I’ve often said I have one of the bet jobs there is – traveling around, chatting with great people about their ideas, drinking coffee – can it get any better!

Today I caught up with Derek, the chair of our centre in Braintree and then with Ruth at Waltham Forest before meeting with the chair and treasurer of Waltham Forest YFC and the chief exec of Forest YMCA.

Today has just been a great day; a day where I have listened to peoples dreams for their areas, of exciting developments in reaching young people with the love message of the gospel.

An amazing thing – in all I met 9 people today, only 3 of which were being paid for the youth work they were involved in. Others were giving their time voluntarily because they had a strong calling and desire to see things change.

Christian youth work has rapidly gone down the employment route. There is always lots of excitement around a new appointment, and churches are starting to compare themselves, and in some areas you are not yet ‘in’ I you don’t have a paid youth worker. I really hope, though, that people don’t forget the truth – that the majority of the work, and those that will be around for years really engaging with local young people will be those volunteers who selflessly give of themselves day after day after day.