One of the best things about the YFC Staff Conference is the opportunity to network with a huge variety of people who bring vastly different perspectives, experiences and methodologies to a united mission – the declaration and demonstration of the gospel to the young people of the Great Britain.

This year Martin met Nick Shepherd who is the Leader of the Centre for Youth Ministry and he provided some very interesting food for thought with a simple question,”Does the mission look like Superman or Robin Hood?” – The answer has some huge implications! As Martin continues:

Superman is a super hero whose mission is to save people from a corrupt world. He steps in and rescues people from their problems.

Robin Hood is a heroic rebel whose mission is to fight on behalf of justice, peace, freedom and truth. He provides for those in need and seeks to uphold the values of the kingdom against oppression until the king returns. He sets people free from the clutches of their corrupt masters in the process.

Jesus was, and is, both and the implied nature of Nick’s challenge was ‘are you sure Wirral YFC are both too?’

Wirral YFC are primarily Proclamational Evangelists, to put it simply we tell as many young people as possible the truth about themselves as people who were created by a loving God (Jesus and Paul often told people who and what they were in God’s eyes before they told them how to behave), the nature of sin, the relevance of Jesus and particularly the Atonement. As such we affirm, or engage, in something of a ‘Superman’ mission. We present Jesus a future, almost eschatological, means of salvation from a corrupt and sinful world and I think Paul did something  similar – Paul’s gospel message was ‘I was a sinner who needed to be saved and because of my trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection I have been saved, I am saved and I will be saved’. I had always thought this was the gospel but now I need to reconsider – is the gospel more Robin Hood than this? Future salvation when the physical body dies is certainly gospel truth, but what of the ‘Kingdom Come’ now, is that part of the gospel too?

What would it mean if our thinking shifted to a Robin Hood style of mission; there are many who would suggest that this is more like the mission Jesus defined for the church? A Robin Hood style of mission would certainly see us sharing the gospel with less young people each year, of that I am certain. Proclamational Evangelism would still figure but it would also see us looking for ways to provide for young people who are from deprived families, or no families for that matter. It would mean more time spent fighting for youth justice perhaps by advocating or lobbying at local government level on young people’s behalf. It might also mean providing more drop in centers, diversionary activities, ASDAN support and one-to-one counseling.

But then the specific call God gave to the founders of Wirral YFC comes to mind. The call is not to be Superman, or Robin Hood, or any other analogy, metaphor or typology for describing mission. The call is obedience! Jesus I am sure does call the Church to a mission of massive scope, its paradigm not any task or calling but Christ himself… But Wirral YFC were never called to be the/a church, nor are we Parachurch I hasten to add; instead Wirral YFC are one part of the body of Christ – part of the Ecclesia. An evangelism focused, ‘superman mission’ styled part of a much bigger body that God has used mighty over the past 20 years to share the good news of the atonement with many many 1,000′s of Wirral’s young people.

I would love to hear what you think?

To some, working with young people can feel detached from making an impact on the world’s problems. Philip Eley presents a list of practical ways in which youth leaders can shape cultures, respond to injustice and be a powerful force for change.

Have you ever asked yourself the question: ‘Is my youth work really affecting the deepest issues in our world?’ ‘How am I impacting a world of suffering and injustice?’ I often find myself asking this question. Sometimes I watch the news and see another report of starvation, war and suffering and my contribution to the world seems inadequate. I read articles in the newspaper and they make me feel uncomfortable, selfish and uncertain. With so much suffering in the world, I often find myself wondering how I can justify my day-to-day life of youth work.

The trouble is that youth work is such good fun. It can be hard work, sure, but the rewards are also great. When I spend a day playing Jenga with teenagers or chatting about reality TV, and then I return home to see famine on the news, it seems hard to connect the two things. And yet, I know I was called to be a youth worker. I value the world of youth work and I know that I am following God’s plan for my life.

For many years I allowed this reassurance to calm me and thought no more about it. But the more I think about it, the more I know there is a connection between youth work and injustice. I don’t think I’m supposed to just ignore the nagging voices in my head, but neither do I think I’m supposed to pack my bags and try to sort out the world’s problems. I now realise that the unsettled
feeling is telling me to think through my response to suffering and injustice and to prayerfully consider how I should respond. I think I’ve been hearing the question wrongly. The question I need to ask is ‘HOW should I do youth work in a world of suffering and injustice?’

This article can be found in its entirety in the November 2009 issue of Youthwork magazine. Check out our great subscription offers now!

The report, published by online charity YouthNet, also found that four out of five young people used the web to look for advice.

About one third added that they felt no need to talk to a person face to face about their problems because of the resources available online.

I am currently in the process of building relationships with these schools and I will update as projects arise.