Mark Tiddy's Website

So as Christmas approaches I felt a festive blog was in order…and with Rage against the machine currently winning the number 1 race (I wonder if the x factor release on Wednesday will change that?) I thought I’d do something on music! On Thursday Jo and myself went to the Sheffield CU Carol concert and [...]

So tonight I attended my first JCC meeting (same as a PCC but called a Joint Church Council as the church is merged with a methodist church too…I call it the Jesus church council!) and I thought I’d draw some similarities, differences and observations from it comparing it to the Baptist Member’s Meetings that I [...]

I’ve been following John Sentamu (the Archbishop of York) on Twitter for quite some time now and today he alerted followers to his article in ‘The Sunday Times’ on prostitution which you can read here In the article Sentamu discusses the problem of prostitution mentioning that 75% of those in prostitution become involved before they [...]

I keep saying I’m going to do a blog-update on my new northern life but never get around to it, but finally (as promised) here it is! I’ve been in South Cave for over 6 weeks I think and working exactly 1 month tomorrow and it’s been a laid back yet intensive month! I started [...]

Last week (2 sundays ago) at church Jo and myself met Fred*. Fred wandered in at the end of church, looked at the large bible at the front, sat down then moved outside the church where we also were so naturally we started talking to him. Fred told us that he had just read something [...]

This morning I appeared on BBC Radio Norfolk alongside  a lady from relationship counselling charity  relate. I was invited onto the show yesterday after Dave passed my name on as both a youth worker and young person who is engaged so we spent 45 minutes with the host discussing ‘young people and marriage’. Other than [...]

So other than my beautiful Macbook (which I am as in love with today as the day I got it (wonder what Jo will say to that!)) everything is packed ready to be loaded into my car tomorrow although looking at the pile I feel like I need a tardis to fit it all in! [...]

There’s a lesson to learn for all youth workers….whatever games you do in your time at a place remember when you leave you will probably be subjected to them! This weekend has been my last in Peterborough as the Youth Worker for Park Road Baptist Church and it’s been a weekend of send-offs….as far as [...]

There is a serious post somewhere inside me but life has become crazy…so much for the quiet wind-down here in Peterborough. I’m currently thinking of all the things I need to do to hand over to the next student Youth Worker, the things I need to hand to others for other projects and generally clearing [...]

One thing I’ve learnt over the last few years is that God has a funny habit of using the things that you feel least prepared in and least confident to speak on the most. The youth groups that feels most unprepared and unready become the most annointed and the same with sermons. This morning I [...]

Church this morning was different and for once it wasn’t my fault! I was invited a while ago to lead the June all age as it would be my last all age…the same day the young people of one of our groups said they’d like to lead a service and so the power was handed [...]

I’ve just got back today from a week off which has been great. I spent a few days relaxing and catching up with people in Yarmouth and then Saturday and Sunday went to South Cave with Jo (South Cave is where I shall be working from September). During the beautiful weekend a lot has happened…firstly [...]

I’ve been thinking more about community lately although to an extent it’s been a big topic the last few years. One of the big passions of Oasis/Steve Chalke is getting the church back to the heart of the community which in many ways is the reason that Oasis build academy’s across the country…not just schools [...]

All has been quiet on the blog-front for the last week for several reasons…firstly I’ve been finishing my dissertation and secondly I’ve been attending job interviews which I have deliberately kept quiet on the web because I figured that an empoyer may well google me (one did!) and find the blog. So here is my [...]

Not much happening really, I’ve had a pretty intensive few weeks but other than the proof reading being finished my dissertation is done….gotta get the changes made next week and have it bound ready to hand in on the 12th. In exploring how we integrate young people into the church for my dissertation I feel [...]