As I stood in that crowded church, I started to think about youth work, and the importance that working with young people has in the society we live in today. Over the last while, I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenges young people face. In fact, just last Sunday, I again came face to face with this as I heard of a young person known to a friend of mine who took her own life last week.
What really challenges me as I try to think about working with young people in a variety of different contexts, is being someone whom they can feel comfortable to share their lives with. We need to realise that young people are going through a lot, what we see on the outside and the image they choose to show us may not be what’s going on under the surface. Only God knows what’s really going on underneath there, but that shouldn’t stop us being open to being used by Him. The challenge to me as I stood in that church was to be someone whom young people feel okay coming up to and talking about something that’s troubling them. Being someone they feel they can open up to who won’t judge them, or look at them differently and spread what they’ve told me around.
On Thursday, Erin (the DTS leader) and I met with a guy who’s a government youth worker on the Shankill Road, to discuss the possibility of us working alongside them in some stuff they’re doing. Nothing is for sure, I’m holding onto these plans lightly at the minute, but the idea of working with young people on the Shankill is one that excites me, but also terrifies me…for the reason’s I’ve shown here.
I also started volunteering at a teenage youth group on Friday night run in Fitzroy Presbyterian, called “Flipside Plus”. It’s a group for 15-18 year olds, run in the halls of Fitzroy. I’ve only been there one night, so I haven’t really gotten too involved, but any group that has a chocolate fondue on their first evening meeting can’t be too bad! I’m looking forward to getting a bit more involved there and starting to invest time in relationships with the young people, as well as some of the leaders there.
There’s so much in youth work that can be difficult, seeing young people struggling and trying to come to terms with what’s going on in their lives…but the other side of the coin is that it’s also one of the most rewarding things you can do. To see the energy and enthusiasm of young people is so exciting, and ultimately, to see a young person coming to know God when they are still young, and then growing up into his plan for them, seeing them reaching their full potential…there’s nothing better!
On a lighter note, on Thursday night I went on a wee road trip with a college friend of mine called Dave, to visit (of all places) Castlewellan! The Belfast Bible College pre-term week away was happening, so Dave and I went down to live in the past and catch up with a few people who haven’t managed to escape just quite yet!
We spent a bit of time in Newcastle, with a quick stop off to the dodgems… and then we headed over to Annalong where we had dinner at the Harbour Inn, with a wee walk along the harbour thrown in for good measure. It was a lovely night. I really enjoyed just sitting down, having a nice meal with some good, good friends, and just had a really lovely evening of relaxing and enjoying the company of those that God has blessed me with. Below are a few pictures of our time.
Me (attempting to look dangerous…I think it works…:D), Jonny, Dave and Iain
Holly and Laura
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