All NexGen Pro articles – Page 83
-
Issues
Ready-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.
-
Issues
Ready-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.
-
Issues
Ready-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.
-
Issues
Ready-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:
-
Issues
Ready-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.
-
Issues
Ready-to-use Mentoring: Resolutions
One of the few preaches that has really stuck with me over the years is from my childhood, and annoyingly for me back then, it was from my dad! He said, ‘This January, don’t make resolutions, make resolve.’ What he meant was: don’t create destinations that you may or may not reach; don’t set yourself up for a fall, rather build roads for yourself to travel along as far as you can.
-
Issues
The 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.
-
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) -
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...
-
Issues
Does 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?
-
Issues
Ready-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.
-
Issues
Ready-to-use Saints & Martyrs
This resource is designed for youth workers and chaplains using the Lectionary .
-
Issues
Nelson 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.
-
Issues
Youthwork 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.
-
Issues
Youth Work and Management
70% of youth workers would like to stay in their current job for the next five to ten years, but only 42% think it will happen.