The Isle of Wight is in the English Channel and England’s largest island. It is classed as a county and measures 26 miles across - about the size of Greater London, with a population between 120,000 and 130,000. That’s a rough idea of the area Ian and his team are committed to serving. They are passionate about running initiatives that can roll out across the whole youth population on the Island, leaving no young person unreached.
I asked Ian whether conducting youth work on the Island is different to other parts of the UK. ‘Not really,’ Ian said, ‘young people face the same core issues like, value, identity, image and belonging.’ However, from working in other parts of the UK, he thinks there is less dysfunctional and aggressive behaviour there. As far as his team goes, they unanimously agree that their strengths lie in ministering in rural areas with small towns (this pretty much sums up their environment).
Ian grew up on the Island, leaving to train in youth work. However he soon felt called, along with his wife Andrea, and their friend Dave, to return to the Island in 1999 - not a move he had planned.
Ian humbly shared how their first mission was to travel the Island, to pray and ask God if it was right to serve there. ‘Then Dave and I began to meet with Church leaders and ask them how we could support their work with teenagers,’ Ian recalled. ‘It was amazing - every single church said they would love us to come and help.’
They didn’t say ‘we are coming to the Isle of Wight to do this, and we are just letting you know,’ but rather, ‘we are thinking God is calling us here to work with young people, how can we work together to serve them?’ From the start they were looking, asking and considering what was happening already and how they could partner and serve the local churches. This was a challenging approach because we can so often focus on our own thing, going about it our own way, without looking around us. Our passion to start something makes us sure we can be the answer, no matter what others are trying to do. What I loved about talking to Ian was it was very quickly obvious, from the way that he began, that one of his core values is working together. As director of Youth for Christ on the island, he has constantly sought to work with other Christian groups, churches, charities and volunteers to reach more young people with the message of Jesus. He hasn’t ‘gone it alone.’
Bit by bit they brought new life into struggling events. They began to coordinate an Island wide youth event, started after-school discipleship groups, taking young people on residentials and launching YFC’s Rock Solid clubs for 11-14 year-olds. By building relationships, Ian and the team now have some presence in all the high schools doing lunch clubs, lessons and assemblies. They also have three youth workers who are employed by local churches through YFC, who carry out their work predominantly with those churches and within the local schools. These guys also become part of the Isle of Wight team trying to reach every young person there with the good news of Jesus.
I asked how the maintained working together so successfully. Ian said that unity is very important to him and the team - staff or volunteers, working all over the Isle of Wight - come together every Monday morning for a prayer breakfast to share together. They work with anyone passionate about young people and they assist in whatever way they can with resources and training from YFC.
When Jesus prays to the father in John 17, it is very interesting what his focus is: ‘I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am in you… may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me, and have loved them even as you have loved me’ (John 17:20-23). Just before Jesus is arrested his focus is on praying for unity and togetherness for all believers, so that other people will see the love of Jesus at work and be drawn to him. The God head models perfect unity – Jesus in us, helps us to model the same.
Youth work on the Isle of Wight has grown and has spread right across the island; from north to south and east to west. It seems that the way they started; prayerfully, with hearts willing to serve and a commitment to be united in whatever way they can, has greatly contributed to growth. Perhaps seeing a team of Christians who are seeking to love one another, no matter what their differences, has drawn more and more young people to Christ – because they can see Jesus in the youth workers they meet.
You will see Jesus move in greater power when you act as ‘one.’ People will be drawn to the love that you have for one another.
Think about …
• Are you serving in unity?
• If not, what are the problems and can they be resolved?
