Back to college
Was back at Oasis College again yesterday. Back to the same group of 2nd year youth ministry students talking all-age worship.
It was based on a training I do for churches and groups, which seeks to raise questions as to why you'd even think about doing all age, as well as thinking about how we got split up in the first place!
It's amazing how much we assume that the way things are now is the way they have always been (or should be). Without fail everyone said their churches did the whole "kids in for the 1st part then out to groups" for their Sunday services, based on a kind of "educational model". And we forget our obsession with "generations" is a relatively new thing, largely driven by marketing.

Anyway it was a fun session, and in the 2nd part we spoke about some practical stuff, around if you are going to do "family services" how you can do them better.

Teaching
I had a fun session yesterday afternoon at Oasis College, doing a session for 2nd year youth ministry students on "alternative and emerging worship". Was an interesting time. Always good to try to encourage people to see outside their pre-existing ways of working.

I think many of the stylistic elements pioneered by alt. worship over the years have become part of the landscape for many youth workers (tactile responses, candles, ambiance etc.), but maybe without much reflection on how or why, or how it fits with the wider worship life of the church. It was also good yesterday to try and put things in a missional framework, rather than a "worship that suits me" framework. Not sure if I succeeded, but the journey was good!

Challenging Behaviour
Last night church.co.uk hosted Nigel's Pimlott's fantastic "challenging behaviour" training session.
Was a good session, with a decent turnout.
I've read the Grove booklet and heard the session before, but it was well received and with all these things those attending make a difference to the shape and direction.
The idea has emerged to do some more training in partnership with church.co.uk (and maybe some others), focusing on some more urban stuff, that some of the youthwork conferences don't hit (or at least not in depth).