scared! September 30, 2005

While hubby is entertaining the children of the church and their families (his first show here), I will be entertaining the local youth at youth club tonight. 30 turned up last week (first week of the term) and I’m expecting more this week.
I’m scared because the young people have the run of the place, and the team of leaders don’t have any control. At least I’m not feeling ill like I was last week, perhaps I’ll actually be able to make my voice heard tonight! I need to look out my whistle – where did I put it when we unpacked????
I’m sure it won’t be as bad as I’m thinking. Last week wasn’t that bad by all accounts! Who am I kidding! It was chaos! Can it get worse?

I love youthwork, don’t you?!

UPDATE: The evening was fantastic despite my irrational fears! We had 23 young people, great games of netball and football were played, and photos were taken for a collage to advertise the group. Everyone got involved and adults had reasonable control. GREAT!

feeling like a youth minister September 29, 2005

I’m three or is it four weeks in now, and I’m tired, I have a long to do list, and I fear meeting difficult parents! I now truly feel like I’m in the swing of things, and I feel like a youth minister.
It’s great to be working full time again and having all these worries / difficulties! To be honest, there aren’t many problems yet, and I’m loving it all.
I’ve just spent the morning dreaming about each of the groups I’m in charge of. Its great to think what each of the groups could become. I’m looking forward to each of the team meetings, where we’ll be dreaming some more and thinking about the purpose of each group. I’m hoping we’ll be able to set some goals too.
Youth work is great! I’m so excited about this job! The honeymoon period is not yet over!

fruit salad September 26, 2005

I thought I’d share with you an anaolgy for church which has got our church talking. One of our readers has used it in two of his sermons on Ephesians over the past fortnight.
It goes like this…
If each person in the church is a piece of fruit (you can choose which fruit you may be), what does the church look like?
Is it like a market stall, with all the apples together, bananas together etc, all neatly laid out?
Is it like a fruit bowl, where the pieces of fruit are displayed together, but there is no interaction between them?
Is it like a fruit salad, where the fruit is intermingled, each fruit being their individual fruit, but being part of something bigger?
Or is it like a mixed fruit drink, where the fruits are blended together to become one whole?

He used this to think about unity, and also later on in Eph 4 about gifts given to the church.

So what piece of fruit would you be and what kind of fruit church would you be part of?

organised chaos September 23, 2005

Organised Chaos is how I would describe my first experience of the 11-14s youth club at church. We had about 30 young people attend this evening, as well as a handful hanging around outside who were too old to come in. Highlights were seeing them play an organised game, and most of them listening during ‘the spot’ (the renamed God slot!) Low points were watching them climb over the stairs in an unsafe manner, and watching them stand on a box which clearly said ‘this box is broken, do not stand on it!’ Leaders did try to discourage this behaviour, but were ignored.
This group has great potential, but needs a bit of discipline. It’s not quite as simple as all that, but they’ve already implemented one suggestion I made into next weeks programme, we’ll just have to see how it works.
I took quite a back seat this evening, partly because I’m new, and partly because I’m so full of a cold and a cough! I hope I’ll be back to full strength for next week.

My work this week has mainly been admin, more setup stuff, and I’m beginning to review the groups, reflect on what I’m seeing and praying for direction. A highlight was seeing an old school friend yesterday for dinner – so great to be able to see the people I grew up with more regularly now I’m close.

cube zag stays! September 19, 2005

We sold two illusions, but my favourite (the cube zag) stays! We’re keeping it for the short term, and we’ll see. I’m kinda missing not being the assistant so much, and we’re going to see if I can perform at youth events once in a while as long as my work commitments allow it.

A good discussion on leadership this morning at the staff meeting – once I get the book, have a chance to read the chapters and reflect properly, I’ll post something on it. The book is called Growing Leaders by the way. The staff started reading it before the summer, but I haven’t been given a copy yet!

Hubby is at the magic circle today for his interview as part of the process of becoming a member. If he gets through this (which he should!) then he’ll have an audition. He left a couple of hours ago feeling very excited and looking very smart!

I meanwhile did the weekly shop, seeking out ingredients for our simple meal fast for next week. I think its Christian Aid’s harvest programme, but basically the church is encouraged to eat the same simple meal every day for a week. It’s going to be a challenge, but there are millions around the world who do the same every day of every year. We’ve decided on rice, peas and tuna as a meal! I’m sure our lunches next week will be a lot more creative than sandwiches to make up for the evening meal!

new computer! September 16, 2005

Horrah! I have my new church computer!!! It’s much faster than my old one!
I’m exhuasted after a busy day of work, washing and visiting a friend.
Hubby is away performing, just as well, as he no longer has broadband on his (my old) computer! A wireless card is needed so he can access it once again! Looks like another trip to PC World!
For now I must go and make the bed so I can sleep in it!!!
Goodnight

goodbye illusions? September 15, 2005

I’ve possibly just performed one of our illusions (called cube-zag) for the last time. Hubby is selling the illusions for two reasons. Firstly, I can’t travel round the country with him performing them, and secondly we have nowhere to store them in our new home.
It’s really quite sad, and although they can be bulky to move around and I don’t like storing them in the house, I do enjoy performing them. It was hours of rehearsal time together which brought us together as a couple! I will miss them.
There’s someone coming to look at them early Sunday morning, we don’t know whether we want him to buy them or not!!!! We know it is sensible to sell, but it will be sad to see them go.

Work is still going well, I get my computer tomorrow evening and then I’ll be wireless! Trying to learn the names of young people from photos I took at the weekend! I’m doing this, knowing I still won’t recognise them all this week!!!!!

busy and bread September 14, 2005

What with work and things still to do on the house, life is busy.
I’ve got quite a bit of work to do having met all groups I’m supposed to be working with.
I’m really getting into it all now, and am eager to do all I can for these young people.
I’ve got a couple of leaders due here for a meeting in just five minutes, but that gives me just enough time to tell you all how great my new breadmaker is! Not only does it bake the most fabulous bread, but we’ve just managed to make our own pizza this evening completely from scratch! I don’t mind telling you it was delicious! Just a shame there’s still the clearing up to do!

called to relationship September 12, 2005

Last nights sermon (in fact all three of yesterdays sermons – but I only heard one) was on Eph 4v1-16, all about church.
The minister focussed on the first few verses, on how we are called to be in relationship with each other, how church is people not a building and that kinda stuff. (Really ought to make notes!)
Anyway, the lasting thought I came away with was that over the past few months I’ve thought a lot about community / church and moaned about it. And it hit me, I did know ‘real’ church before I came here through the house group I attended. The relationships were real, people cared, and it was a place to grow as a disciple of Christ. In essence, it may have been mini church but it worked. I want to thank them and encourage them for what they’ve done for us.
On the big church side of the coin, I am loving the worship here and am finding I can connect with God in services in a way I haven’t for the last year. It’s great to enjoy worship again.
But I miss our old house group. We continue to be in touch with them, which is great, but at the same time hubby and I look for a new group to be a part of.

It just goes to show church isn’t easy, and there isn’t a perfect church anywhere. It’s all our responsibility to try and make church work, to be in relationship, to be gentle and humble (and what ever else Ephesians 4 says!)

And one last point – church isn’t a place to go and take, its a place where you give to (and I’m not just talking money).

another busy weekend September 10, 2005

Hubby is performing three times this weekend, and so with him out of the house today, I’ve been giving the house a good clean and tidy. It is beginning to feel more like home and I will soon get used to the bus route at the front of the house and the train track at the back!

I met with the 11-14s team last night. It was a good meeting, giving me a good overview of the group. It’s a large group which meet on Friday evenings, with the usual open youth club format with a god slot. It has its difficulties, but lots of potential. One of the first things I need to tackle is the lack of staff, this problem is true of the children’s groups too (but thankfully not my responsibility.) The meeting left me feeling encouraged, excited (a bit), but mainly daunted about the future. Again and again, I am reminded to rely on God, I can’t do this job in my strength, only his.

Tomorrow, I meet the 11-14s church group, and then the 14-18s group. Again, time to rely on the big guy in the sky!