Reflections on the last Year

So my year as an OPP is over. It has gone crazily fast, it only seems last week that I was in the interview, and only a few days since I was standing in Methodist Church House for our first training weekend. But now is a time to look back over what I have done.

I've worked for an amazing charity, Methodist Action, alongside so inspirational staff and volunteers who are truly dedicated to supporting those most in need across Lancashire. I've worked at countless drop-in sessions, meeting service-users who have opened my eyes to some of the problems they face. I've chopped a tonne of onions (and discovered that the ability to do so without crying is almost a valuable enough skill to go on my CV). But there have been a number of times where I have had tears in my eyes, and not because of the onions. I've heard stories that has shocked me, seen lovely people in terrible situations that have upset me, and felt terribly guilty about how lucky I have been to come home to a warm, dry house. All this has had quite an effect on me and on my view of Church. I've seen God's love and felt his presence significantly more at the drop in sessions I've worked at than in the Sunday morning services I've sat through (and that will be a post for another day).

One of the hardest things I've done is create a youth group resource pack, looking at spiritual gifts and volunteering. Called 'God Given', it is available free here. I've struggled, sat staring at a blank screen for long stints, scoured Google for ideas, and chatted with a wonderful designer for the publicity. All I can hope now is that people find it useful (and If you know anyone who might find it useful, point them too it and I have about 300 leaflets that I can send out).

Outside of work, I've moved to the other end of the country, become an proud honorary Lancastrian, and noticed that the Welsh twang in my accent has weirdly got stronger... I lived with the love of my life for a few months without us killing each other or arguing too much. I have found a house and (effectively) lived alone, getting to know a new city.

So what next? Well, that is a good question, and one I don't really know the answer too. I have discovered a passion for Christian-based charitable work, and would love to find a job in that sector. I'm looking for a job, hopefully in the charitable sector and hopefully in the Manchester/Oldham region. And I'm sure something will come up. In the meantime, maybe I'll have to move back south, that is a decision I am still working through.

And I also have to come to terms with stopping being a Methodist Yuff! In October I will be 24, and 3Generate 2013 will be (officially) my last. I know that I will continue to be a 'young Methodist', and will continue to support those involved in working with the current young generation.

So, now I'm back in a place of uncertainty, I focus again on that powerful and poetic piece of prayer, the Methodist Covenant Prayer:

I am no longer my own but Yours.
Your will, not mine, be done in all things,
Where ever Your may place me,
In all that I do and in all that I may endure;

When there is work for me and when there is none;
When I am troubled and when I am at peace.

Your will be done when I am valued and when I am disregarded
when I find fulfilment and when it is lacking;
When I have all things and when I have nothing.

I willingly offer all I have and am to serve You
As and where You choose.
Glorious and Blesséd God, Father Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine and I am yours,
May it be so forever.

Let this Covenant now made of Earth be fulfilled in Heaven.

Amen

OPP Post #5 - 3Generate

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while (I feel I start with this too much), but it's been a busy few weeks. I have recently moved again, so I'm going to use that as an excuse this time.

So, after the negativity of the previous post, I'm back on a much happier note. The weekend before last saw about 300 young people who are connected to the Methodist Church meet together in Litchfield for 3Generate 2012. 3Generate is the current regeneration (Doctor Who based pun!) of the Youth Assembly and Youth Conferences of old (I have blogged about 2011 here), and are one of the highlights of my year.  I love being around like-minded (and often not-so-like-minded) people discussing issues that are important to them, society and the Church. I have been involved with the running of five of the seven I have now attended, this year getting paid for some of it due to being an OPP. I found this tricky because I felt like I should be doing more than I have in previous years as I am being paid, when actually I probably should have been doing less...

I'm not going to give a blow by blow account, but highlight what I took from it. The first thing that struck me was how events and people mature. In 2009, I was ready to give up with the Youth Assembly as was. It was the first time it was run in a workshop style rather than a formal debate structure, and a lot of lessons needed to be learnt. And all I can say now is that it has come so far, this year's event was amazing, truly professional and a real asset to the Methodist Church.  But as well as the event maturing, I have to admit that I have as well. For the past few years, there has been a group of us (formerly calling ourselves Methodist 2.0) who would often spend time picking at all the things that were wrong and being very negative; almost, it seems, for the sake of being negative. But this year was so different. There were still things that need tweaking, but as a group, we were much more positive. Maybe it's because we are preparing to move on in the next year or so, but we started talking about what comes next, and how the event can continue to grow to best suit the 'youngsters' who come now. And there are going to be some very interesting things happening over the coming months and years.

The second thing was how different people want different things from the Church. Maybe that seems obvious, but it really got me thinking. I facilitated a workshop on Cohabitation at 3Generate: how it is viewed and what young adults think about it, which will feed into a piece of work the Methodist Church is doing. This is a great example of participation in action.  At the Youth Assembly in Durham, the young people asked the church to do some work to give guidance on thinking about Cohabitation, and that work is now in its final stages, having had young people involved at key points.  Anyway, I'm tangenting (now a word!). I approached the issue with an open mind, not wanting to come down on either side of the debate as I don't feel that it's helpful in that kind of discussion for the person up the front to have an obvious bias. Many of the people in the session agreed that the Church shouldn't give a black and white ruling, as it is a complex issue with so many variables, but that the Church should give guidance based on the Methodist Quadrilateral of Scripture, Reason, Tradition and Experience. But there were some who wanted a definitive answer. I'll admit I am one of the former - I struggle with open and shut 'answers' when it comes to faith, partly because I don't see that the Bible always is that simple. But again that is another post for another time. But what I love about Methodism is that there is that range of views, but the Church is still very much together.

As I've said, I love 3Generate, and would like to thank all the amazing people who make it happen. The Children and Youth Team are great (I have to say that, I'm now technically one of them!) and the various volunteers (many were young people themselves) who give up an awful lot of time to make sure that it all runs smoothly (or at least looks like it is to the delegates, 3Generate really is like the graceful swan, paddling away manically under the water). But probably most important of all, the young people who come, engage, and challenge. And a big congratulations to Tamara, who was elected to be Youth President 2013/14, and all the other reps who got elected for the various things. Please hold them, and all young people, in your prayers as they go into the world to challenge injustice and spread God's love.

MYA 2010

Ok, today we are back on the subject of Methodism, one of my favourites…

On the 19^th of November, Methodist Youth Assembly 2010 kicks off just outside Swindon, and I am happy to say I will be there. It’ll be my first MYA/MYC that I won’t be there in any official capacity (I was a District Rep in 2006, Planning Team 07, Youth Exec 08 and Facilitator 09). It is going to be a good weekend, although the travelling will be a bit of a killer. I am looking forward to meeting old friends, making new ones and hopefully influencing the Methodist Church for the better. It is great that the Methodist Church does support the voices of young people and does listen to them. But the pessimist in me wonders how much longer it will last.

Why do I say this? Well, this year, for the first time, you could monitor the sale of tickets online, as they were sold through an internet site. And at midnight last night the booking closed. And out of 350 tickets they have sold a grand total of… 155! Not even half. Now I am not going to speculate as to why the sales are so low, because I honestly don’t know. But I am worried how it will look to the ‘Big’ Conference (the governing body of the Church). In 2008 Conference fully committed to a total restructuring of Methodist Youth, and pledged £4.4m for the initial five years of the Youth Participation Strategy. At Conference 2010 this budget was halved, killing of any idea of a full time young person working in each District, and even cutting the Youth President’s roll to part-time. Questions were being asked of the value for money of the YPS, especially in such a hard economic environment.

So how will Conference see this massive drop in the numbers of young people attending its main youth event? In 2007 we had 230ish people, 2008 was about 250, and last year was massively over booked with about 310. Again, I don’t know what has happened, but I know what Conference might say. ‘We have spent millions of pounds, and young people don’t seem bothered. So let’s cut our losses, pull the money and spend it on something else which is looking more successful.’ I will admit I am generally scared this may happen, and I’ll fight it tooth and nail (I will be at Conference 2011, see my earlier post). I know I am thinking well ahead, but it could happen. Possibly short-sightedness and money-saving exercises could, no WILL, be disastrous for the future of Methodist Youth and ultimately the Methodist Church. I have heard (and said) this so much, but young people aren’t the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today. Yes numbers might be low, but then if there is nothing for them to get involved with then numbers will just keep dropping.

I’m not sure how to finish this post, other than if you do want to come to MYA 2010 and didn’t book a ticket, try and get one! Ring up the Children and Youth Team, email them whatever. But it would be great to get a lot more people there. Who knows, it could save the Methodist Church…

Being positive about Methodism

Well, I promised something positive about the Methodist Church, and I will stick to that. There may be a little bit of a rant to start with, but it’s just background.

So, having been involved in the Methodist Church locally all my life, at District level since 2006 and Connexionally since 2007, I have had many ups and downs. And the YPS has been involved in much of it. For those of you who don’t know, the YPS (Youth Participation Strategy) is the Methodist Church’s big money idea to improve participation of young people across all levels of the Church and wider world.

At MYC 06 I thought it was a very good idea, but very complicated, By MYC 08, I was very passionate about it, had very high hopes and joined the reference group and was on a real high. Within 10 months I was back down, lost all faith in it and despairing for young Methodists. With the cuts made to it at Methodist Conference 2010, I thought it was the beginning of the end…

But recently my faith has been restored in it, at least at a District level. Wales Synod has been very supportive of young people since I got involved in 2006. But last week I got a call from my minister. He explained that the Synod wanted to have a young person as one of its reps to Conference 2011, and would I like to do it. I said yes! Wales is also sending two reps to MYA2010 (which all Districts ‘must’ but many don’t) as well as supporting others to go by giving them some funding. Also Wales has just employed a new Synod Youth Enabler, funded fully from its own pockets to run alongside the 10 across Britain that are paid by the Connexion.

All this shows that the Wales Synod is committing to giving young people a true voice, not a tokenistic, patronising ‘oh aren’t the young people good’ voice. A true, representative voice that will hopefully allow the Methodist Church in Wales to lead the way and, one can only hope, reverse the declining numbers of young people and the ‘missing generation’.

Jesus said "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I truly hope that this is the first step towards the Church becoming like children, and being what Jesus calls it to be.