If you want to sell an idea, grab a few buzz words, add them to your idea and off you go. Well maybe not… but I don’t really know, I’m not a salesman!
I am a youth worker and a buzz word that has appeared and gone and appeared again is ‘Relational’. Relational youth work is used to describe what is the essential ingredient for youth work, relationship building. The relational element is being emphasised because of the dip in relational youth work we have had over the last 15 years or so. Funders and government agencies have been setting targets and this has been a driver when youth workers have looked at developing projects. Thankfully, we are see a return to grass roots and hence the term relational youth work.
As a Christian youth worker this term takes on an even greater understanding when you realise that young people encounter Jesus in relationships. Our goal is to build relationships with young people so that they can experience Jesus through your journey with them. In other words we seek to build and develop relationships with young people.
A typical church will tackle youth work by providing a youth group and encouraging young people to attend church. In this way, young people get to hear God’s word, see Christian’s in action as mentors and with faith and young people also get a chance to serve, playing an instrument or maybe doing a reading. Added to this once a year young people get to go on a camp. Broadly speaking they get the above experience but a lot more intensive and they meet young people from different places around whatever country you might be in.
I would encourage you to reconsider your youth ministry and consider doing relational youth work or ministry. As you do so you will find reliance on the weekly meeting is dropped and instead you will start seeing young people in lots of different settings. Going for a coffee or walking the dog with your young people becomes a new focus and your young people get to see you in a different light. It is a more realistic approach to letting young people encounter Jesus.
The goal is to build long-term relationships with young people. The goal being the relationship. It kicks into touch the idea that young people are pew-fodder which is a dangerous idea. What happens when you see no fruit in what you are doing? Do you move on? We have to allow God to be in charge and if my goal is the relationship, then it is God’s goal to develop the Christian. He asks me to sow seed which I am faithfully doing in building the relationships, it is God’s work to see the flower grow. Not that I would call a young person a flower to their face! Building relationships is far more natural and therefore a more natural place for young people to meet God. They will meet God at work in your daily life as you build your relationship with them.
I am in a relationship with my mum, my wife, my kids and my computer! However, if I related to my wife as I do my phone I think she would very quickly get upset with me and rightly so. Our relationship with young people is to meet them where they are at and develop that friendship. The place you meet them is no longer important. You simply meet, in a variety of settings and at a variety of times. That is when church, youth group or camp all take a different place in your youth work.
It is day to day relationships that will give young people a foundation for their whole life. Create memories, laugh and cry with them.
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