The cul-de-sac of youth work???

I never got involved in youth work to get a degree, I did a degree so I could get a job in youth work. This is my stock answer when I talk about my CYM experience to anyone bothered enough to listen, and it is true, however the nature of my degree is vocational. It has lead me down a path which does what it says on the tin - namely that I am a trained youth worker doing youth work.

Anyone about to embark on a CYM degree or equivalent is well warned to expect that in a few years in the Christian sector at least - you may be facing a bit of a head scratcher of what to do next...

Now I frequently get asked 2 questions in my job 'Will you ever train for the ministry?' and 'What will you do after youth work?' The former drives some of my colleagues up the wall, but I want to focus on the latter here.

What will I do next? Well before I answer that, I want to give you a very brief history of my experience in youth work.

I have both voluntary and paid experience in Council youth work, detached work, working with Travellers, private sector, sheltered housing and church based work. I have my degree and am studying for a Masters in Inclusion and Diversity and training to become a Lay Reader with my Diocese.

The reason I reveal that is so it gives you a context to understand where I am currently at with my career. Where do I go next?

Let me explain, before I go on - this is by no means me saying 'I have so much experience, where will I choose to use my vast experience and knowledge next?' (note the sarcasm). No I am currently at a fork in the road.

Where are the jobs for a graduate of 3 years in Northern Ireland? Where are the JNC level 3 jobs? They are not in the Christian sector anyway. At least not in the last 2 years that I have been working here, and if they are they are usually have external forces which drive the appointment process.

This leads to the obvious scenario whereby the Christian sector continually produces enthusiastic youth workers, trains them up and loses them to the statutory sector after a few years. Not necessarily a bad thing I suppose - afterall the more Christian youth workers in the statutory sector there are the better.

The 'brain drain' on the Church is a relatively new thing. Never before has so much energy been put into training youth workers - both through OCN (youthlink course) and the new CYM course. It is these organisations which need to be at the forefront of recognising the importance of their own courses and leading the discussion in this area on shaping what a career in youth work in the Christian sector looks like.

Thats something which needs to happen now so there is incentive for future graduates and those with experience to stick with the Christian sector in the future. However I am still left with my initial question... Where do I go - what do I do?

The fork I face is to stick where I am (I am not planning to move, but my contract is up next Summer), choose a different career altogether, or (if I want to move up the pay bracket in youth work) it'll probably be applying for a funded fixed term post outside the Christian sector.

If I can get an interview for one that is...

Youth worker vs Christian youth worker vs youth worker who is a Christian

Youth work is a pretty interesting career. Anyone can do it (can't they?) it's just about hanging out with young people, and it's about bringing people into relationship with God...

I interview for CYMI and in my experience of doing that, I have witnessed some interesting definitions of youth work, both by applicants and their references (some youth workers / ministers etc), however I would say that the opening paragraph is what is consistently spoken about when youth work is defined.

Being a Christian myself and working for a church I should really agree with it (shouldn't I?), but I can't help but find myself straying further from those opening statements. In a moment of reflection - instigated by a recent youth workers day with CIYD, I found my mind wandering into my understanding of the term youth work, and how a Christian can work under that banner, and then what they should define themself as.

For me, 'youth worker' is as much a job title as 'police officer', 'doctor' or 'social worker' - all of which demand training, intention and a skill base to work from. There is something about working under the the banner of 'youth worker' which demands a level of proficiency - an understanding of the principles to which 'youth work' is borne.

This is where the traditional understanding of youth work and Christian will come into conflict for most.

I also have expectations of what it means to fall under the banner of Christianity. The Christian message is one of transformation and redemption, from darkness into light, wildnerness to promised land, sinner to forgiven saint; it also calls us to be ambassadors for Christ, messengers of Truth and makers of disciples.

Most Christians who practice youth work prioritise the latter because the former is not even in their radar of consciousness.

But which one is most important - and in answering this, what should a Christian youth work practitioner call themselves?

Pretentious much?

I don't think so - because I think this question needs to be answered to preserve the integrity of 'youth work' and 'Christianity'

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As I get more into my own journey of being a youth worker, I discover more about what it is to be a youth worker... Let me give you an example:

In a recent youth group, we invited a young person to come back after the session as he had been thrown out for bad behaviour. We wanted to talk things through and get some insight from him. He walked in, and one of the volunteers approached him and asked him how he was... the volunteer must have asked this about 12 times until the young person could take it no more and told him to F*** off.

So the volunteer needed to interact with the young person, but panicked and repeated his question over (and over) again. Did the volunteer intend to engage the young person because he knew he needed to be welcomed and talked to - or did the volunteer simply panic when he saw the young person, open his mouth and let random words fall out?

The point being that regardless of the volunteers skills or confidence in that situation, the outcome was the same. Why is this important - well it's important because it's about intention.

Either we intend to engage young people, or we don't and we do it by accident. Either we intend to work with hard to reach young people, or we don't and we do it by accident. Either we intend to do good youth work, or we don't and we do it by accident.

It's about intent.

So the further into my own youth work journey I go, the more I realise I have to know what I intend to do, otherwise I just do it by accident - and either brilliant things happen, or terrible things happen.

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When I look at what it is to be a youth worker, I realise that it is built on the founding principle of relationship:

"Thirty years ago, youth work aspired to a special relationship with young people. It wanted to meet young women and men on their terms.
"Three decades later, youth work is close to abandoning this distinctive commitment. Today it sides with the state's agenda."
Tony Taylor in CYP Now - 23rd April 2009

The official understanding of youth work is expressed in the Department of Educations 'Model for Effective Practice (2003) which outlines the core values of Equity, Diversity and Interdependence (EDI) as foundational to delivering youth work - this understanding puts relationship at the heart of what it is to do youth work.

When we side with the quote from Tony Taylor above, we put relationship above issue, or agenda. However the problem with this for the Christian youth worker is that the issue which has got them into youth work in the first instance, has more often than not, been a desire to 'disciple', 'transform', 'redeem' young people.

I like this cartoon (taken from Ruth Elkins blog) Sort of illustrates just how many agendas the youth worker can be put under. Whether they know it or not...

This is where the fundamental clash occurs between youth work and Christian youth work.

So what do to?

I would firsty recommend a protection of the title 'youth worker' (both for those who do this for a job and those who volunteer). This is not a new proposal - but I cannot call myself a police man, a doctor, a taxi driver as I am not any of those, but what I am is a youth worker. And in being a youth worker, I subscribe to a set of ideals; principles which should be shared by all 'youth workers' however which are not, due to the diverse range of people who claim that title for themselves.

Hear me - I am not saying I am the best youth worker, and all others are deficient - no. But what I am saying is that I remain within the boundaries of what 'youth work' is - to go beyond that damages the integrity of my vocation.

This raises the question for me - can there be a title 'Christian youth worker'? Is there a Christian Police Officer for example? Isn't enforcing the law the same in any context - isn't adhering to youth work principles the same in any context?

If youth work is to informally educate young people through relationship, then shouldn't we actively encourage young people on journeys we don't believe in, agree with, adhere to? After all it is their journey. We are there to advise, support, encourage, be role models - and help them through the hard stuff. If we are there to make them Christians, then we spread an insidious message that we only want one outcome from our input.

Listen to this from Kerry Young:

Young people, like all other people, share their hopes and fears with people they trust. They are also prepared to consider the opinion of people they trust even if those opinions are difficult to take on. But what makes a person trustworthy? The main message seems to be – ‘you can trust people who care’, people who take the time and show the patience and who are bothered enough to want to help. (Young 1999: 68)

So in the context of relationship, we can either take great heart from this, or we should be taking heed from it.

It is though relationship and trust which the concept of transformation can occur - however this must not start from a position of viewing the young person as someone who inheriently needs changing. Sinner to forgiven saint. This puts the young person on the back foot from the very beginning - is this fair? Is it fair to the relationship to view them as what some colleagues call 'not yet Christians' this insinuates they are deficient, in fact it doesn't insinuate it at all - it blatently spells it out that they are incomplete.

Now while we may believe as Christiains we are incomplete without Christ, to have this as a default starting position building relationship with young people regardless of who they are is worrying. Again it comes down to the intent - to 'save' or to accept - (Can we have both?).This is the work with young people which goes against youth work. But then again the cynic in me says this sort of worker doens't want relationship if it's not on their terms anyway... Pah!

The reason to take heed from Kerry Youngs quote is because she is telling us that in the relationships we have with young people, we have the power to influence change. The young people want to change to become more like those they trust. Trust the wrong people and wrong things can happen. When the wrong people are youth workers who propogate the message that they're only in it to see the young people transformed - then a very damaging message is conveyed to young people.

This is where plastic Christianity is sold, and believe me - they'll come looking for a refund down the line...

::Edit - 23:04 - 7th May 2009 - I would go further here, and say the youth workers position is not just to promote the Christian message to a young Christian, it is also to inform them of the alternatives - why? Because this is liberation - this puts the power into the hands of the young person, this reduces the chance of faith developing based on the relationship with the youth worker - and increases the chance of faith developing from a deeply personal journey of discovery. ::

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So I propose 'Christian youth worker' is a job title putting agenda or issue before relationship.

This is where those who wish to name themselves 'youth workers' (volunteers & paid staff) are called to educate their employers that youth work is not about 'saving people' or indeed doing epilogues... It is first and foremost about relationships, because in relationships, issues are uncovered - and in uncovering issues trust is built, and when trust is built relationship develops, and when relationship develops, the integrity of faith shines through - and when this happens change begins to happen in both the youth worker and the young person.

This is intentional - this is not accidental, this looks like easy work (but it's not), but this is our calling as 'youth workers' - I argue if you disagree then go find another job title.

Am I a Christian youth worker? No, I'm a youth worker who is a Christian. It's up to you to decide what you are...