youth worker Becky Murgatroyd, they made me try and do the funky chicken dance….apparently I’m no Becky and a verdict of “must try harder” was unanimously given :-(
I’m exited to be joining Sutton at a time when the whole church is looking to the future and asking God for His vision for the church and the village. In this sprit I asked the Sunday morning youth groups Bangers and Gravy (don’t ask!) what their ideas were and was bowled over by some of their brilliant suggestions. “Er, how bout actually putting the times of the service on the sign and opening the curtains so it at least looks welcoming” was one of my favourite contributions, as its so simple yet none of us oldies in the church had though of that!
Other exiting ideas included youth alpha, more “prayer stuff”, bringing in our favourite worships tracks, oh, and comfy sofas. So watch this space as I’m sure they're all things I can arrange….
Diving in at the Deep End…..
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