All NexGen Pro articles – Page 149
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IssuesYouthwork Summit 'opens up' in Manchester
The fifth annual Youth Work Summit took place in Manchester in May. Hundreds of youth workers gathered at Audacious City Church to hear from over 20 youth work thinkers, experts and practitioners. Speakers included youth ministry legends Andy Hawthorne and Duffy Robbins, professor and author Kenda Creasy Dean and leader of The Simple Way, Shane Claiborne.
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IssuesNelson Mandela
The world mourned the death of Nelson Mandela in December, one of the most inspirational and influential men of our time. The former South African president died aged 95 at his home in Johannesburg. Mandela, who was imprisoned for his opposition to Apartheid for 27 years, will be remembered for his pivotal role in the fight against institutional racism in South Africa. If his immediate legacy wasn’t enough, Mandala has inspired a generation of young people worldwide in a multitude of ways. Youthwork spoke to some youth workers and leaders about his impact.
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Issues
Ready-to-use Saints & Martyrs
This resource is designed for youth workers and chaplains using the Lectionary .
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IssuesReady-To-Use Mentoring: The relationships matrix
There is precious little instruction and guided reflection on how to have a healthy (offline) social network and how to develop a range of healthy relationships. There’s no qualifications needed to become a parent, no training courses on how to be a good friend; a bit of thought could help us to reflect God better in our key relationships.
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IssuesDoes it matter if I sin?
Dear Prof, I have a group of Christian young people who don’t see a problem in getting up to all sorts on a Saturday night, and in fact most of the week outside of church. They know it’s wrong but they don’t care; they know that their youth group still accepts them and Jesus still forgives them. How should we respond?
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Issues...I mean it
If I was sat opposite you right now, in an unnamed generic coffee establishment, my parting line to you would go something like this...
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Issues
Ready-to-use Worship: Worship and Social Media
‘The Church has been slow to adopt new communication technologies. Far from being faddish, these technologies are the very essence of how people today construct their worlds. It is here that the Church may be most out of step with culture’. (Eddie Gibbs, Ryan Bolger,
Emerging Churches) -
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IssuesThe Prophetic Mentor
I’ll never forget Julia. She died a couple of years ago in tragic circumstances, but her legacy lives on in a thousand lives, one of which is mine. She was my mentor, the person most responsible for the course my professional life has taken (she was an atheist, so that’s pretty funny). In the unlikely event I ever win an award for anything, Julia will be the first person I thank.
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BlogReady-to-use Mentoring: Would you rather?
Mentoring is a game of give and take - it’s offering wisdom and sharing but also probing and nudging your mentee. Try a round of ‘Would you rather?’ to open up discussions. Allow them to ask you some too, because when you are both offering insight it becomes a two-way relationship. Steer the session towards things that may open useful or deeper conversations. Here’s some ideas but do share your best ones with us!
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BlogReady-to-use Mentoring: Three Persons…
Years ago, someone set up a ‘prayer tent’ in our Sunday service and I felt God speak to me quite clearly, and quite profoundly. As I lay on my back in the small tent, I looked up and saw that the pattern of the material as it joined at the peak was a small square with an ‘X’ through it (as the illustration demonstrates).
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IssuesReady-to-use Mentoring: Taking Stock
A few years ago, the Anglican church I was working for wanted to extend the building out and add a café.
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IssuesReady-to-use Mentoring: Self-reflection
Last week I broke my collarbone by coming off my bike during a triathlon in the Peak District. As far as my fitness plans went this was a curve ball: any plans for competing in other events went out the window. I was disappointed, annoyed and physically in pain.
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IssuesReady-to-use mentoring: The third person
Seeing things from an outside perspective can be a real benefit to achieving progress, insight, and hopefully change. When you are in the thick of things yourself it can be really hard to see the obvious mistakes you are making or understand anyone else’s point of view.
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IssuesReady-to-use Mentoring: Word of the Year
January should be the official mentoring month! New Year is a key season for appraising the previous year and setting goals for the coming 12 months. It’s also a time that often results in frustration, and even guilt, when a few weeks later, good intentions fall by the wayside and healthy habits are already broken. Here are some ideas to support your young people through it this year:
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IssuesReady-to-use Mentoring: Are you talking to yourself?
I was mentoring a musician this week who has a new single called ‘Victorious’. It’s about overcoming tough things that stand in your way and hold you back (in her case, dyslexia). In the same breath as telling me about the song, she was complaining about the problems she encountered in releasing the single, before she had a light bulb moment: she wasn’t following her own advice! She needed to resist the temptation to give up, and show more resilience and determination if she was to be victorious over setbacks and discouragement. She needed to live what she was preaching and remind herself of the facts, rather than listening to doubts.
