Free Ice-Breakers
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Internet! We're having a clear out, so if you would like two whole books on ice breakers for youth groups, then they can be yours, for the mere price of nothing. I want to get rid of them, and you, if you're the sort of person who wants books on ice breakers, want to take these books on ice breakers off me. I personally guarantee that at least one of the games in each book will break some part of your child protection, health and safety, or theological policy. With their handy late nineties styling, they'll fit in with youth club's everywhere. E-mail me and hit me up on Twitter and I'll stick them in the post when I next walk past an open post-office. So good luck with that. First come, first served, if I find any other youth ministry rubbish.
Apples of Gold
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Today, I spent a lovely morning in the British Library. It turns out it's quite handy having every book ever published in the UK within walking distance. The goal of the visit was to finalise a free edition of Apples of Gold (pdf); Thomas Brooks sermon series to young people. It's a book that primarily deals with the question "why should I bother to be a Christian at a young age?" or as it's more commonly thought "wouldn't it be better if I became a Christian on my deathbed, so could have fun in this life and then still get into the next one?" When I first got it, I pretty much abridged large sections of it immediately in a letter I wrote to a young person. It's great, and you should download it
Also, it's up here as an ePub file for your iBooks on your iPhone or iPad or as an .rtf file so you can access the source if you want to edit it or use the text in a simpler manner.
Has a Squirrel Got My Car Keys?
Monday, 13 December 2010
I could link to this sort of gospel centred stuff all day.
As Smart As A Fourteen Year Old
Saturday, 11 December 2010
One of my big things about youth work is getting across to the world that young people aren't stupid, or at least any stupider than a grown adult. They lack more information and experience, but that's not remotely the same thing. So it's nice to read this about fourteen year olds in the original written concept of Doctor Who:
I think the writer's safeguard here will be, if he remembers that he is writing for an audience aged fourteen... the most difficult, critical, even sophisticated, audience there is, for TV.
Nativity Photos Not Against Law, Says Data Watchdog
Thursday, 9 December 2010
The Data Protection Act apparently lets you freely record your school child's nativity. The headline of the BBC article is misleading though, because all that has been said is that it is not against a specific data protection law. It may be against a school or council's child protection policy. Which is probably a stupid policy, but there we go. For the record, if you are worried that a parent is filming the children so he can share it around with a bunch of paedophiles, you should probably report the parent, not ban the rest of them.
CRB Nightmare In A World Gone Politically Correct
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
A flower arranger at Gloucester Cathedral has been fired for refusing a CRB check. Here's a good measure in determining whether someone needs a CRB check. Do they come into contact with children or vulnerable adults? If they do, will they either have access to their personal details or be in a position to build up a relationship of trust? No? Right, probably don't bother then. However also, do you care how old they are, how lovely they are, or how many grand-children they have? No. Do you, as a certain vicar did (warning, Daily Mail version of events) refuse to do a CRB because it's an insult to how long you've been in a post? No. Unless you're an idiot.
The CRB check is not the be all and end all of staff vetting procedures, proper references, job descriptions, and supervision are all far more important to the safety of children and staff. That said, it is still a useful tool, even if it's the sort of thing that only comes in handy very once in a while. It's a bit like setting the alarm on your house when you leave. You do it every day, you don't really think about it, and it never makes a jot of difference, but when it goes off occasionally it's pretty handy.
The New Best Christmas Album
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Self-linking, but if you're interested in advent and Christmas music, this link from last year is still current best practice
Christmas is Happening!
Saturday, 4 December 2010
This is fun. An advent calendar containing a new song and a new piece of art every day.