The Bible Centred Youthworker Conference 2007
Last week I headed off to the Bible Centred Youthworker Conference for 3 days and what a fantastic 3 days they were!!!
Here are just a few snippets…I’m sure more will follow as I process what I learnt over that time.
The conference started off with Tim Hawkins and the challenge “You are a generation changer”. What an important reminder to us involved in children’s and youth ministry (and those who give us that responsibility) that we are not just babysitting until the vicar comes along to do the ‘real’ teaching but we have such an important ministry. However we do have a ‘use–by’ date, the children are here to replace us!!!
As generation changers we have some decisions to make. Tim pointed out four from Psalm 71…
Decision 1. I will trust in you alone (v.1)
We need to be careful who we take refuge in. Whoever we place our trust in should be powerful enough and willing to help us.
Do we place our trust in our ministries? We shouldn’t.
Our trust should be in the Lord, the one who is powerful enough for us to put our trust to help us, protect us and look out for us. How often we forget that. The faithful children’s leader keeps their focus on Jesus and his death and resurrection because that’s where our failures and mistakes are dealt with.
Decision 2. I will be a powerful example (v.7)
Does the way I live match the way I teach?
Decision 3. I will never give up (v.9, 14)
“Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength has gone….
But as for me, I shall always have hope; I will praise you more and more”.
Am I in it for the long haul? Or am I wanting and waiting for another ministry?
You can find an excuse every week to give up…
Will I stay in children’s ministry long enough to get good at it?
What would happen if doctors gave up after three years of being a doctor…
Would there be doctors in the UK? Yes
Would there be any good, experienced doctors in the UK? No
Decision 4. I will proclaim your righteousness alone (v.15 – 21)
It is God’s righteousness we are there to proclaim not our own. Because to start with we haven’t got any righteousness anyway…but if we try then we are just going to give the children a hero that will fail.
Am I prepared to take those decisions?
And that was just the start to the conference!!!!
What followed was:
More encouraging, challenging and practical sessions from Tim
Fantastic Bible teaching on the Cross
Working together with other children’s workers to put together a teaching programme on Abraham
More personal challenges
Meeting up with those I’d trained with at Oak Hill on the YCM course
Laughing a lot
Drinking lots of tea
Lots of talking
Meeting new like-minded people
A time of refreshment and an excitement to go back to my job :-)
Here are just a few snippets…I’m sure more will follow as I process what I learnt over that time.
The conference started off with Tim Hawkins and the challenge “You are a generation changer”. What an important reminder to us involved in children’s and youth ministry (and those who give us that responsibility) that we are not just babysitting until the vicar comes along to do the ‘real’ teaching but we have such an important ministry. However we do have a ‘use–by’ date, the children are here to replace us!!!
As generation changers we have some decisions to make. Tim pointed out four from Psalm 71…
Decision 1. I will trust in you alone (v.1)
We need to be careful who we take refuge in. Whoever we place our trust in should be powerful enough and willing to help us.
Do we place our trust in our ministries? We shouldn’t.
Our trust should be in the Lord, the one who is powerful enough for us to put our trust to help us, protect us and look out for us. How often we forget that. The faithful children’s leader keeps their focus on Jesus and his death and resurrection because that’s where our failures and mistakes are dealt with.
Decision 2. I will be a powerful example (v.7)
Does the way I live match the way I teach?
Decision 3. I will never give up (v.9, 14)
“Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength has gone….
But as for me, I shall always have hope; I will praise you more and more”.
Am I in it for the long haul? Or am I wanting and waiting for another ministry?
You can find an excuse every week to give up…
Will I stay in children’s ministry long enough to get good at it?
What would happen if doctors gave up after three years of being a doctor…
Would there be doctors in the UK? Yes
Would there be any good, experienced doctors in the UK? No
Decision 4. I will proclaim your righteousness alone (v.15 – 21)
It is God’s righteousness we are there to proclaim not our own. Because to start with we haven’t got any righteousness anyway…but if we try then we are just going to give the children a hero that will fail.
Am I prepared to take those decisions?
And that was just the start to the conference!!!!
What followed was:
More encouraging, challenging and practical sessions from Tim
Fantastic Bible teaching on the Cross
Working together with other children’s workers to put together a teaching programme on Abraham
More personal challenges
Meeting up with those I’d trained with at Oak Hill on the YCM course
Laughing a lot
Drinking lots of tea
Lots of talking
Meeting new like-minded people
A time of refreshment and an excitement to go back to my job :-)
posted by Dawn at 10:25 AM
1 Comments:
Laughing, drinking tea, talking a lot. Some things never change...
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