Who is teaching who?

A few weeks ago now I went with a group of young people on the eq:mission. Since returning I've had a bit more time to reflect on the things that happened and ways we sought to work with the churches and Burton YfC to serve the community there.

So often images portrayed of young people are negative - they are the ones that drop litter or are disrespectful. The young people that came on the 30 hr mission challenged this stereotype in Burton. They collected litter, all with giggles and smiles, and they gave away drinks and held doors open. Generosity was shown in face painting and in sellotaping a bit of loose change up for those who might need it at the bus stop or the pay and display machine. The light of God working in and through them was evident and no less bright when the face paint had been taken off. We went to Burton to serve and learnt so much ourselves - coming back to Nottingham challenged to live out the small actions that we did in Burton in our home city.

My lasting memory of the weekend will be looking for a young person who had disappeared - I eventually found her in the kitchen washing up!

The young people that I spent the weekend, and the many others that I see and work with in Nottingham humble me in so many ways and is a reminder to me of how I often feel like they teach more more than I ever will do them.

Sara Reynolds

eq:mission to Burton

So we have just got back from our latest eq:mission where we ended up in Burton-upon-Trent. Here is a completed set of video diaries from the weekend so you get a glimpse of what we got up to. A full review will be up soon.

You can find out more about our 30 hour missions @ www.nottinghamyfc.co.uk/eq and download a booking form for our next one.

Thoughts of a work experience student (4)

The whole point of work experience is to develop your skills in listening and acting on what you’re told by your employer. You’re then expected to use your initiative to expand and develop your position to form fresh skills for the future.
But how many people have sat down to look at the impact your employer is making? Before you put in to join them? I’m not talking about economic development because frankly money is universally known as the root of all evil.

So what would I be asking for if I asked how much of an impact would your employer be making towards the lives of the individuals surrounding us? Why are they making the effort to try and confront the children who as a stereotype are irresponsible ragamuffins?
The answer… Because they believe God has told them to advance his kingdom to all people not just those who will sit and take it without so much as muttering a word of abuse.
I believed when I chose to work with NYfC it was because I wanted to be part of that mindset that’s says yeah I’m gonna work with these children because I want them to receive the love they deserve. Gods love is never ending however It is our decision to make sure it reaches all the people and anything I get back is just a blessing!!!

Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.
Matthew 19 vs 14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Nathan Taylor

Thoughts of a work experience student (2)

Reality Check

I came to do my year 10 work experience at Nottingham YfC because I wanted something different from the norm. I wanted to get something else out of my week, asides from an extended knowledge of how to make coffee and use a photocopier…
And do you know what? I totally got it.
I’ve done almost three days now and I think the thing that has struck me the most is how so many churches and believers can work together, despite their different ways of doing things. I mean, we’re all a family, right? God’s family. And if that means meeting up in a café to talk about our lives, or making breakfast at a community centre, or playing table tennis with a group of teenagers, it’s all for God and through God and with God.
A couple of years ago my parents felt called to move to a new church and we visited a number of churches in Nottingham when making the decision. Recently I have also started going to a youth group at different church from my own. Through this, I have seen how easy it is to get caught up on all those little differences or ‘alternative interpretations’, which churches and youth groups have. I know I can definitely get absorbed in comparing and over-analysing. I spend time wondering where I really belong and which way is the ‘correct’ way of doing things, but this week has been such a reality check for me. It’s not about what youth group I go to or how we do worship at church or what refreshments are served after the service! The fact is: as long as we’ve got the foundations sorted, the little things are simply what make us who we are.
I have loved seeing how different people can just work together because they have one common interest, God. All of us can draw from each other and bless each other, whilst we worship and show his love in tons of different ways, that are as diverse as we all are from eachother. And I shouldn’t be wondering where I belong, because I am one of God’s children and that makes me a member of his family. That is where I belong, in the unity that is God’s family, full of wonderful people who love him just as much as I do!

Ephesians 4:4-6
You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all.

Ephesians 4:15
We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other.

Helena Gloeckner

Curry - A rite of passage?

So what events and what things that have happened create the person that you have become? Being a dad i am often considering the things my kids do and places they go to in terms of what type of person i want them to become. That might be experiences that i had and enjoyed or things that i think will be good for them.
At the start of the month it was my birthday (not a significant one, i can wait for another one of them) and Laura had been asking for a while what i would like to do for it. Last year we had friends round for a murder mystery, which are always funny especially with the dodgy accents. This year though i thought, as i had a choice of anything i wanted to do, how many times do us men get a window of time to do that, i thought we would go and give our kids their first experience of a curry house. They did ok, had a little bit of the meat and bit of balti and a bit of korma and lots of nan bread. What they did love though was the experience, they keep talking about it and how they would like to go again. For me it was good that they enjoyed their experience, as it means we can go again, and as their dad that really please me, as curry is important to me.
Isn't that what a rite of passage is as a Christian? being part of something that please God and moves you on in your journey?
As well as curry another passion of mine is mission. Engaging people, especially young people in being part of God's mission here on earth. What upsets me is the lack of passion and drive in a number of Churches in being part of His mission. As a youth Alpha advisor i will also get a number of course leaders saying to me "we didn't have enough time to run all the session so we missed out the 'why and how should i share my faith?" It just isn't seen as an integral part of discipleship. If you keep an eye out on what is happening in the world of Nottingham YfC you will know about our 30 hour missions (eq:missuion) in which we take a group of young people to a random part of the UK and be part of the mission of a YfC centre and local Church. Doing both word and deed in a community neediing to see and hear the love of Jesus. Each one of the last group that came on it really engaged and found it an experience that will shape their life and as a leader they will remember it as mission being part of being a Christian. God loves mission and it also develops our faith. Ok so curry might be a rite of passage as a child of mine but mission is and should be a rite of passage as a child of God.

Richard

Thoughts of a work experience student

Who do people see me as?

As I became a 15-year-old lad I started to notice a change in peoples behaviour towards me. Those younger than me at school started to purposefully walk a longer route to avoid me. I even had a woman press her two children up against a wall to keep them as far away from me as possible while I passed them on the street. I suppose it’s only natural to fear boys my age though, what with all the media attention to crimes performed by us, from vandalism to stabbings because that’s news. Whereas just hanging out with mates and being with your family isn’t. So when people see us, all they see are those who represent so much evil in the world.

During my time on work experience with Nottingham Youth for Christ, though I’ve noticed a total reversal of attitudes towards me. I am no longer prejudged as a “trouble-making” 15-year-old lad. No. For that tag has been taken from me to be replaced with the word “Christian.” As part of my experience with Nottingham Youth for Christ, I helped out at a after-school youth club at Inham Nook Methodist Church and kids who in the past had feared the 15-year-old me were now getting to know the Christian me and really giving him some respect. The next day, I went to do some one to one mentoring with Ant and I met a boy who, amongst his friends was a real trouble maker, but when amongst Christians was really respectful and displayed a wisdom never before apparent to his teachers.

I went to school the next day, a large cross displayed prominently on my chest. The year sevens gained the confidence to speak to me about God and I found myself being able to tell them about Jesus’ greatness, whereas before, I would never even have been able to say “Hi” without them being intimidated. So now ask yourself this, reader, when people look at you who do they see you as? And who do you want them to see you as? What you do now can change peoples perceptions of you. See what God has done for me. And decide who you are.

1 Samuel 16:7-“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance for his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Robert Trusson-work experience 07/04/2011

eq:mission March 2011

Our eq:missions continue to impact communities across the UK as well as young people from Nottingham in their faith. Our latest adventure took a team of young people to Orford in Warrington. Working with Warrington YfC and Bethel Free Church in Orford the team stepped out of their comfort zones throughout the weekend.

Once again the young people turned up at the NYfC office not knowing where they were going to end up. This time it was slightly longer mission as we started on the Friday night rather than the Saturday morning. The reason for that? the team were involved in speaking at UNITE Warrington YfC's youth worship event. This was a great time of worship and then the young people all shared what it meant to them to 'step out of the boat.' We then went to our accommodation where we were going to spend the weekend. Bethel Church were especially generous with the overnight heating. For the Saturday we were joined by a team from Sheffield as we went out door knocking asking people to help with a questionnaire that was put together by Bethel Church and inviting them to the fun day in the afternoon.

The fun day consisted of a football cage, face painting, free bbq, table tennis, volleyball and karaoke. Over 150 people turned up for the fun day where the young people helped lead the various activities. The Church were really please as there were 4 or 5 new families that they hadn't come into contact with before. We had some really good conversations, with one woman saying she had used to go to church but had only gone 2 or 3 times but after this day she was going to start going again.

The team then went and had a good feed at Pizza Hut before planning for the next mornings service. The young people led worship, ran a drama, shared what they had done the day before and what it meant to them to be ambassadors in their schools and colleges. Each of the young people saw God use them in an amazing way throughout the weekend from: 'I was really worried about whether people would like me, but God has shown me that i am to be more confident.' to 'it was really good to see that God used us to make a difference in peoples lives and make them feel good about the Church.'

The fact that the Church wouldn't have done the whole event if we hadn't turned up meant that we really had made a difference in that community. Keep checking out facebook and twitter for information of our November eq:mission later in the year.

Nottingham YfC's verse for 2010

I think it is really interesting what people think of you. I was always a kid who tried to impress, and often got caught out being a fraud. I remember once lying about my uncle who, i told other kids, could get any football shirt for free with their names on it. Obviously i got caught out, as i did when i told a few people i had the entire transformers set and had set my loft up as a battle between the autobots and the decepticons, again quite easily found out when people got fed up of waiting to be invited round to my house. I think for a lot of people, not all, there is something inside us that makes us want to be liked by other people. We often see young people who are so obsessed by getting people to like them they often forget about reality itself.
The thing is people will like us if we stand up for what is right, and they will respect us if we are fair and just. Instead of looking at the end product we should look at how we achieve it. 2 Corinthians 5:20 talks about us being Christs ambassadors. An ambassador is someone that is appointed to represent a nation to other peoples. Now a lot of us would feel we would not be worthy of such a position, but Paul says that it is because of what He has done for us, and the change He has made in our lives, that we are living proof of God's kingdom. In fact God's kingdom is more about peoples lives than geography now, it is about the turn around in individuals and groups of people.
That is why for 2010 i see this as a pivotal verse for Nottingham Youth for Christ. People are not flocking to Churches and so it is more important than ever that we are being living products of what God can do.
Let us stand together and show how awesome God is, yes we are not perfect, yes we all mess up, but isn't that an even bigger testament of what God can do through people like you and me. Let us show the world how amazing Jesus is. Richard D.