All Stories articles – Page 2

Issues

I confused middle-class culture for Christianity

2019-06-24T00:00:00Z

Natalie Williams on growing up poor - and finding the church. 

Issues

Learner Turner: Church body-building

2019-06-24T00:00:00Z

I firmly believe that we should become like Israeli body-builders. Let me explain…

Issues

From slum to youth advocate

2018-11-22T00:00:00Z

I was raised in a slum called Kawangware in Nairobi, Kenya. My father abandoned us, so my mother brought us up as a single mum. My twin brother died of malnutrition as a baby, so it was my two sisters and me. I survived but I could ...

Issues

‘I help young people remember’

2018-10-18T00:00:00Z

Working with young people was always going to be a big part of my life. My first job was during the summer holidays with YMCA Daycamps when I was in sixth form. I then spent three amazing years as a youth worker in Hong Kong. From there, ...

Issues

Real Life: I’m a bipolar youth worker

2018-09-17T00:00:00Z

When I was 12 a family member and I had an argument in the car. I don’t remember what it was about, but I do remember how it made me feel: worthless, a failure, rejected. That was the first time I remember feeling like this. It was also the first time I self-harmed.

Issues

Real life: I came to church because my youth worker gave me a guitar

2018-08-23T00:00:00Z

I didn’t grow up in church. None of my family are Christians…yet. My only experience of Christianity was visiting a Catholic church every now and then, but I didn’t have a relationship with God or anything.

Issues

Real life: “The vicar comes with a free youth worker”

2017-05-24T00:00:00Z

For the past eight years I have been involved in youth work as a volunteer, a youth theatre practitioner, a full-time church worker and now as a sessional youth worker. I have a diploma in youth mission and ministry (just to try and prove I vaguely know what I’m doing!) but all of that seems to pale in comparison to a decision I made in May 2015 - I got married to a trainee vicar.

Issues

Real life: ‘I thought youth workers were supposed to be young...’

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

…this was one of the first things that an older lady said to me in when I started my job 15 years ago; I wonder what she thinks about me still being here!