Regular readers of my blog will know that a desire to see the church change and to see more young people through the doors are things that I’m passionate about. A few months ago myself and Lee Kirkby (Youth Minister at Beverley Minster) were having a bit of the grumble about church…if I’m honest even   Read More …

About 4 months ago after much debate as a church we started an open youth club on a Tuesday night. It started with 6 young people and over the past 4 months has grown to an average of about 20 a week…it’s nothing revolutionary…it’s a simple youth club: somewhere to hang out, tuck shop, pool   Read More …

On Thursday I went on a retreat day with a group of other youth workers from the York Diocese and it was nice to have a chance to sit back and reflect for the day. However one thing I seem to notice is that whatever youth worker’s get together sooner or later we seem to   Read More …

Upon the recommendation of youth work magazine I’ve been tuning in to several episodes of Channel 4′s ‘The Joy of Teen Sex’; a TV show which aims to discuss teen sex problems and experiences using a team of experts in an open an honest way using their ‘sex shop’. If you haven’t seen it then   Read More …

So it’s almost a week since we began 2011 and so far it’s been a pretty good year! For me 2010 was great…beyond the obvious highlight of getting married I was also finally able to put out an album which personally was a huge thing…I don’t really care if people have listened to it but   Read More …

Yesterday at Christian Union I used my Post Secret session (you can find it on my youth work website www.youthworkresource.com) which I wrote a couple of years ago. This session always seems to work well and be a fairly powerful session for encouraging young people to reflect on God’s love and His knowledge of them…as   Read More …

About a year ago as series 3 of Skins was aired Jo spent so much time watching it I decided to start watching it and whilst I don’t like the impression of youth culture they put across (whilst it may be an accurate picture of some young people it works on a generalisation) I find   Read More …

Youth work’s a funny old job because there isn’t masses of pattern to it…add into the mix schools work and you end up with some very bizarre days and weeks…you find that some days you don’t have that much on and others (like today) you work 9 till 5 then do an evening thing…you get   Read More …

Every so often as part of my role as schools worker for the Hunsley Christian Youth Trust I’m asked to speak at a church or event about the youth trust and tonight I was speaking at Welton Churches PCC (I escaped before all the usual PCC stuff began). Over the last few months I’ve managed   Read More …

Today’s the first day that I just haven’t known what to blog on, nothing in particular has jumped out at me and it’s been a busy today! This afternoon I taught my first lesson in South Hunsley…whilst I am not a teacher I’d been hoping for some RE opportunities and today the first of 2   Read More …

Today I spent the day at Wydale hall on a youth and children’s workers retreat organised by the York Diocese which was really good. The last retreat I went on was when I was in Peterborough and CROPS organised a day out in the sticks with Paul Wilcox as a retreat and reflection day and   Read More …

Whilst I wait for my printer to print some Safeguarding Leaflets for volunteers I thought seeing as I haven’t blogged for a while and now I’m back working in the office now heating is restored I’d blog a guide to the youth workers office! A brief guide for what is maybe the dullest blog post   Read More …