Yesterday I was at the NVYO (national voluntary youth organisations) chief officers meeting. Not because I am a chief officer, but more because I am closest and those senior to me can’t get there.

The day was hosted by NCVYS which YFC are members of. Their website is fairly useful and saves me a lot of time when looking for info.

It was a valuable networking experience and I met up with my friend Yvonne Criddle and met others.

There was a packed agenda and I think the best part of the day by far was an hour when Marcus Bell from DfES chatted about the Youth Green Paper. This has not been published yet, and he apologised for that. It should have been out in October, then December … maybe June now!

I was encouraged by 2 things Marcus said at the beginning. First, the green paper would be positive about youth. This was welcome in the light of current government comments (all brought about I think because John Prescott tripped over a lad in a hoodie!). Secondly, it was going to be a green paper, meaning this was going to be a truly consultative document with 12 weeks to make comments.

Marcus then asked 3 questions (something else encouraging from the dfes!!):

How can we make young people’s voice count?
How can we ensure provision for young people is a priority?
What is the best way of involving young people in the consultation process.

It is encouraging to see the DfES asking this, and these are good questions to ponder for those of us who are in youth work of any kind.

I’ve got to end with a bit of a moan and exasperation though. For a change, at the these meetings, my exasperation is not with ministers or civil servants but with a practitioner! I won’t name this person but this person spoke of playing golf at the weekend. She came across 2 lads on her golf course who had not paid, had borrowed a couple of clubs, ‘because they could not afford any of their own’ ho then spent 2 hours on the golf course, causing no problem for others.

In response to question 2 on youth provision this same woman said ‘it’s easy … give them all free golf and free equipment.’

I started to smile, but then had to stifle a laugh as I realised she was being serious …. if only it was that simple ….. or maybe it is and I should have spent my budgets of past years very quickly!

“ends with deep sigh of resigned shock”

Dave Wiles of FYT writes here. There’s nothing to add to this.

Thanks Richard for posting this.

… can anyone tell me why?
Did someone break all the windows?

ok, I know, I really do feel very sorry for all those Man Utd fans out there that have never been inside Old Trafford, or watched a real game of football, or are able to name any of the players other than Beckham (yes … I know but do the ‘fans’?), or even watch a whole Utd game on TV.

I really do feel sorry for them …. mmmwwhahahaha!!!!!!

Last night we did a ‘Big Picture’ at Landmark. This is when we get all the cells together and look at a ‘subject’ which they may follow up later. Tonight it was sex.

I felt again though, in discussion with many young people, that what a great privilege it is to work with these young people. It is a really special role to be trusted and just be able to chat around topics of life generally and see where faith fits, how it develops and so on.

My role is to mentor 2 cell leaders, Jake and Amber, who do a fantastic job am to ‘invest’ in their lives. It is such a privilege that after a night like tonight I have to wonder – who is investing in who here.

A typical Monday today – I’ve been trying to write up stuff, waiting for stuff to come in so that I can pass it on to waiting people, fielding phonecalls and then I came to the sermon I am preaching on Sunday night.

Revelation 3:1-6. I will be preaching for the first time at this church, the church leaders are on holiday and I must admit to thinking that maybe they want me to challenge the church here. There is a mass of stuff in these 6 verses that would seriously challenge any church. The text is regarding the church in Sardis and how, on the outside, they look good, but actually on the inside they are dead and rotten.

I’m not quite sure how I will get stuff across just yet(well I have some ideas but they would all result in upstanding church members leaving the church … so I need inspiration!), but it is impossible to read such a passage and not just sit still and ask yourself the obvious question. Everything looks good on the outside but, in truth, am I just dead inside? Am I just going through the motions? Am I working for working sake? What is my real motivation; is it to serve God, or just to get good deeds and a mount of work done?

Recently I have been involved in a lot of really good work: the East End, new centres, supporting staff, and all these things are good. But if I ask myself what the motivation has been behind, I am not sure whether it has been to please God or to prove myself to my line managers – which would be bizarre as I know I have their trust already.

Amongst all the busyness, time with God has suffered and other things have developed. Other things I struggle with have emerged and it seems I have forgotten v3:

Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again.

My Greek studies (I can hear the impressed intake of breath … Actually my trusty Vines Expository Dictionary bought for me years ago by Chris and Gary) informs me that the word ‘what’ there is incorrectly translated and should be how. In which case it would read:

Go back to how you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again.

that makes what was already challenging even more so. I am being reminded here not only of what I believe, but how I first believed it. The how was through the power of the Holy Spirit – my faith was not just picked up in discussion, or through books, or because it suddenly all clicked. I am reminded today that my faith started, and had continued to develop, due to a life changing encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Remembering in what I believe is a challenge that keeps me going. Remembering how I believe is the motivation to wake me up so that I do not experience Jesus the thief as outlined later in that verse.

I’ve said it before, and no doubt will many times again; time seems to be whizzing past at the moment. It’s Sunday night at 10.30 and I’m wondering where the weekend went! I think back and realise a whole week ago that I was sat in Nailsea having a beer and a chat with my good friends David and Kath, and now I ask ‘flip … where did the whole week go?’

Maybe this is a sign of age. Now that I am over that 40 mark, does this mean that I am now traveling downhill and that is why everything is zooming past at an alarming rate? It certainly make me think and concentrate the mind; it challenges me to use my time well and, if you like, savour the better moments.

Time flying has also made me panic a little. I am speaking at a church on the Hoo Peninsula next Sunday on a Revelation passage. I need time, but it is whizzing past … so why am I blogging here rather than thinking and praying over Rev 3? Blogging here is easier at the moment and, anyway, starting to plan a talk after you’ve drunk a couple of bottles of red wine during the afternoon with a friend at 10.30 in the evening is not the best way to start.

So … highlights, or not, of this weekend?
Realising again that Tom is growing up fast. This weekend he had a sleepover so we lost him, and missed him, for a little while.
Being woken by the plasterers at 8.30 on Saturday morning as they started crashing around in the extension (no Tom meant chance for sleepover which was dismally wrecked!!)
Dr Who, watched with Tom, Beth and Joe, – a great episode and it’s what Saturday nights are made for.
Learning (well trying) what Scoobies were all about from Beth.
Sitting with friends in church.
Having Chris and Gary and their gang here for lunch (and wine!) – we have not spent time together for quite a while and it was good to do so.
I also had the chance to empathise with Gary as he realised Crystal Palace were going to be relegated afterall.

Another weekend goes and before long we will all be in to work mode for the next 5 days. I have a couple of London days this coming week and quite looking forward to them.

I love this art blog – inspirational!
These postsecrets are sent in by people to be published.
Go here for another, this time chilling, card.

Got an email from Lenny Henry earlier: this is the gist of it:

Every 3 seconds a child dies because he or she happened to be born poor …. still!!!

It goes on, and on, and on.

You can help stop this … but time is running out.

In less than 8 weeks the G8 leaders meet in Edinburgh. These guys have it in their power to change things that will stop those deaths… forever! Just think how amazing that will be, a 21st century world where kids do not die un-necessarily from the affects of poverty.

Those leaders will act if they think enough people want them to.

Please……massive PLEASE …. if you have not joined the make poverty history campaign please go to the website now and click the ‘join’ button. It costs nothing and could save lives.

Mandela said in Trafalgar Square:

Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great… You can be that generation.

You were created to do great things – go do one now by signing up.

I have been shocked recently at the horrible news coverage of Coleen McLoughlin who is the girlfriend of Wayne Rooney.

Comments have centred around her dress sense, her ‘chaviness’, how she has no rights to this, that or the other. Comments have been very personal, spiteful and hard to read yet along receive as being said about you.

This is not just some celebrity that is being harangued here. This is a 19 year old girl. An impressionable teenager who has need and hangups like every other teenager. A young person who is growing and developing, struggling to find her place in society and discovering her role and journey. This is a difficult enough task for teenagers as it is, this poor girl is extremely unfortunate that she has to make her ‘growing up mistakes’ in front of the worlds media; and just because she is in a relationship with a talented young man.

Why can’t people give this poor girl a break. Let her grow up without the whole world dissecting each mistake she makes. In fact, just let her grow up and try to remember what it was like to be young and the stress and pain of all that discovery.

I hate the hypocrisy of our press in things like this. How many of us ‘adults’ did not get drunk when we were younger, or had a relationship we regret, or did things we are embarrassed about now. I am thankful that I committed most of my youthful misdemeanours in front of a few friends (and a quite irite mother!) rather than millions of people.

This attack on our young seems to be becoming more regular in the press; it has happened to Prince Harry, Euan Blair and others. These are just our children who need our guidance and protection as they develop into adults. I think it shows that society is in a pretty poor state when the press, and others, think it is acceptable to pull apart and assassinate the characters of our young people.

A nation that sacrifices it’s children is a nation of poor moral fibre. I can’t help but think there should be a role here for us to speak out and point out what is happening. Can this be changed? How can it be changed? Is there a role for us, as church, here? Should we be speaking out against such treatment of our vulnerable young?

I came upon this via some other blogs. It makes quite shocking reading and its an issue which is evil and should not be happening anywhere today. I am shocked to see that the numbers in slavery today are greater than they were at their height before slavery was abolished.

As with Make Poverty History the idea is that we protest for a fairer situation rather than protest against.

Maybe others in the Kent/SE area who feel strongly would be interested in developing a collective.