PaulTilley.Com

Friday Free Stuff: Church Graphics

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Still on graphics. Even better the designing cool graphics is 'borrowing' cool graphics that have already been done for you. So here are are a few free sites for you to 'borrow' from:

www.creationswap.com

www.lakeviewchurch.com

www.inspiks.com

www.openresources.org

Google Goggles Suggestions for Youth Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Google Goggles looks amazing, really amazing...why didn't I think of this! However, it looks like its not on the iPhone yet (guy in the advert has it though!) so I'll have to wait. Yet, it got me thinking about how this can be used with in youth ministry.

Games. I think Goggles will open up a whole new world for games and activities in youth ministry. Can you imagine what 'Goggling' (can I be the first on the web to use that) will do for scavenger hunts.
Change the way we do trips. Some time ago we took a group to do the bible tour of the British Museum. Goggles would have been amazing on that trip. My phone would have known more then a tour guide!
More multilingual What if you have non-English speaking young people. Or you work in a multicultural area. Goggles could be a big help
Wiki Church. Get your church building on wikipedia now. Someone walks past, Goggles it and ha-presto all your church details including youth ministry pops us in a second
Wiki you. What is someone Goggles you!
Bible Study. Come across a place, word or theological concept...just Goggle away
Vineyard tour. Well I liked the guys suggestion.

So what your suggestions?

Motivation, Creativity and Imagination in Impossible Mission

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Been reading (actually listening as I run) to IT: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It by Craig Groeschel . There are many moments in the book where I have to stop and think about the ministry I am involved in and go...emmm, thats a good point.

One of those times was:
If I asked you to get $10000 by the end of the month, could you? Unless you are loaded, chances are you couldn't.

However Groeschel goes on to ask you to think of a loved one. Then imagine that that person was sick...very sick..so they would die by the end of the month. The only way to save them would be to have a injection. Problem is the injection is very rare and will cost..you got it...$10000! Now you have a motivation to get the $10000, and you probably could do it.

Groeschel points out that if we want to achieve the seemingly impossible in our ministry we will need a motivation as well as creativity and imagination to do it. My passion is to relevantly share the good news of Jesus effectively with every young person in my area. Its seemingly impossible, however is I could have passion to get $10000 to save a loved one could I not also share the good news that I say I am so passionate about? I just need the motivation, creativity and imagination!

Youth Ministry Should be Political? Pt4

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Sun, 08 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Political, The Church and Youth Work

In 1980 The Reverend Frederick William Milson, a key figure in the development of UK youth and community work during the 1960s and 1970s, produced ‘Political Education’. A practical guide for Christian youth workers. This book looked to the church and politics and the distinctive role that it could take in the political education of young people. William stated:

‘A local church which tries to ignore the political dimension of our lives serves its members ill. It issues moral exhortations in a vacuum. Churches may generate a power which is always in neutral gear, never engaged with some of the major moral tasks our time. To change the figure - they involve us in shadow boxing, not in a real fight.’

Milson's argument was that the informal atmosphere of the small voluntary group, common in Christian youth work at the time, could be a good vehicle for political as well as other forms of education. Another important aspect for Milson was the extent to which the church youth group embodied a more holistic view of people - the political could be set in tension with the moral and spiritual, for example. The book provided church workers with plenty of practical advice. 'For the Christian political educator', Milson wrote, 'there are always growth points in a continuing group'. He continued:

‘If our essential task is to learn together what the world is really like, to see it in a Christian perspective and to have opportunities to engage in its political activities - then there is a place to begin engaging in this process. It may be a conversation, a new experience in life of the young person, a visit, a chance encounter. The beginnings may be humble and the process should never be forced. But for the discerning Christian worker the raw material of his trade is all around him in the youth group.’

Since Milson, church based youth work in Britain has become more politically aware. One of the factors that have contributed to this is the professionalisation of youth work, and how it is becoming more holistic in its outlook. This is evidenced by the 1999 occupational standards document that identifies the key purpose of youth work: ‘to work with young people to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, and enable them to gain a voice, influence and place in society.’ Furthermore, the four core values of youth work were first defined at the 1991 Second Ministerial Conference for the Youth Service. They were termed Voluntary Participation, Informal education, Empowerment and Equality of opportunity. Church based youth work; in its desire to become more professional by aligning itself with the statutory sector, has inevitably found itself becoming more politically active.

Currently Criticism

We can see social action expressed within the church today through with organisations and campaigns such as 24-7 Prayer, who run the ‘living generously’ website. There campaigns include assisting the investigation of the fate of the ‘disappeared,’ human rights activists in Peru and supporting with building children’s homes in Colombia. Another example is TEARfund. On their website they state that ‘relieving suffering and offering hope is at the heart of Tearfund’s vision.’

This type of action, though admirable, has been criticised as being social action and falling short of social change. Steve Chalke states, in an article in Christianity Magazine:

‘...the work of social action is not enough. The challenge now is to reconcile social justice with the gospel – or in other words, to reconnect the problems with their causes. Too often we have ended up merely treating the symptoms of social degradation instead of working to eliminate the causes, sticking on plasters to cover wounds, many of which could be prevented in the first place. We’re picking up the pieces of broken lives instead of preventing the fall. This can’t continue. It’s time for the Church to work for social justice; it’s time for the Church to get political!’

The article goes on to state that both John Stott and Tony Campolo have suggested that while it may be true that the Church is called to mirror the Samaritan and carry our injured neighbour, we have an equal responsibility to ensure that the underlying issues that lead to such injuries are also dealt with.

Political Youth Ministry?

Youth Ministry have a tendency to focus on guiding its ‘flock’ in how to respond to those things that are external, yet we often shy away from addressing current political issues. This is often due to holding a distinction between God's activity through governments and the redemptive activity of the church. Youth Ministries therefore are in danger of adopting a dualist theology when it comes to its activity in the world. Yet the Bible contradicts any idea of a sacred/secular divide.

Politics affects lives and so is the concern of God and therefore must be the concern of youth ministry. As Desmond Tutu, observed, ‘If we are to say that religion cannot be concerned with politics, then we are really saying that there is a substantial part of human life in which God’s will does not run. If it is not God’s, then whose is it?’ For, If as Ladd suggests, the true Church is the instrument as well as the custodian of the kingdom, then we are to reflect the activities of the King in working towards the redemptive process of creation and in by doing so the ministry has no choice but to be political. No area of life is outside our remit or beyond the Kingdom. Education, the environment, poverty, crime, racism, working conditions, immigration, taxation, health; for the church to be silent on these issues is to withhold the redemptive process of God in society, and to deny those affected by these issues the hope of Gods justice.

A church can try to be apolitical, but ultimately even by being silent is itself a vote for the status quo, as German Christianity demonstrated in the 1930s and 1940's.

Youth Ministry Should be Political? Pt3

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

The Good or the Bad

In regards to the Church and politics there has developed two main schools of thought.

The more mainstream traditional view takes a backwards-looking perspective and states that governments are part of Gods order of Creation. This view holds that governments are a gift to humanity from God amongst other purposes for bringing about justice by upholding law and a justice system. Though it is acknowledged that governments are also fallible and can therefore bring about injustice. This view strongly aligns itself with Rom. 13:1-7 and favors conservative politics that uphold the God given ‘good’ in society. This view would make a sharp distinction between God's activity through governments and redemptive activity of the church.
The second view in regards to the church and politics would see the government as bringing about Gods eschatological purpose for the world. This view strongly aligns itself with the Revelation of John that speaks of a time of justice and peace, as well as Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom. Therefore this view sees the political and the spiritual as two aspects of Gods redemptive work in establishing his kingdom. This view is often seen as a more radical view as it has been influenced by Liberation Theology and would seem to favor a more revolutionary outlook to political action.

Fridays Free Stuff: Graphics Sites

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I love cool graphic stuff and the amazing things that you can do with photoshop, truly one of the the most incredible programmes ever! Have a look at free Vector Art at www.vecteezy.com and free Photoshop Brushes at www.brusheezy.com

Rob Bell Stops Asking Annoying Questions

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Another Question

I enjoyed Love Wins by Rob Bell. I thought it was an OK book that got me really thinking about issues that need to be continually addressed. I didn't really think there was a great deal of original stuff in there, but maybe written in a more accessible way. NT Wrights Surprised by Hope got a good innings, Tim Kellers The Prodigal God and a good dose of CS Lewis. However, what I mostly enjoyed was the questians questions and more questions, for example 'Does this magnificent, mighty, marvellous God fail in the end?'.

What I found more interesting, possibly then the book, was how the church (well people from churches blogging) got its nickers in a twist by all these questions (and assuming Rob Bells answers). Is it really such a bad thing to question a theology like Hell? I mean if I really, I mean REALLY believed in an eternal torment for all the people I love who don't call themselves Christians I don't think I could stand it. So shouldn't I question this theology and keep questioning, is that wrong? Or should we just be nodding dogs to evangelicalism?

If we fear questions than we are really going to struggle with post-moderns. The schooling system (in the UK at least) now teaches students to continually critique, analyse, question and critique some more. So imagine us youth workers bringing all those critiquing, analysing, questioning young people into our churches. Whats going to happen if we react to there questioning as some have to Love Wins.

Youth Ministry Should be Political? Pt2

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:03:00 +0000

A Political God

The biblical God is a God of politics; we see this evidenced throughout the bible. If you remove the political portions of scripture we would be left with a book full of holes, the biblical narrative would be meaningless. Within the OT we see YHWH forming a nation that he favours over others. Egypt was devastated because of the political act of liberating the Hebrew slaves to become Gods chosen people. In fulfilling Gods promise, regarding the conquest of Canaan, God commands the Israelites to not leave anything alive that breathes and to completely destroy them (Deut 20:16), God commands the Israelite people to commit genocide throughout Canaan for their prosperity, this is a political act.

However, we also see throughout the OT political Justice, for example God commands the Israelites not to mistreat an alien or oppress him because of their oppression suffered in Egypt (Ex 22:21). Lev 25:10 and Due 15:2 commands the Year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee was an exceptional year in family renewal in that an Israelite man who was bound to another as a slave or indentured servant was set free and allowed to return to his own family. If any members of his family were also bound, that family member was also set free. Houses and lands could also be redeemed in the Year of Jubilee. Youngblood suggests that part of the reason why God established the Year of Jubilee was to prevent the Israelites from oppressing one another (Lev 25:17). Therefore one effect of the Jubilee Year was to prevent a permanent system of economic classes, it had a levelling effect on Israel’s culture; it gave everyone a chance to start over, both economically and socially. The year of Jubilee is then an example of the ordination of Gods political economics.

As with the OT, the NT is incredibly political. The NT was set in a political narrative; the Hebrews had come from being an enslaved people, to an exiled people and were now an occupied people. One of the most politically provocative statements in the NT comes when Jesus states ‘Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's’ (Matt 22:21, Mark 12:16, Luke 20:25). The gospels state that when Jesus gave his response, his interrogators ‘marveled, and left him, and went their way.’ They were unsuccessful in forcing Jesus to unambiguously come out either in favor of paying the tribute to Rome or in favor of tax resistance. With this simple yet profound statement, even today people continue to interpret this passage to support positions as diverse as separation of church and state, which advocates that Jesus’ comment was stating that his religious teachings were separate from earthly political activity. Through to the view of justification for obeying authority, stating that the passage commands us to respect state authority and to pay the taxes it demands of us. To the more radical interpretation stating that the passage highlights the dangers of cooperating with the state. Jesus’ statement has also led to Christian anarchists and tax resisters. For example when the Christian social activist Ammon Hennacy was on trial for civil disobedience, he was asked by the judge to reconcile his tax resistance with Jesus’ statement in Matt 22:21. Hennacy response was ‘I told him Caesar was getting too much around here and some one had to stand up for God.’ Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker movement stated: ‘If we rendered unto God all the things that belong to God, there would be nothing left for Caesar.’ She also advocated a life of voluntary poverty by saying ‘the less you have of Caesar’s, the less you have to give to Caesar.’

Caesar is lord

Even the saying ‘Jesus is Lord’ (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor.12:3) would have been an overtly political statement for the early church. The saying was a political contrast to the popular greeting amongst Roman citizens- ‘Caesar is Lord’. This statement meant that Jesus himself and the early Christians were seen as a political threat. In the Roman world, Caesar had come to view himself as Lord and was not open to being challenged. So the statement that ‘Jesus is Lord’ in its context was a statement that was viewed as political subversion, a direct challenge to the prevailing establishment and therefore meant that politics and religion were inextricably linked. Paul also writes in several passages, mostly Rom. 13:1-7, that it was the duty of the Church to submit and obey earthly governments. Christians, according to Pauline theology are not like the Jews, a political entity; Christians are subject to earthly governments and powers because governments have a God-given role and so if therefore entitled to respect and co-operation of its citizens, including Christians.

In his writing of The Book of Revelation, it is believed that John would have had emperor worship as a main concern. The empire, or the city of Rome itself, is identified by some scholars as the ‘Whore of Babylon’, and the Roman emperor becomes the Beast or Antichrist. Both divine punishment and economic and military catastrophe are prophesied against ‘Babylon’, which most scholars agree is John's code name for Rome.

Youth Ministry Should be Political? Pt1

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:19:00 +0000

This was a silly long post so I split it!

Now we are all feeling to grip of the one of the worse recessions since the 1930s, politics is now much more of interest to people, one young guy in our church was at the recent student demonstrations and certainly understands the issue more then me.

But is politics something that our youth ministry should stay clear off and just concentrate on 'church stuff' or should we be there in London (or wherever your political hotbed is) walking alongside the rest of our society?

What is it?

Politics has been defined, as ‘the process by which groups of people make collective decisions.’ In its most basic state, politics is the social relations involving authority or power. In practice, the term refers to the regulation and government of a nation or state, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply government policy. In this post, politics will be used more narrowly- to the government of human society in the State.

In regards to church and politics there are three spheres that affect the church:

Politics being internal to the Church. This would be the administrative order of a church and would deal with authority and responsibilities, individual and group leadership.
Politics that would be external to the Church. This would deal with how the church reacts to and guides members to the society and world around it.
When the church and government have a formal relationship and the churches teachings and administration have practical effect on members of the society whether they are members of the church or not. An example would be the Church of England and its relationship with the British Government.

Helping Young People get to their next Level

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Tue, 03 May 2011 17:02:00 +0000

'the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers'

How do we help young people get to their next level? Well make way for 'Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development' (ZPD).

Think of a person learning to make a cake (emmm cake...focus).

What I can do alone
I may know a little about cake, what sort of stuff you put in or what a good cake is. I may know what I like a cake to look and taste like. This is the lower limit of ZPD or I like to call 'Can do alone'.

I know the basics of cake...I like it!

What I can do with help
This next area is what Vygotsky called 'The upper limit'.
So I may know a little about cake, that I like it and want to make it. But I don't know how. Vygotsky proposes the use of ‘instructional scaffolding’. If I try to make a cake by myself I end up making a lot a mess and feeling frustration and helplessness. The Instructional scaffolding may simply be a cook book, cooking show on TV, a website or better still, a person who knows how to make a cake and will help me learn.

However, 'Scaffolding' is changes the level of support over time. Over the course of a teaching session, the skilled cake maker adjusts the amount of guidance to fit the pupil's current performance. Dialogue is an important tool of this process in the ZPD. In a dialogue the unsystematic, disorganised, and spontaneous actions of the pupil are met with the more systematic, logical and rational concepts of the skilled helper.

I need help to make my cake.

What I cannot yet do
OK I'm hooked on this whole cake thing. I think I will now move on to make the next royal weddings wedding cake...what you think? Well I need to work towards wedding cakes do little steps back in ZPD.

I can have ambition but I cannot yet make a wedding cake

The idea of ‘instructional scaffolding’ can be seen time and time again in the Gospels. Look at the difference between Pete in the Gospels and Peter in Acts, its incredible. But you can see how Jesus seemed to continually ‘scaffold’ Peter. Vygotsky ideas can be very helpful when we consider discipleship and mentoring. For example when a young person is looking at the horizon and thinking of doing stuff in 'Cannot yet do'. We can start to 'scaffold' them into ZPD, once there, we repeat the process till 'Cannot yet do' becomes 'Can do alone'. If we work with a young person who is trying to leave home and get a flat but can't deal with the paperwork and bills. This can be a great opportunity to start to build 'scaffold'.

The Royals & 2 girls helped me be missional

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:36:00 +0000

I have this very hazy memory from 29 July 1981 of a street party for the wedding of Diana and Charles. At that time I new all the other children in my street and I can remember it being one of those late summer nights that seem to fix themselves in our memories.

Well fast forward 29 Years to 29 April 2011 and you may be aware of another Royal wedding, it was a small affair that you may have missed (if you were Morrissey, you would have)! And more street parties were afoot.

Well my little girl and her friend decided that our street would have a party. Until that point I don't think anyone in the street (including me) had given it much thought. So the 2 girls hassled parents, planned games, dances and songs. Leaflets were put thought peoples doors and the weather just about held off. We had a great night, loads of food and drink was brought and shared and we got to meet people in our street we had never even seen before.

With all the talk of mission, missional, missio Dei etc, It took the Royal family and 2 little girls to get me to to do the best missional act I have done in years-have fun with my neighbours!

FYT's StreetSpace Project is on BBC this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:55:00 +0000

FYT's StreetSpace Project is on BBC this weekend. BBC1 this Sunday at 10.25pm Called Does Christianity have a future

School Assembly/Lesson idea: Are We Equals?

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:59:00 +0000

1% of property is owned by women?

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day, Pancake Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and Mardi Gras) this year was also International Womans day 100 year anniversary. So as we enter Lent maybe a question we could ask is 'are we equals'? So I put this school assembly together that I'm doing next week, asking people challenge inequality for lent!

1) I start by saying its Lent and on pancake day it was also the 100th anniversary of IWD
In celebration I'm going to tell a story (cue PowerPoint)

Are we equal assembly

View more presentations from Malmesbury Abbey.

2) I then show the film:

3) I then talk about Jesus confronting racism and sexism with the woman at the well. Being a rabbi and talking to a Samaritan woman was beyond the pale. I talk about my family and how I want them to grow up in a equal world. I finish by challenging them over Lent to think about how they talk about (other) woman, do they add to/or challenge inequality.

Skate Park in a 12th century Abbey

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Skate Park in a 12th century Abbey...whatever next?

Watch live streaming video from malmesburyabbeyskate at livestream.com

Lightpainting with Young People

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Freezelight Magic Forest from FREEZELIGHT.RU on Vimeo.

Got inspired by THIS article on Lifehacker site. So hassled my friend who is a great photographer (as well as a scholar, gentleman and philosopher) to do some youth work. We had an amazing session. Here are a few of the results (have to be careful of child protection so cant show the best ones)

The Future of Education and the Bible

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:13:00 +0000

Just been reading an interesting article from the Christian futurist Dr Patrick Dixon regarging education. He states: "Old style education and the focus on memory and knowledge. New style education needs to focus on how to find immediate answers to complex problems from a starting point of ignorance, using new technology."

I was thinking of the ways that I teach in my ministry, often based on what Dixon may call Old style education, even though I do use new media a lot, it often an ends to old style. This week we were testing each other to see who could name all the books of the bible in order from memory. One guy went to his phone (had the bible on there I think) to look it up. I said..no no..from memory (old style). Maybe we do need to re-think bible teaching (memorisation, 10 commandments etc)...how will this change for the good or ill with New style education needs?

Youth Ministry Praxis, Demonic Theology & Rob Bell

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:55:00 +0000

"Theology without action is the theology of demons." —Maximus the Confessor

Theology with action is praxis. Praxis, meaning what we do, rather then theoretical perspectives on what we should do. From a Liberation Theology perspective, truth can only be gained through action and that knowing and doing are dialectically related. Therefore, correct action becomes the criterion for truth. Subsequently, praxis must be continually applied to learning, it is imperative that when reflecting upon experiences that we appropriately act upon these so to be able to wrestle with truth and develop good practice or orthopraxis.

Rob Bell highlighted the youth ministers praxis dilema: "[the] dominant paradigm in churches is production, not discipleship. It's about how to keep kids coming—how are the numbers?". We know that thats not right but yet we still play the numbers game. Our praxis states that we are called to make passionate followers of Christ who will continue to bring Gods Kingdom on Earth, his shalom. Yet, in reality we often end up making people who go to services and look at the numbers. How many of us covet a ministry that have 100s of young people turn up every week. How many of us would really covet a ministry with only 12!

Rob Bell goes on: "They're told by the senior pastor to encourage the students to attend the service where there's a seven-part sermon on raising funds for a giant building, and kids don't really buy it. At the same time, the kids are wearing a red bracelet and becoming passionate about AIDS and water in Darfur. So the youth pastors and the kids sit in a system that says the preservation of this system is the first priority, and they look around at these giant issues of justice that are demanding a generation to step up and do something about it; and guess what they do?"

It would seem that for those of us in Church ministry we could say that we are forced to swallow the bitter pill of a "theology of demons". We speak about mission and justice, yet we have books to balance. Is there another way?

In a more traditional understanding of Christian practice it was often assumed that thought takes priority over practice. Thus, orthopraxy can only follow orthodoxy, mechanical, linear, modernistic.

Traditional understanding of Christian practice

However, what if this was taken in a circular model with an added ingredient:

Maybe through this less linear model we start to gain a more encompassing practice, where we acknowledge that we are not only called to bring liberation to the captives but also be part of the day to day church, where, like it or not, numbers are an issue. We can be "passionate about AIDS and water in Darfur" as well as being part of the coffee rota. Because sometimes putting the 3 ortho's into praxis maybe bring shalom by making coffee!

DUST Youth Weekend promo

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:20:00 +0000

You would have a Rabbi come to the village and behind him would be these disciples following right behind him. And the roads were dusty. So these disciples who closely followed their Rabbis would get covered with the dust of their Rabbi.

You wanted to be so much like your rabbi that when he would pick up a piece of straw and put it in his mouth so you would also. You would follow this rabbi everywhere.

From the 1 - 3 April 2011, Malmesbury Abbey Youth will be heading off for a weekend of...dust!

A weekend of games, music, fun, talk, worship and learning more about your Rabbi, and you being his disciple.

Young people write to Cameron in defence of youth services

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:36:00 +0000

Children and Young People Now (magazine about the statutory youth service) have an interesting article on Young people write to Cameron in defence of youth services. This is a great article on youth empowerment...what is the government actually listened to the opinions of young people?

Using a Community Profile in your Youth Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 09:00:00 +0000

I was just having a read of Understanding Your Ministry Landscape. It reminded me a little of doing a Community Profile (CP), we had to put-together in our 2nd term at CYM.

A CP is errr...a profile of your....community.

Why do CP:

CP are missional, they force you to think external to your church or organisation.
It makes you know about the the needs of your community using evidence.
CP encourages you in engage with other agencies like talking to the local police, Social Service's or Youth Service.
It provides you with suggestions that can assist your church/organisations in developing vision and strategy.
They focus on needs not wants

Here is the CP that I put together for my previous placement

Here's some suggestions (not sure where this is from) in putting a CP together.
Community Profiles – Useful Information

• Type of area – urban, rural, suburban
• Geographical boundaries & statistics, parish boundaries etc
• Councillors & other leaders of the community
• Heritage & history of the area
• Key figures – unappointed leaders
• Housing
• Types of housing, cost, state of market
• Population
• Mortality, birth rates
• Age ratios, gender ratios
• Marital status figures,
• Ethnicity, class & cultures
• Mobility
• Political persuasion
• Socio-economic Issues
• Types of jobs people have, surrounding industry
• Unemployment levels
• Capita per population (disposable income)
• Car ownership
• Deprivation levels, poverty
• Levels of saving, spending, debt
• Infrastructure:
• Leisure facilities (pubs, meeting places, sports, community facilities etc)
• Public transport
• Local shops & amenities
• Industry (types of industry, impact on local area), tourism?
• Policing, community wardens etc
• Emergency services (how near? Response times etc)
• Access – motorways, airports etc, networking with other communities
• Parks, woodland etc.
• Education
• Pre-school, primary, secondary, further, higher etc
• Truancy rates
• Results –league tables
• Family Issues
• Family make up - extended families, single parents etc
• Childcare provision
• Care & housing for the elderly
• Health
• Common health problems
• Availability & quality of health care, dentists etc.
• Mental health
• Teenage pregnancy stats
• Spiritual Issues
• Faith communities represented
• Church attendance
• Social Issues & Problems
• Crime rates, violence, sense of ‘safety’ etc
• Substance abuse
• Vandalism, graffiti etc
• Environmental Issues
• Pollution Levels
• Environmental risks (flooding etc)
• Maintenance of the area & general cleanliness
• Green spaces, open land, green belt
• Recycling
• Intangible Issues
• What sense of community? Any shared values?
• Where sense of community?
• Community pride & sense of community identity
• How do people feel about living in the area?
• What attracts people to live there?
• What do people feel is lacking?
• Enemies & friends
• Morale - ‘mood’ of the area
• Hopes and fears

Community Profiling - Useful Sources of Information

• Walk around the area
• Ask the Local Council for information
• Aerial photograph
• Census information (national statistics online website)
• Library
• Internet
• Talking to local residents
• Local newspaper, radio, tv
• Job centre
• Estate agents
• Travel agents
• Shop windows
• Development agency (eg. East Midlands Development Agency)
• Neighbourhood Management or Pathfinder – shop info
• Local networks
• www.upmystreet.com
• www.statistics.gov.uk – national statistics online website

Girl Shepherds

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:10:00 +0000

Happy Advent

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:29:00 +0000

Mission With Young People pt4: Ecclesiology

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:02:00 +0000

Ecclesiology

Pete Ward writes that in Christian youth ministry there are predominantly two ways of working – ‘Inside out’ and ‘Outside in’.[1]

Inside out is were ministry starts with the young people already in church and then working with that groups friendship circles aims to draw young people into the group and church.
The Outside In model works by engaging with the young people in the local community for example through an open youth club to then draw them into church.[2]

However, Richard Passmore argues that both models are becoming increasingly obsolete within a post-Christendom/post-modern culture that mistrusts institutions including the church.[3] Also, these models of ministry are ecclesiocentric, were the church is the solid center and mission is forced to rotate around this static point where mission always returns to the churches existing default position.[4] The ecclesiocentric paradigm could be said to be a reminisce of a Christendom era, however within a pluristic society were Christianity is seen as only equal to any other religion or philosophy, the static church cannot be the end in itself.

Guder and Barrett state that there has been a shift from this ecclesiocentric understanding of mission and has been replaced during this century by a profoundly theocentric reconceptualization of Christian mission. They continue; “We have come to see that mission is not merely an activity of the church. Rather, mission is the result of God's initiative, rooted in God's purposes to restore and heal creation.”[5] Therefore if we have a missio Dei theology, mission no longer flows from church, church flows from mission. Church is then an expression of mission, not the other way around.

In Front
This idea can be manifest by taking what Passmore calls an ‘in front’ model - working with the young people in our local community for example through detached youth work to growing church with these young people, within their culture and context. This ‘in front’ approach has led to the development of the Street Space/Church on the Edge initiative.

By Church having to become more flexible and moving towards being what Ward calls ‘liquid, fluid and changeable’[6] and with the growth of the Emerging Church and Fresh Expressions the ‘in front’ or Church On the Edge idea seems more palatable with the ‘solid’ church![7]

[1] Ward, P. (1995). Rational Youthwork: Youth Ministry Vol 1. SPCK Publishing.

[2] Passmore, R. (2005). Working with Young People On the Edge.

[3] Passmore, R. (2005). Working with Young People On the Edge.

[4] Passmore, R. (n.d.). Salt.

[5] Guder, D., Barrett, L. (1998). Missional Church. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Pg.4

[6] Ward, P. Liquid Church. paternoster Press.

[7] Pimlott, J., & Pimlott, N. (2008). Youth Work After Christendom. Paternoster. Pg. 113

Down Syndrome Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:43:00 +0000

I was challenged recently by a friend who asked 'what if Jesus had Down Syndrome'? I really struggled with this idea. This was partly from a 'thats just outside my comfort zone' (my problem). But theologically, if Jesus was fully human physically-mentally-spiritually, then how can he have ANY 'condition'?

I guess the underlining question is 'what is it to be fully human'? If our view of this is the same as Gods, then can a person with a condition (that society may consider 'abnormal') be closer to being transformed into Christlikness then a person seen as 'normal'. This then raises many questions in my mind, like what is 'abnormal' and how can this relate being fully human, how does the physical then relate to fully human (there has to be a level of the physical, or else we start to move into a type of Christian Gnosticism).

Raoef Mamedov The Last Supper Down Syndrome

Multiple Intelligences Youth Ministry: Verbal / Linguistic

noreply@blogger.com (PaulTilley.Com) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:29:00 +0000

"It’s not how smart you are, but how you are smart."

I will be looking at each of the MI in turn to explore ideas on how we can integrate all of the MI in practise. So taking them in order I will start with Verbal / Linguistic.

It seems that Verbal / Linguistic is the one MI that is the most prevalent within the Western Protestant Church. We love the written word and we are 'people of the book'. As I look at my the 'Christian' books on my shelf, I have anything from 'Jesus for President' to Hebrew OT. So I think its right to say that Verbal / Linguistic has its place firmly in the Church. Maybe this post instead of giving ways to integrate Verbal / Linguistic within our practise, should be a warning. Verbal / Linguistic can totally dominate, to the extent where we can believe that Verbal / Linguistic is the ONLY way we should teach, maybe Verbal / Linguistic it the true BIBLICAL way and unless we read, write and speak-we haven't really taught the bible! The point is the message, not the medium. If Verbal / Linguistic is most effective then go for it, but if, for example, another learning style gets the job done more effectively then use that. Verbal / Linguistic is not the only way to teach!

Examples of Jesus Use:

Jesus seemed to use Verbal / Linguistic a great deal in his ministry. Story seems to have been one of his main teaching aids. He was a good Jewish boy and seemed to have memorised a great deal of the Tanakh, dialogue, discussion, debated where a strong part of his ministry also.

This is a detailed look at MI idea (taken from here)

Intelligence Area	Strengths	Preferences	Learns best through	Needs
Verbal / Linguistic	Writing, reading, memorizing dates, thinking in words, telling stories	Write, read, tell stories, talk, memorize, work at solving puzzles	Hearing and seeing words, speaking, reading, writing, discussing and debating	Books, tapes, paper diaries, writing tools, dialogue, discussion, debated, stories, etc

You can do a online MI test here to find out what type of MI you are