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Monthly column for youth leadersAn appetite for fresh air ... and the gospelThe appetite of this youth worker is certainly part of his reputation. But my appetite runs to more than food. I have a healthy appetite for fresh air. I love to be outside, preferably doing something active and exciting. It was this appetite that led to two jobs working in Christian outdoor centres. Sharing the gospel with young people is what these centres are about. Their speciality is building relationships with the young through outdoor pursuits. Rather than coming in cold to an evening meeting, first of all they can chat about the day, laugh about who fell in when kayaking, re-live the extreme climbing! With summer here it is the rationale that these centres operate under that I want to put to you. By sharing experiences like these with our young people we build friendships. This helps the gospel grow, makes the Bible study easier and aids discipleship. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that he had 'lived among them for their sake'. He did this so that they could become 'imitators of himself and of the Lord.' (1 Thessalonians 1). He knew that building friendships with the people he met helped authenticate and spread the gospel. Rubbing offWhat I am not suggesting, and I'm sure Paul wasn't, is the kind of relational youth work that just hopes that the gospel kind of rubs off. The 'incarnational' model assumes that discipleship can happen just by being with the young people. It doesn't. Let's not forget the Bible studies. But shared experiences certainly help the young people take the gospel and us more seriously. To apply the outdoor centre rationale, think about the following questions. How long might you go without seeing the youth group during the summer holidays, six or eight weeks? What shape will your friendship with them be like when term starts again? What about those on the fringe who might not come back after the summer? How can you take friendships forward in that time, instead of letting them stagnate? What are you planning to do with the group this summer? IdeasWhat follows is a list of ideas for getting outside this summer. You've probably come across most of the ideas before and better ones. The purpose of the list is not to be comprehensive, but as a challenge to get outside and spend time with the young people. Perhaps this means doing something new, or something tried and tested but with a new twist. * Aerobics - keeping fit for the football season * Abseiling - if you're OK with heights * Archery - watch the squirrels run!* Barbeques - obvious but with lots of variations, like taking an instant barbeque on a cycle ride, or designing your own kebabs (especially if you've just done archery! * Bible study outside ù but make sure there aren't too many distractions * Cycle ride - very Enid Blyton* Christian Camping International (UK) is an organisation that can put you in touch with Christian outdoor centres for the more challenging activities. They also provide information sheets concerning insurance, mini-buses, child protection, etc. * Games - there are some fantastic books around with new ideas. Why not try some out on an unsuspecting youth group? I'm sure you have plenty more ideas. The ideas are always the easy bit. Putting things into action can sometimes be the hard bit. Have you got an appetite for fresh air and the gospel? Roger Fawcett© Evangelicals Now - July 2001 |