Advice for Youth Workers - 1

I've decided to re-read this book which I initially read when I was in my last term at Moorlands.

To enable me to reflect on what I'm reading I've decided to blog some of the key points each chapter sets out.

The first chapter asks those starting out in youth work to commit to some 'essentials'.  Today I'll list the first 5 of these essentials (and a quote making the point clear) and later I'll list the second 5.

This is a good book and well worth reading if you're just starting in youth work, or you've been doing it for a while and want to re-visit the basics.

Commit to the essentials:

• I will move slowly - "Remember, God didn't move the Israelites into the Promised Land overnight, and he's not expecting you to change your church within your first two years.  Relax."
  
• I will regularly check my motives, and evaluate my heart - "God honours pure motives, and the more you check yours, the stronger your leadership and decision-making will be."
  
• I will steer clear of the numbers game - "Throwing out numbers can be exciting or debilitating depending on who you're talking to.  Bigger isn't better, healthier is better."
  
• I will not criticise the past - "Criticising is easy, but character finds goodness and brings attention to it.  Commit to strengthen your character by making others look good.
  
• I will avoid the comparison trap - "Comparison places what you know about yourself (or your ministry) against what you don't know about another youth worker (or their ministry).  That's not a fair evaluation.
  

This book is american and is based on the american style of 'youth ministry' which perhaps isn't a phrase you'd hear as widely in the UK, however it does have some amazing insights and sound advice for all those in Church based youth work.

All quotes from 'Your first two years in youth ministry' Doug Fields