A heart for young people

Ian Fry has recently been appointed full time director of the Youth & Children's Ministry Course at Oak Hill College. He takes up his new job in April. With the disruptive behaviour of many young people in our society often in the headlines, the church's outreach to the young is crucial. EN was able to ask Ian a few questions.

EN: What is good and what is bad about the youth work you see in churches at present?

IF: There are many good things. Many churches do recognise the value of children and young people, as is witnessed by the growing trend towards employing full time workers to serve in this area. Historically, the number of movements set up to work among children and young people bears testimony to the importance Christians have placed on them down the years and that has not changed.

Furthermore, along with Peter Woodcock, Tim Thornborough and Trevor Pearce, I'm involved in The Big Issue - a series of Saturday conferences run by The Good Book Company throughout the UK for those working with young people. We have had around 600 attending these conferences, which has impressed upon me the huge number of very dedicated and caring folk who are giving themselves week by week to ministry in this area of church life. So many of them have such a passion for those in their care and it is a real privilege to meet such big-hearted people.
The major downside of youth work (as I have observed it) is an absence of excellence in Bible teaching. Far too much time is invested in activities with a disappointing lack of investment in teaching the Bible. Somewhere along the way we have lost the plot on this one.

Why they leave?

EN: We are told that 1,000 young people leave the church each week. Is there any one key factor which might reverse this trend?

IF: There are a number of reasons behind this statistic, so I don't believe any one thing will suffice to remedy this trend. However, an often unrecognised factor is the poor quality/non-existence of Bible teaching. Often behind this is an assumption that young people will be bored by Bible teaching and so we need to have lots of other things going on to attract and keep them in our group. But if we only provide some kind of christianised youth club then, unless they're converted, they'll drift off anyway.

Of course, teaching the Bible well doesn't totally prevent drift, but it does allow for the possibility of youngsters being converted and for those who are already Christians being built up in their faith. They need to hear the gospel as well as seeing it modelled.

EN: Could you sum up the main thrusts of the Oak Hill course in youth work?

IF: The course is aimed at children's as well as youth workers in the local church. Its main thrust is to equip workers to have confidence in the Bible as well as training them in how to communicate it. So the students will study under the same lecturers as those preparing for the preaching ministry because we really want them to be equipped in this vital area. In my view, to minister among children and young people requires no less ability in Bible knowledge and understanding than the vicar or pastor needs.

The students will then be taught (in the Youth Work modules) about communication skills, cultural issues, spiritual development in children, and what it is like to work in the local church. This last facet will be reinforced by the students being attached to a local church.

We want to produce workers mature enough to be willing to work as part of the leadership team of the local church, as opposed to hiving the youth group off and building it around their personality. We also hope that the students will see this ministry as valuable in itself rather than a stepping-stone to perceived higher things, like teaching the entire church.

Into the work

EN: How did you become a Christian and get involved in youth and children's work?

IF: I was brought up in liberal Anglo-Catholicism and converted at school when I was 17 through the consistent witness of a 6th form friend and joined Chessington Evangelical Church. After that I stayed on in the church youth group as an assistant leader while I went through university.

Then in my early 20s my wife and I were asked to lead the 7-11s Sunday School at the church, and when a church plant began a few years later, we moved there to start a 14+ youth group which we ran from our home for four years. We began with just four youngsters.

On returning to Chessington we joined the Youth Group leadership team and apart from a brief break have been involved in that ever since.

In September 1988 I left my teaching career and took up employment as a secondary schools worker in the Royal Borough of Kingston and have greatly enjoyed the opportunities to witness to both staff and pupils during these past 12 years. Over the years I've also been involved in speaking at camps and house parties for church youth groups as well as for Crusaders and Covenanters.

EN: Child protection is a big issue at present. Do you have any advice to churches who try to make sure that the wrong kind of people do not get involved with their youth work?

IF: You're quite right to raise child protection. It saddens me deeply that the behaviour of a few means that everyone involved with children and young people cannot relax in their company as they used to be able to.

I'm not sure that I can offer any new advice on this matter. Screening of workers through police checks is essential, plus commonsense advice such as never being alone with a child, either in a room or taking them home, care in physical contact, etc., should be followed. It is an unfortunate sign of the times.

Part timers?

EN: Most people involved in youth work in churches can only do it in their leisure-time. They can't do everything a full-time worker would. For part-timers, what are the most important things on which to concentrate?

IF: The first thing to say would be try to ensure that this is your only ministry. The old adage 'if you want something done find a busy person' very much applies to children's and youth work. Yet if overstretched people try to fit this ministry in alongside other things then obviously it isn't going to be done well.

Secondly, whatever else you do ensure that your Bible teaching takes priority in your preparation. If you are hard pressed for time ask your pastor to go through his sermon notes with you and use those as a basis to produce your own Bible teaching among the young people. This ensures that the hard work he has done can benefit the children and young people as well as enabling you to teach well. Try to get others working with you to undertake the games/social part to free you up to concentrate on delivering God's Word to these precious young souls.

EN: What encouragement would you give to churches and to individuals hesitating on the brink of full-time youth work?

IF: Well obviously 'go for it' but that doesn't convey my reasons.

We live in times when it is rare for people to have the time they once had for service. The job market with its current inbuilt insecurity means that those in work are often having to work extremely long hours with the result that they have less time to serve. Given this situation, the need for churches to employ someone to oversee this area of ministry is vital.

I'm aware that prime responsibility for children and youngsters from Christian homes lies with the family, and I believe that a good youth worker will cultivate strong relationships with families and parents within the church to support them in their responsibilities. Equally, I hope that families will not see the youth work as relieving them of the responsibilities for their children's souls. At the same time, for the unchurched their experience of the gospel is likely to come through the Christians who work among them.

I also know a Course I could recommend!

An interview with Ian Fry