What makes a quality youth worker?

I took the photo above following a conversation I had with a number of other youth workers, students and staff at ICC last year. I wanted to record the jist of our discussions on what makes a quality youth worker.

The top three seemed to be

• Servant hearted
• Integrity (congruent)
• Youth work is a passion

Other characteristics you'll see listed are: willing to be vulnerable, likes young people, disciplined, chaos, pastoral, called, available, "faith based youth work, not youth work based faith", reliable, empowering, encourager.

I wonder what would be your top three?

Moving into the neighbourhood

Many urban youth workers take Eugene Peterson’s rendering of John 1:14 as the biblical basis for their work: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood”[1]. This is the incarnation that we model in our ministry. So, we move into the neighbourhood and work amongst young people because of the God we believe in. The Bible speaks of a God who crosses boundaries to build relationships with people[2]. In her book A Theology for Urban Youth Work, Sally Nash stresses the fact that incarnational youth workers are missionaries; we go into their world – their homes, their streets, and their schools – journeying with them and doing life together.

“It involves intense listening and approaching youth culture as missionaries: seeking to understand and then looking for Gospel entry points. It means ‘contextualization’ so as to communicate in culturally relevant ways.”[3]

The work I'm involved in at Niddrie Community Church is thoroughly relational, and in order for those relationships to become significant, there needs to be a constant contact. When I joined the staff team at NCC, one of the conditions was that I lived in the community; I quickly understood the rationale. Most youth work agencies and community organisations would urge their workers to maintain a level of professional detachment by not living where you work and working where you live. However, in an urban context like Niddrie, there really is no substitute for that constant exposure. Dean Borgman says that:

“[Young people] will open up only to those who have come into their world. They will hear only from those who are present, learn only from those who love them.”[4]

There are many issues at stake here including breaking down cultural barriers, understanding urban life, and empathising with urban problems. For my ministry in Niddrie to be effective, I need to live incarnationally in the community and identify with the community; commuting into the area for a 9-5 job simply would not do.

[1] Peterson, Eugene - The Message - 1995:188

[2] Ward, Pete - Youthwork and the Mission of God - 1997:25

[3] Nash, Sally - A Theology for Urban Youth Work - 2008:42

[4] Borgman, Dean - When Kumbaya is Not Enough - 1997:32

Introductions...

I figured I'd start by introducing myself. My name's Mike, I work for Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh (Scotland), and I'm their youth worker.

Niddrie is one of the most deprived parts of Edinburgh, where issues of multiple addiction, abuse, violent crime, and antisocial behaviour are daily realities. I work alongside pastors Mez McConnell and Jez Dearing, among others.

Having been unable to find many/any blogs that deal with youth work in an urban environment, particularly from a UK context, I decided to start this one. It's my desire to engage with other youth workers, share knowledge and resources, and help to refine practice.