For those of you not at the youthwork conference in Southport... the Sophia network launches online this weekend (and at the conference in human form) with my small part of it here.
All those in youth work go and have a look. Ladies, consider joining and gents... maybe you need a men's network??
4 comments:
how about just being together? why do we need to split up and be apart? all these seperate networks...what picture does it give to the young people we serve that one of things youth workers do is: only meet in gender groups? what about the Body of Christ: One Church, One Baptism etc etc...
sorry, rant over... :0)
What picture does it give to young people. In all honesty I'm not sure many of the young people are aware of ANY of our networks.
Sorry did I suggest ONLY meet in gender groups? NO. Having spoken to various male and female youth workers over the years, I think it's clear that SOMETIMES we need opportunties to network with those in a similar position be it Anglican/Baptist/Methodist youth work, Male/Female, Schools workers/detached workers/ rural ministers.
Perhaps some would ask the question - why do we need to network as YOUTH WORKERS - can't we just meet with other ministers, other Christians, other people?
Sorry - counter rant over! :o)
it's nice to rant together, Winnie the Pooh agrees, he says 'it's nice with two'.
I got a week off in the middle of December...how about that cup of tea?
I have to say I'm with Phil on this... my reasoning being a) Gender has been used divisively in church and culture and IMHO it needs to be counteracted not reinforced... b) the other divisions you mention concern context, a better equivalent would be to have a network of "Black" youth workers as opposed to say a network of Inner City Youth Workers. It is helpful to network contextually to share good practice and lessons learned, I'm not convinced it is helpful in any way to have divisions on the basis of "nature", I guess I don't see Male/Female as "positions".
c) none of the other divisions you use are exclusive... If (hypothetically) as a rural Youth Worker I feel that it is helpful to be part of a network of Urban Youth Workers (say perhaps to better discern future trends in Youth Culture or to challenge my insular methodology) I can... how would the Sophia network respond to a request from a Male Youth Worker who feels it would benefit his ministry/Young People if he where to be part of it? And anyway surely a exclusive or closed network ceases to be a "network" and becomes a Club?
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