The Grove Is On Fire

1 Thesstians

So I was playing this mental game where you take biblical books and you update them so they're more relevant to the profession of youth work and I got to 1 Thessalonians and got slightly worried for the sake of Paul, I mean, I'm not sure if he quite realises what he's writing at some points. So I thought about it a bit and have revised it so that it's not quite so inappropriate and I've made sure it's keeping inline with best practice guidelines on working with young people. Here's a sample of one of the most troubling parts:

1 Thessalonians 2 (made appropriate)

You hopefully have learnt, young people, that our visit to you was, in our estimation, not a failure. We had previously worked in Philippi where some stuff happened which probably isn't appropriate for us to divulge here, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel. For the suggestion we make does not spring (well, at least we reckon so as Christians) from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by the God in whom we believe exists to be entrusted with the gospel. Our motivation isn't really relevant here, because, well we don't like to talk about it. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness, as are the reports we filled in along the way.

2:6-9

We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else, not that there is anything wrong with your praise. As people who think themselves apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like someone being nice to someone else in a completely professional, appropriate, and safe manner. We enjoyed the work we were doing with you so much that we were delighted to share with you only the gospel of God, because you had achieved so much. Surely you remember, young people, our toil and hardship; we worked 35 hours a week while we told you about the gospel of God.

2:11

For you know that we dealt with each of you entirely appropriately and without any sense of favouritism, pride, joy or any other emotion.

2:19-20

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? It is not you. Indeed, finding our joy and glory in you would be grossly inappropriate.

4:26

Greet all the young people with a hug from the side if they initiate it first

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A friendly interaction with Steve Timmis

Dave Bish makes me feel slightly ashamed to have said 'I couldn't agree more with what Steve Timmis is saying here' yesterday when he responds to that article on his blog. The comments are worth reading too.

How To Wash Up To The Glory of God

I wasn't going to link to Tim Chester's article on washing up to the glory of God because it's been linked in so many places already, but then I've been thinking about it this week as I've endured the horror of Shrove Tuesday and young people led pancake making. The Walley family currently has far too many eggs and too much flour sitting in the kitchen cupboards due to Pancake Day, which I'm sure isn't quite meant to happen.

Discipleship and Training

On the subject of training and discipleship. I couldn't agree more with what Steve Timmis is saying here even having worked for a parachurch agency and trained in a theological college.

Wall-e For Best Picture

John Gruber says what I wished I said better than I would have said it (which makes me glad I didn't say it I guess).

The award for "Best Picture" often goes to a film that is, clearly, not the best picture. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. The egregious mistakes are clear when viewed through the prism of time: Dances With Wolves winning over GoodFellas in 1991; Ordinary People winning over Raging Bull in 1981; Oliver! winning in 1969, with 2001: A Space Odyssey not even garnering a best picture nomination; and, perhaps most infamously, How Green Was My Valley winning over Citizen Kane in 1942.

(see also, Toy Story and Braveheart in 1995)

Let No-One Look Down On You Because You're Young

Driscoll blogs about various young Christians in ministry. Jonathan Edwards began his ministry at 19. Good stuff to encourage your young people with, or even yourself.

Tim Keller at Westminster Chapel

Tim Keller is speaking at Westminster Chapel this Wednesday (25th) from 10am - 4pm. It's called "a day with Tim Keller" and I know of no more details other than you can book tickets here".

Young Disciples - Discipling Youth in a Mission Context

Fuzz Kitto (Veteran youth work person) will be at LICC this Friday to talk about discipling and working with young people from an unchurched background (pdf).

"Fuzz will be exploring how we go about discipling young people from a distinctly non church background - fuelled by Fuzz's long experience of working with young people in a variety of contexts. He'll also be helping us join the dots between cross-cultural mission and our own situation in the UK. For some time now mission to young people in the UK has been described as connecting with, in effect, an un-reached people group so Fuzz will be sharing wisdom from his journeys around the world, witnessing fresh expressions of Church and outreach in extremely diverse contexts. And He'll be delving into the parable of the Sower - Matthew 13 - in order to reflect on Jesus own approach to discipling.

The day will begin with pastries, coffees and juice at 9 so do join us then. The teaching sessions will begin at 10 and we'll be letting you go at 1 to go and grab your own lunch. Feel free to bring it back to the LICC to eat, the space will be available to you until 2.30pm"

(via)

Trouble in Amish Paradise

Glorious glorious TV. A BBC documentary about a couple of Amish families (UK only) who after reading the bible for themselves come to realize that actually they don't need to obey all these rules, and salvation comes through Jesus. Essentially it's Martin Luther in Amish country. The first time you've ever seen a study on what 1 Corinthians 5 says about excommunication in a BBC documentary.

Above and Beyond

Mission Aviation Fellowship have a new youth website called Above and Beyond. They fly planes cool places to tell people about Jesus, which therefore makes them pretty awesome.

Skating In The Abbey

This. Is. Brilliant.

Malmesbury Abbey has been turned in a skateboard park as part of an outreach effort by the Church of England.

Perceptive comment from the bloke doing the interviewing at the end:

"Making them go from being skaters over the half-term holiday into taking part in the spiritual and religious life of the church is quite a big ask, and that's still a task to be achieved I guess."

Job: Centre Director - Highlands & Islands Youth for Christ

Contact details on the website

Highlands & Islands Youth for Christ (HIYFC), a part of British Youth for Christ, is a vibrant Christian youth movement that works in partnership with others to take the Good News relevantly to every young person in the Highlands of Scotland.

We are seeking a Centre Director who is a dynamic, passionate and visionary leader to inspire the development of its missional, evangelistic work amongst youth in Inverness and surrounding areas.

There is a Genuine Occupational Requirement for this post to be filled by a committed evangelical Christian.

Regulation 7(2) of the Employment Equality (Religion or belief) Regulations 2003 apply.

Closing date for applications: March 31, 2009

Atheist Buses Abroad

Mark Meynell has some smart words to say on the Atheist Bus nonsense

Now I'm sure you've talked about the Atheist buses adverts. And believe it or not, I'm a fan. They're great. They get God on the agenda. But consider this. Can you imagine how they'd go down on buses in Kisangani or Kampala?

There's probably no God - now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

Enjoy life? That's not even an option! For countless people in our world, enjoying life doesn't even come into it. Mere survival is all they can expect. No, you could only get away with this sort of bus thing in an affluent comfortable society like ours.

Christianity Explored Youth Edition Training Days

CY (the youth edition of Christianity Explored) are running three training events for people who want to do the course, the blurb is below:

Want to know more about CY? Want to know how to run the course? Want to get the gospel out to young people? Come along to a See Why CY training conference!

Saturday, 7th March: Christ Church Clifton, Bristol
Saturday, 21st March: Christ Church Fulwood, Sheffield
Saturday, 4th April: All Souls Church, Langham Place, London

Time: 10a.m. - 4p.m.
Cost: £7.50, including lunch and materials.

To book onto the course head over to the website

(disclosure; I work (and go to the pub) with the guy who runs the CY training stuff)

Job: International Student Worker, Amsterdam

Advert via the grapevine.

Develop your character, calling and competencies serving international students in the vibrant multi-cultural capital of The Netherlands.

We are looking for someone who will serve international students through modelling the Christian life, offering hospitality and friendship, sharing the gospel and growing disciples.

Starting in September 2009 for a two-year appointment, you will work within existing local teams of IFES and Christ Church Amsterdam to make disciples of all nations.

Fluent English and some experience of ministry to students and/or internationals are necessary. In order to fulfil this missionary role you will need to raise your personal financial and prayer support.

For more information contact Rev. Mark Collinson
Closing date for applications is 30 April 2009.

Hustle Helps The Little Children

This last weeks episode of Hustle sees the con artists incidentally helping a youth club (UK only). That's it really, it doesn't have much more to say about youth work. On a tangent, is anyone else constantly annoyed that every time they finishing a meeting with their mark they'll immediately drop character, take out their mobile and say something like "it's on"? What are you going to do when the mark one day decides to, I don't know, listen in on your conversation?

Rob Bell the Rabbi

I don't really know much about Rob Bell, but Gareth does and so he wrote him a poem

Rob Bell is a Christian,
but wishes he was Jewish,
everything thats Jewish he's well into,
more than just Jewish, Rob Bell wants to be a Rabbi,
boy, does he love them Rabbi's,
he says Jesus was a Rabbi,
he love's them so much that he wants to be one,
Rob Bell loves Rabbi's so much,
if he was an animal he would want to be a Rabbi-t,
when he orders food, he always gets a Rab-eye steak,
Rob Bell...he loves the Rabbi's
Rabbi, Rabbi, Rabbi
Rabbi.

It's beautiful, but it allows me to rant about something briefly. If we think that Jewish teachers know the Old Testament¹ well, then we haven't understood the Old Testament. If I ask a small child at my church what the passover reminds them of, and they say "JESUS", then they have a better understanding of the Old Testament than the man who has memorized the Pentateuch but doesn't know Jesus.

¹ Which in fairness, from what little I know, I don't think is Rob Bell's problem.

Young Jesus: Making Stuff Up

Check out my photo review to Jean-Pierre Isbouts' Young Jesus: Restoring the Lost Years of a Social Activist and Religious Dissident (mouse over the photos to see my review). My thrilling conclusion is that Isbouts is as high as a kite.

Should Kids Have Cell-Phones?

Probably not.

A pre-teen or a teenager with unrestricted cell-phone usage (or Internet or television consumption) is being placed in a very, very difficult place of temptation. The company of that young man or woman is now away from the scrutiny of parents, and is now left only to his or her discretion or conscience. Are there some young Christians who can handle such? Of course. Should you assume your child is one of them? Your Father is more careful of you than that.

Marijuana ♥'s Testicular Cancer

Possibly the most compelling reason to persuade young people that Marijuana is bad for them.

Frequent or long-term marijuana use may raise a man's risk of testicular cancer, American research suggests.

So, probably don't smoke pot then.

Capital Youthworks Training Meet-Up

This Friday Capital Youthworks are organising a training morning and lunch at St Andrews Leadenhall (by the Gherkin). RSVP to them on their website if you're coming, here's the blurb:

This term we will be looking at the topic of "Involving Young People in the Church." Jonty Allcock will be leading our seminar. Jonty works at Enfield Free Church where he is the Assistant Pastor with responsibility for children's and youth work. As well as input from the front there will also be time for questions and discussion.

SNOW DAY

Nurse Suspended Due To Prayer

In slightly troubling news, a Christian nurse has been suspended for offering prayer.

Mrs Petrie, who carries out home visits in North Somerset, said she had asked the patient if she would like a prayer said for her after she had put dressings on the woman's legs.

The patient, believed to be in her 70s, refused and Mrs Petrie insists that she left the matter alone.

The sick woman contacted the trust about the incident and Mrs Petrie was challenged by her superiors.

(via my dad)

Update: she has been re-instated into her post.