Considering the Role of the Youthworker

I'm running 3 evening workshops in my role as youthwork co-ordinator at Bunyan as a kind of youthwork training.  Last week we looked at Lessons from the Classroom, where we discussed managing behaviour and teaching with a difference.  Tonight we're looking at The Role of the Youthworker (and the Role of the Church) and in two weeks time I'm running a session called Theology Bitesize.

As I've been preparing for tonight, I've had a look through the books I have on youthwork for anything helpful on the role of youthworkers, but found nothing.  Jeremy Thomson's recent IASYM paper on this topic was helpful, but I was looking for something more in-depth. I am looking forward to his forthcoming book on the issue.  Anyway, I picked up Care in a Confused Climate: Pastoral Care and Postmodern Culture, (my friend Phil, wittily came up with an alternative title: Confused Care in a Cold Climate) which was written by my dad in 1998.  This is a book I've picked up now and again and used in essays as it has a helpful introduction to the contours of postmodern culture.

What I found in this quick skim read, was if you substitute the word 'pastoral care/r" for "youthwork/er" you find, I argue, a good description of the role and task of Christian youthwork.  Take the definition given for pastoral care:

‘the healing, sustaining, guiding, personal formation and reconciling of [young people] and their relationships to family and community by representative Christian persons, and by the church, who ground their care in theological perspective of that faith tradition and who personally remain faithful to that faith through spiritual authenticity’ (p.10) and add to the beginning 'youthwork is'

The book describes 4 metaphors for pastoral care, which equally suffice as metaphors for youthwork:

Youthwork as gift
Youthwork as proclamation
Youthwork as service
Youthwork as sacrament

To this list, I want to add Thomson's suggestion:
Youthwork as apprenticeship

The book then goes on to define the Urgent Tasks of Pastoral Care, which also appear to me to be the urgent tasks of youthwork:

1. Building Christian community
2. Creating relational health
3. Healing the wounded soul
4. Nurturing and sustaining faith

I think number 4. in terms of youthwork means: Teaching the Faith; Modelling the Faith; and understanding young people as apprentice disciples (Thomson).  What does this look like?  It means youthworkers should be (a) Telling God’s Story - read as much scripture as you can with young people;
(b) Be Imitators of Christ - as Thomson says 'the youth worker always provides some kind of role model (for good or ill) of an older person for the young person to consider' and I think in general, young people will learn more about being a Christian from studying their youth worker than anything or anyone else; (c) Facilitate inter-generational friendships - that is, young people will feel a sense of belonging from the church, if they know more Christians than just their youthworker/s (this is a hobby horse of mine!); (d) Mark transitions from child to young person and young person to adult; (e) Whole church involvement - the whole church has a role in church youthwork; youthwork is not something separate from the Body.

The book also sets out some Resources for Pastoral Care or for our purposes Resources for Youthwork.

i. Spirituality - as a youthworker what is the condition of your spiritual life? what is the condition of your young people's spiritual life? How do you encourage it and nuture it? Here the importance of Scripture, Worship and Prayer are highlighted.
ii. Training - the importance of learning the art of being a youthworker, we need to be continually learning and growing in our knowledge and experience.  We need to fight the assumption that any person in their 20s can be a youthworker and the other assumption that just because we not called to be a youthworker, that means we can avoid working with or being near young people!
iii. Theology - theology is 'indispensable rather than a luxurious option for the leisured few' (p.222).  I bemoan the fact that so many of our youthworkers (including and especially the trained ones) have such a limit grasp of theology. A McDonaldized theology, like a McDonaldized faith, won't do.  We need to delve deep into the theological sources of our faith.
iv. Care for the Youthworkers - if we're always looking after the young people, who's looking after us?  This an important and often neglected or forgotten question (although I must say not in my case).
v. Companionship - 'with all the resources of spirituality, theological reflection, training and supervisory care, there is still nothing quite as encouraging as companions on the way' (p.226) - youthworkers need to stick together, support and encourage one another; here also is the important role of spouses, family and friends outside of our "ministry," who keep us grounded. This also is a joy of being part of the blogger world.

Comments

[Ruthie]

Can I ask you a youth work related question?

I work with kids who need to see psychologists. Right now, I'm focussing solely on kids with ADHD, but in the past I've worked with kids who have depression, anxiety, phobias, PTSD, speech problems, communication difficulties, elective mutism...the list goes on.

One of the things vulnerable kids on the edge face is exclusion. A lot of youth groups turn away kids at the door if they hear that they're taking meds (e.g. ritalin) and few youth workers know how to successfully manage these kind of kids.

Some of the biggest problems these kids face are stigma, a lack of friendships and an inability to be integrated - and I wonder if part of this isn't due to non-acceptance into youth groups and the like - or if local youth groups could play a role in supporting these kids.

So here's my question - what are you doing about these kids?

And also - how do you think youth workers/groups can be better supported to welcome vulnerable kids into their group? Can we play a role? I've often gone to meetings with school teachers and such - but sometimes, I would love to get the local scout/girl guide leader in a room and see if we can't help these kids have a bit of fun once in a while!

Ruthie

[andy goodliff]

I think youth workers should be as inclusive as possible. youth workers need more training on how to help and support SEN young people. there is a belief that you can do youth work without training, I want to challenge that thinking. Youth leaders need to play a wider role in the community and the community needs to recognize the important role youth workers play in young people's lives.

[ruthie]

Agreed - youth workers definately need good training - although I think that untrained youth workers can often do a good job if properly supervised and supported. What is more important is a willingness to listen, befriend and support.

I think where things become difficult (and I have seent his happen) is when youth workers cross boundaries and with the best of intentions get involved in the lives of vulnerable young people in ways that may not be the most helpful.

I think those of us working professionally with these young people have a responsibility to get involved with youth workers, recognising the role that they play in young peoples' lives. I'm not trained yet - but I've had a good bit of experience. I've been called to meetings with schools, social workers, the police, family etc, but never to provide help/advise/support to a local youth group. Shame shame shame - because often youth workers are in a position to support and help the young person in ways that teachers, social workers and the police could never dream off because young people often view teachers, social workers and the police as authority figures to be rebelled against - whereas youthworkers seem to manage to form more of a friendly alliance.

I will put recognising and supporting youth workers on my list of ways to change the world :)

Ruthie

[Phil]

Heya Andy - sorry to intrude on one of your more important discussions, but I felt the need to set something straight. Ed was the one to come up with 'Confused Care in a Cold Climate', I just designed the book cover. He's the witty, funny one remember?

[John Buchner]

Hi Andy and friends. I've found it impossible to locate or buy Paul Goodliff's "Care in a Confused Climate" after much web-based and bookstore searching. Do you or anyone have a spare copy (used is OK)that I can buy? Please contact me as soon as possible at [email protected] - Many thanks, John

[andy goodliff]

No unfortunately its out of print and very hard to find. You could pester Darton Longmann & Todd to reprint it!