2012 verses of the year : Matthew 25:14 - 30

Each year we pray into what God is saying to us for the next 12 months. If you have followed us over the past few years you will know that last year we had Paul's vision of the Macedonian man running through our ministry. Paul wanted to go one way and doors kept closing but God drew him to Europe and that way was free. In the past 12 months we have seen huge growth in our ministry and we are thankful to God for that as it has been down to Him that we have been on the move. An early picture that one of our trustees had in our first year back in Nottingham was that of Nottingham being lit up in 5 or 6 different areas by the influence and the work of Nottingham YfC, with the ministry being light in the darkness. Let me just say this wasn't to suggest no one else or no other organization was providing light, this was just a picture of what God possibly wanted NYfC to look like.

Ten and a half years on and we see God's light shining through NYfC in 6 different areas of the city and influencing many more. Arnold, Beeston, Bilborough, Inham Nook, Radcliffe and South Notts are our key areas where the light is shining but our influence through support, mentoring and empowering the local church to impact a generation is growing more and more.

Often we see growth as a numerical thing and that is not always wrong. Gavin Calver, our national director has a vision to see a million young people reached each month through YfC, that is exciting and we would love to see that. In fact if you looked at the amount of young people we come into contact across Nottingham then we have the potential to see over 6,000 young people each month, that is amazing and i can't help but be humbled by what God has given us.

This year our passage for Nottingham YfC is Matthew 25: 14 -30 the parable of the talents.

God has given us an amazing opportunity but sometimes we don't take that opportunity or even take it for granted. Do we take what God has given us and protect and defend it because we are scared of losing it or do we take what He has brought into our lives and grow it. Our work with young people is very relational and i love the fact that we see the same young people week in week out bringing Hope and potential in their lives. Sometimes though in relational youth work it becomes more about turning up, getting through the evening making sure they behave. What we aim to do through the work and what I hope and pray will be a key word in Nottingham YfC is TRANSFORMATION. We want to take what God has given us, the young people he has brought our way and transform their lives with the love of God. If we can do that then 2012 onwards is going to be a great time to be part of the Kingdom of God and in particular Nottingham Youth for Christ. Please pray for us as this is what will really bring these words to fruition.

Changing endings

One of the things that marks the start of the Christmas season for me is the vast array of high quality and big production adverts that are released by large companies, all trying to compete for the biggest chunk of the 16 billion pounds people in the UK will spend on Christmas presents this year. The Coca Cola advert is probably the most famous, and this year the John Lewis advert has impacted lots of people with a great message of how giving is better than receiving.

I know there are many more adverts to come, but there is one that has struck such a chord with me and has reminded me why I do what I do, and why the work of Youth for Christ in the city of Nottingham and beyond is so important. It is an advert for Barnardos:

In youth work, you hear lots of stories. Some stories are funny, inspiring and happy and others are just heartbreaking. The young people that we work with are all on a journey and they all have a different story. Some of the beginnings to their stories have not been good ones. Some people in the lives of those young people think they know what the ending to their story will be. Some people in the lives of those young people have even told them what their ending will be. Some of those endings are not good.

For us at Nottingham Youth for Christ, we believe in a God who specializes in changing the endings to people’s stories. Jesus set people free, healed and restored, turned the world upside down and changed the lives of thousands even millions of people and he is still doing it today.

By listening, loving, caring, creating, laughing, hoping and praying with young people we are here to empower them to change the ending to the story they are living. Sometimes this takes years, sometimes we may never know the ending would have been different without our involvement and sometimes it doesn’t work and the ending is just as heartbreaking as the beginning. But we know we make a difference, we know God is at work in the lives of young people in our city and we are privileged to be a part of it.

Jo Dolby

so you want to volunteer with Nottingham YfC?

Nathaniel has come onto the NYfC team for a few weeks. here are some of his initial thoughts.

The short of why I came to volunteer for Nottingham YFC was to fill some time before I went to university in America. The long of it is I felt a need to use the gifts that God gave me for His work, so when I heard of Nottingham YFC from friends and family, I jumped at the opportunity. At the same time as applying for a volunteer slot, however, I was also searching around for a part-time job. So when offered the choice of full-time volunteering or only doing a couple days a week, I struggled to make a decision. On one hand, I knew I needed the money for university and for general living before I left. On the other I knew God was calling me to do this. Ashamed to say, I reluctantly said I’d do full-time volunteering for NYFC. However, I knew I serve an amazing God who can provide and will provide if you place your hope and life into His hands. So in a sense, I chose the more exciting path.

I’ve only had 1 day so far with NYFC and I’m so glad I chose full-time. This team is so engulfed in the grace and love of God and have such a passion for sharing that with the youth all across Nottingham. They are all such strong prayer warriors and have fine-tuned their hearts and minds to the Word and Will of our Heavenly Father. I am so excited to see what God is able to do through us as a team and through me as an individual. I can only pray to develop such a strong and acute sense of God’s Word and leadership in my life as I have seen in the team already.

We have lots of different types of opportunities for volunteers within the NYfC team. If you would like to volunteer a couple of hour a week then please get in touch with our office.

More change?

Well, after 3 - 4 weeks i still don't think i have got over the trip to India, which was amazing. Pretty much it was back into the swing of things here at NYfC. The great news is that we have grown as a staff team, which is really exciting and you will hear more about the new team in the coming weeks on here and in our newsletter which is due out in next few weeks. I am never surprised by what God has in store for us at NYfC, each year i know there will be change in the team as we have year outs join us (although this year that isn't the case), and we do also have on team Centre of youth ministry placements and so every so often they move on. Although i am not surprised it is still important we listen to God and not just go through the motions. To know where God wants us is of vital importance, as it is His mission, not ours, we are the co-pilots not the other way round. With this in mind it is really exciting that we are starting in 2 new areas across Nottingham. After getting Arnold up and running last Christmas we have now started working in Radcliffe-on-Trent and also alongside churches based in villages around the south Notts area surrounding Harry Carlton school.

After ten years of working across Nottingham, I can honestly say no 2 years have been the same and that is exciting although hard work. Chatting to a church leader recently we were talking about a particular denomination starting off as a movement and as it grew older it became more established and set in it's ways. We can all be like that if there is no movement or change in our lives or churches, because when there is nothing in the mix, to shake things up it does nothing but stay still.

I am really glad God is not letting us stay still but creates movement in the life of NYfC. Only then we will stay a movement and continue to see amazing things happen in the lives of young people across Nottingham, i hope you will join us on the journey.

Richard Dawson

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 (3)

I knew that most people in my year would be doing their work experience in a shop or in a school. So I wanted to do some thing different. I’ve been here for two days I have REALLY enjoyed it. What I love is that so many different people, from different backgrounds and different churches can come together, and help young people come to Christ. Also I like the way things are run, because NYFC have so many different people doing different thing for the young people in the Nottingham area. On the Monday when I went to help out at ‘ The Big Question’ it was really interesting, because only one lad there was a Christian and all the others didn’t believe in Christ. They would talk about Christ and the Bible, I found it amazing to see what YFC was doing in school to help young people come to Christ or inform them about him. I also helped with ‘ The Base’ which was cool. All the young people there were very nice and they wanted to know about what we believe in etc.
We went to Birmingham on Tuesday. This was because YFC had a focus day. This was were all the YFCs from the Midlands came for a big meeting about the changes and what YFC was doing to help young people round the country. I found this interesting and I really learnt from it. Also I came not just to get the experience, I came to see what YFC was doing for the young people in the Nottingham area. This has shown me what I can do for the young people in my area and how I can lead them to Christ. I enjoyed working here so far so I hope that I enjoy the rest of the week.

Revelation 3:5
He who overcomes will, like them, will be dressed in white. I will never blot out he name from the book of life, but I will acknowledge his name before my father and his angels. (NIV version).

Jessica Pugh

What stories do you follow?

So what stories do you like?
Many moons ago when all my friends went off to university to study proper subjects, I started my HND in community performance and theatre in education. My first module, while my Friends looked at business management, history and economics was storytelling. Wow, what a way to spend the now defunct student grants (maybe not the greatest arguments for bringing tuition fees back). Ever since then, probably before as well, I have loved stories. The best communicators engage people in storytelling, whether they are preachers or stand up comics. Whenever I talk about the work of Nottingham YfC, stories are the one thing that continues to engage people and help them understand the work we do.
What i do find interesting is that the culture we live in now, it is said that people have rejected the story of God. It is said they reject any idea of an overall story that draws everyone and everything together. How can this be when we are obsessed with stories? Whether that be the latest installment of a soap opera or a serial drama or the latest celebrity gossip, we are all fascinated and intrigued. Even the most popular computer games now follow a theme or story.
Are people really rejecting the idea of a narrative that brings together a God who wants to connect with His creation or is it just not communicated well enough to engage?
We seem to be getting there: Programmes like Alpha, Emmaus or Christianity Explored are taking people on a journey, and continue to connect people in a very real way. There is a great opportunity to see how using a similar format but use the story of God rather than a set of rules and regulations. Jesus was the ultimate story telling, constantly using this way to connect and challenge people in the way they lived their lives and connected with their Father in Heaven.
When was the last story you told? What is the story of your life? Maybe you could tell a story of when yours and God's has become one - you never know maybe it will engage.

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

Parlez Vous Christian?

“Eh up me duck, that cob looks peng!”
Even though I only moved to Nottingham from two hours up the motorway, I still had trouble at first working out what on earth people were saying sometimes. But that’s how language works isn’t it? Every town, every generation, every culture have their own words and phrases.

I love it that Nottingham has it’s own identity and part of that identity is it’s language (although I still reckon it’s weird to call someone ‘duck’…). The young people have their own dialect too which I’m starting to pick up and occasionally I’m even deemed cool enough to use it. But whether we use the ‘latest’ words or not, the fact remains that young people are speaking a different language, so what does that mean for sharing the gospel with them?

Youth for Christ’s mission statement is ‘taking the good news relevantly to every young person’ so to be relevant, we need to talk the same language. And we do, but it’s more than just replacing ‘not’ with ‘ain’t’ and taggingin ‘init’ on the end of everything we say. You can’t say to a young person “If you confess your sins to God, you’ll be saved by grace through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ”. They don’t get it – even Shakespeare makes more sense to them. So ditch the jargon and speak the gospel in English. Simply yes?

I’d say nothing ever is. Eugene H. Peterson, author of The Message says, “The original books of the Bible were not written in formal language” and so “every generation needs to keep the language of the gospel message current, fresh, and understandable—the way it was for its very first readers”. And I agree entirely. But even in The Message ‘grace’, ‘salvation’ and ‘sacrifice’ are regular guests, so are we right to omit them entirely from our conversation or talks?

What happens when young people start reading the Bible and come across all our Christian jargon? I fear the Bible will feel irrelevant and the gospel message they thought they’d understood once again becomes a stranger. So, as the James wisely advises us, we need to watch our words!

Becci Raine

Where are we taking them?

I have a passion. Not just for Doctor Who, not just for Nottingham Forest but for seeing young people impacted by the love of an amazing God. The question that i keep asking myself is 'What does that look like?'

Being a dad of a couple of amazing children, i often look at them and wonder what they are going to look like when they are older. Not just in looks, but in what job they may do, the kind of people they will hang out with, what their hobbies and interests they may have and what kind of families they may have (well Joel that is, obviously Amy is not even allowed a boyfriend until she is 30). Obviously I have no idea of what is going to happen to them, and in someways I am glad, as i am sure i would want to control it more than I should. What I do know is the world will be a different place. I know that because it is different now than it was when i was growing up. I remember having a ZX81 computer system and that was top range with its 16k ram pack you could add onto the back.

I also know that the way faith looks like nois different to when i was growing up. It is now more about how you live your life everyday rather than just turning up to Church every Sunday morning. That is hard to get my head round, that actually what faith looks like to me is different to what it looks like to those lovely older ladies who were in Church every Sunday making me feel welcome and loving me. Neither of us are wrong, it is just different, and will continue to change.

Vincent Donovan in his book, Christianity Rediscovered, says this:

"...do not take people back to where they were or do not try to call them back to where you are, as beautiful as that place may seem. You must have the courage to take them to a place neither you or them have been."

Faith can be and is an amazing thing. Are we willing to walk with others to somewhere we haven't been? Am i willing to take young people on a journey where I am trusting God for a new fresh destination? Or am i the one in control wanting to feel secure and 100% certain that the way God works in my life is the way He works in others?

Richard Dawson

Verses for 2011

Acts 16: 6-10

'6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. ' New International Version.

Ten years can seem a long time. Ten years ago George Bush succeeded Bill Clinton as President of the US. The UK foot and mouth crisis began. The atrocities of September 11th happened. Does it seem a long time ago or only yesterday?
I remember all those things, I don't as easily remember life without Kids and what that felt like. I do remember though coming back to Nottingham, with Laura, to re-launch Nottingham YfC back in 2001. The one thing i remember vividly was waking up on 1st September, at my in-laws because we didn't have a house, and thinking 'right, what shall i do? where shall i start?'
These past ten years seem to have gone quite quickly, and what i know is that NYfC wouldn't have been able to impact as many young people as we have without people praying for us and God leading the way. For the most part we seem to have been able to make a difference and it has felt like we are where God has wanted us to be. there have been times where we have probably got it a bit wrong, but part of knowing where God wants you to be is to try different things, if you don't knock the door will never be answered.
There have been times where we seem to have stayed in the same place for a long time, done the same things for longer than was thought, and that can sometimes feel frustrating and restricting.
If you look at Youth for Christ centres across the country, as i write there are 66/67 local YfC centres, they are predominantly based in towns and villages, and i understand why. You can get your head round an area with a certain number of schools and a certain number of Churches, whereas a city is a different kettle of fish. There are more opportunities, more possibilities, more young people to connect with and more risks to be taken. i remember one trustees meeting a number of years ago where we discussed whether we should become Nottingham West YfC as that was where we were putting our mission focus, and had been for the majority of the years we had been working. The vision had not slipped though, it was still to 'take good news relevantly to every young person in Nottingham.'
Ten years on having honoured that vision, we seem to have more opportunities than ever before, renewed favour amongst Churches, Schools and young people alike, but this brings with it fresh challenges.
Paul, in this passage, wanted to enter Bithynia, which would have taken him back into Asia minor, and back towards the middle east. Instead, because of his listening to the Spirit, they went to Macedonia, and so began Christianity's impact on Europe. What an impact that decision had. God was already working in Macedonia, but by listening to His Spirit Paul was able to bring his own dynamic to the mix which helped bring the Roman empire into a Christian thinking.
At the start of 2011, we have some great opportunities to move into new areas across Nottingham, and also in the areas we already work. We want to connect with more young people this year than ever before, we want to try doors, without being to precious about what happens if we have got it wrong, but most of all we want to listen to God through His Spirit and ask where is He wanting us to partner with Him to help impact this generation. Please stand with us in seeing God do amazing things through NYfC in 2011

Welcome

Hi guys and welcome to my blog. This is a place where you will get a bit of an insight into the world of Nottingham YfC. Hear about some of the struggles and the joys. There are a lot of big issues that maybe brought up along the way to do with youth work and faith, so it would be great if you fancy journeying with me. I will also use this space to push events that we are doing, and other random things. I plan to blog each week, so keep an eye out. Let's just see what happens.
Rich