So, What is it about?

Youth Work.

It's a tricky one. People do it for different reasons, which it's inevitable, I guess. The other day we were sharing with a colleague about how we have quite a few young people starting to attend church, through their own choice. We are wondering how best to support them in their exploration of Christianity. At this news our colleague became quite excited, and rightly so, it is good to see young people exploring their spirituality. However, out of this a comment emerged "that's what its about, that's why we do it." Now, I'm sure he didn't mean it in a narrow sense (being that youth work is done with the sole aims of getting young people into church, and converting them to Christianity), However, understanding this comment in it's narrow sense made me feel uncomfortable. It made me question. If I don't do youth work for that reason, why do I do it?

Firstly, I guess my priority is not to convert young people to anything in particular, but to encourage informed and critical exploration into every aspect of their lives including spirituality. I want young people to learn about themselves and understand what makes them tick. However, you cant force this.

It gets me excited to think that I could one day practice a youth work that results in a young person growing and developing new skills, confidence, and going on to achieve things they never thought they could. Don't get me wrong, its great when a young person becomes a Christian, but it just doesn't get the that excited. I understand that Christians are concerned with the 'eternal perspective', but its not just eternity that we are working with. We are working with young people with real issues, real needs, right now. And actually, Christianity doesn't claim to be the answer to those immediate needs. (If you're hungry becoming a Christian might satisfy your spiritual hunger, but what about your physical one? Its not gonna stop you starving to death is it?) Being a christian doesn't necessarily make you're life easier.

I understand that its important that we all have different passions, different motivations for doing what we do. AND I guess that in my work with young people I perhaps need to have a greater appreciation for the 'eternal perspective' However, for those people who are doing youth work to make Christians, it is equally important for them to understand that its not just about what happens after we die, that young people, and people in general have this life to live and have to somehow make sense of it. Therefore perhaps through giving people the opportunity to make sense of this life and their experiences, we give them space to question further into the realms of spirituality.