I had a great day today meeting up with people in Luton.

Each year in Luton our volunteer teams undergo 3 weeks of excellent training in Luton before they are let lose on the world; well, on YFC centres at least. It was great to see Rachel and Ems and hear of their plans. Maybe I’m just a big softie, but I always find it great to catch up with young people that I have had some, if only little, work experience with. It’s nice, I think, to know that most of my previous year out workers stay in touch; although I think its more for references and to take the mickey rather than through friendship!

Anyway, I was not in Luton to meet with our year out teams. I had the privilege today to meet with Keith and Gary from Energize and Geoff and Barry from Reflex, which is YFC’s prisons ministry – one project being Locdown which I have spoken of before. Reflex and Energize work together at delivering a project funded by the DfES. For the last couple of months I have been the link person for YFC who is just overseeing the project. Quite a big term really to describe the minimum role I have.

This project is cool, working with pre-offending young people, those in custody, and then a plan to work with post custody with the aim of preventing re-offending. The project is fantastic, the opportunities are massive but we have a recruitment problem. We need both volunteers and paid workers are being advertised too. Have a look at the jobs and if you know anyone with a desire and vision to work in Young Offender Institutes then please let them know. We believe the people must be out there, we just need a bit of help to find them!

Today we packed off a smart blazered 11 year old boy to secondary school. 11 years old … that must mean I am getting old! On and off throughout the day I have wondered what Tom was up to, not actually worrying, but just wondering! At around 3.30 the not so smart boy, tie around his ankles, blazer flapping, returned in a group of blazers, all laughing, all happy with their first day.
Interestingly, we wanted to know all about the events for the day; Tom wanted a drink and then to go out an play – after doing his homework!

Tonight I also felt like being back at school. I embarked on my course with SEITE, my first module being Missio Dei and the mission of Church. I experienced tonight some of the bewilderment that many young people experienced in school – lost, why am I here, what is happening, how am I going to get all this work done…Suddenly a 3 year part time course is not looking such a great idea. Now I have to go and do my homework!

What fantastic weather today, actually a fantastic day all round really; a great day to formally end the summer holidays on.

Today we all got together at lnchtime to celebrate Janet’s (that would be sarah’s mum) birthday. It was a great time, as ever.

Today also marks the end of eras as tomorrow gives new starts and opportunities.
Tomorrow Tom and JT, and others, start new schools
Tomorrow people start new jobs
Tomorrow I start my training

Ends of eras, although sad, give exciting opportunities.

Is anyone else getting this? …

I have noticed for the past week or so a number of anonymous comments which are not comments at all but very thinly disguised adverts for websites.

Is this the start of blog spamming? Does anyone know how I can prevent it?

I had a phonecall today from my friend and YFC colleague Mel, who oversees our Creative Arts Teams (CATS). This year we have had a recruitment difficulty for Activate and 3 young people have dropped out.

Activate is an excellent initiative and one that I used a lot as Director of Gillingham YFC. Activate are a group of young people gifted in creative and performing arts who are used by YFC centres in schools. Through their great mix of drama and dance they take the good news relevantly to groups of young people.

Presently we have 3 vacancies for young people between 18-25 who wish to take a year out and be challenged and serve God by using their gifts in this way. If you know any young people that would be great here please ask them to get in touch with our head office on 0121 550 8055, or you can email me through this site or Chris from here.

I love this quote I read and meditate on the 4th day of every month from Celtic Morning Prayer:

The Cry to God as ‘Father’
in the New Testament
is not a calm acknowledgement
of a universal truth about
God’s abstract fatherhood.
It is the Child’s cry
out of a nightmare.

It is the cry of outrage,
fear, shrinking away,
when faced with the horror
of the ‘world’
– yet not simply or exclusively
protest, but trust as well.

‘Abba Father’
all things are possible
to Thee …

Rowan Williams

Last Saturday morning two contrasting events happened to my immediate family almost simultaneously.

Sarah was with Joe and Beth at the Old Vicarage. While there a 13/14 year old lad ran off with Sarah’s purse and mobile. Sarah and her mum managed to hold the door closed for a little while but he dropped the mobile and forced his way out of the door. The police found the purse with no cash but all cards, but not before I had cancelled the cards with the bank. Beth and Joe experienced the event and were understandably quite shaken.

At the same time this happened Tom was on an errand to collect my Guardian and Church Times from the newsagents. While walking along the pavement he found a £20 note outside the sandwich bar. He picked it up, took it in and asked if anyone had lost it. The lady behind the till said she would put it in an envelope with his name on, and that if it was not claimed in a week then it was his.

Sadly here, I must make a little confession. I thought ‘you wally …why didn’t you bring it home’. I did also think that the person on the till, or someone else on the staff, would take the £20. I was, however, incredibly proud of Tom and this reaction without thought.

Today is a week on. While I got my Guardian and Church Times, Tom wandered over to the sandwich bar. He returned with a massive beaming smile and a £20 note.

The whole event strikes me in a number of ways:
-the sadness of a 13 year old boy stealing purses
-the restoration of faith in the honesty normal everyday people
-the honesty and integrity of my son which I seem not to notice on an everyday basis
-how cynical I have become about people and society.

As I write I am over-whelmed with pride again of Tom who can now enjoy the delights of a £20 with a clear conscience; knowing that his world is one of both personal and community honesty, where justice and ‘the right thing’ is carried out and rewarded. I am envious, I want to be part of a world like that!

Today I went to visit James, the new Director of Bath YFC. Tom came along for the ride as I think he preferred he option to staying with his younger brother and sister and being entertained by Nana and Grandad.

Initially I was worried that Tom would get bored, but we had simply the most fantastic conversations just about ‘stuff’ in the 3 hours there and back. It was great just spending time alone together and there was just a great ‘comfortableness’ which I had not noticed before.

This was a unique experience for me and one that I really hope can be repeated. I guess because I never have really experienced a father/son relationship this sort of thing had not occurred to me as being important. We spend lots of time together in the house, at football and so on, but others are always around. Today was special, and I’m going to remember the experience for a while to come. Tom wants to come out on ‘YFC business’ again, so I hope we will be able to do that.

In Bath we met James today who seems another guy of great quality, vision and enthusiasm. Bath YFC is a great centre and they do some mind-blowing stuff with 180 and cafebase. Ever since I have been in YFC, Bath has had a history of great innovative directors – seems a case of ‘no change here then!’ Another great day of privilege.

It’s just struck me, it was a year ago I left Gillingham YFC and joined British YFC! Wow! That has gone really quickly.

I look back over the past year and, actually, apart from 2 or 3 things I think I have achieved what I set out to achieve in my last 12 months. I’m glad I did not achieve everything or I would be sitting here now wondering if I had set my targets too low; strangely I am sitting here now thinking I will need to work harder and be more efficient next year.

Although my 12 months with YFC have been excellent and I have counted most days as a privilege so be part of a great family organisation with fantastic people, it struck me quite hard just now as I was reflecting that the year itself has been pretty horrible.

A year ago we saw Beslan, we have seen the effects of the Tsunami, great poverty in too many countries to mention, despite MPH, too many deaths from the war in Iraq, and more recently the London bombings, the hurricane of south America and today those crushed in panic in Baghdad.

I was shocked that, really, I had forgotten Beslan and the tsunami and, if I am honest, many of the other heartaches, some in the world and others of both friends and family. It’s quite horrible to think that the human mind forgets so quickly and just gets on – or maybe it is just me that has forgotten and got on with my life, I should not generalise for others. I’m sitting here and wondering how come something that shocked me and moved me to tears so profoundly can, only a few months later, be gone from my mind.

Were the tears just to make me feel better? Was I really moved at the time? I think I was. Maybe it is just necessary for us to move on and continue as to contemplate too deeply is just too painful an exercise. Self protection means we move on.

Later one of my ‘bright’ children will say those words, I know it will be coming but come morning I will forget and be punched! The joys of fatherhood. But, where did it come from:

“As president, George Washington met local Indian tribes on the first day of each month, when he would supply fruit punch with added (a pinch?) salt. It became known as “pinch and punch on the first of the month”

Aren’t I just amazing with my knowledge today!