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2002 Background During 2000 the Youth and Children's Work Committee of the United Reformed Church instigated a review of the youth and children's work within the denomination. In order that this review could cover the whole scene the Training Committee agreed that the YCWT programme should be included in it. Areas of Concern Whilst celebrating everything that is being achieved in work with children and young people the committee was concerned about falling numbers in our churches. At the same time it is important to make sure that our resources - in people, money and time - are used to their greatest effect. Everything associated with youth and children's work in the United Reformed Church is within the remit of this strategic review. However, it was decided that particular attention should be given to the key elements of the present programmes. The review should consider how this work is connected to synods, district councils and local churches. It should build on work already done (notably in the FURY review), and at present in process at Yardley Hastings and elsewhere. Terms of Reference Generally: > To review the strategy of youth and children's work in the URC and the ways in which it is implemented, at Assembly, synod, district and local church level, with recommendations of any changes felt to be necessary in the light of changing needs and opportunities. In particular: > To review the role and operation of the Youth and Children's Work Committee, and its staff secretaries, and to make any recommendations for change. > To review the role and operation of the National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings, its relationship to the whole work with children and young people, and to make any recommendations for change. > To review the Pilots' organisation, its relationship to the whole work with children and young people, and to make any recommendations for change. > To review the nature and operation of the Fellowship of United Reformed Youth (FURY), its relationship to the whole work with children and young people, and to make any recommendations for change. > To review the relationship between youth and children's work in the United Reformed Church and the Department for Education and Employment, and to make any recommendations for change. > To review the YCWT programme, its synodical management and relationship to the national church, its relationship to the whole work with children and young people, and to make any recommendations for change. The committee invited the following people to serve on the Review Group: Revd Elizabeth Caswell - Convener Revd Derek Lindfield - Convener, Y&CWC Revd Kathryn Price - Convener elect, Y&CWC Mr John Marshall - FURY Council Mr Graham Stacy - URC Treasurer Mrs Anthea Coates - Training Committee Mr Colin Ride - Methodist Church Revd John Waller, Deputy General Secretary, has been in attendance at three meetings. Mrs Sue Eason, Eastern Synod Moderator's PA, has acted as the Group's secretary. The Group has met seven times between April 2001 and January 2002, once residentially. Through Reform and f2 it has invited submissions from individuals. It has also: > Examined papers describing the history of this area of work in the United Reformed Church > Conducted a telephone survey of 73 local churches > Invited comments from all Synods > Invited comments from all District and Synod Children's Work and Youth Work Secretaries, and Regional Pilots Officers > Invited comments from URC Scout and Guide Fellowship; Boys Brigade and Girls Brigade > Invited comments from under-26 representatives at 2001 General Assembly > Representatives of the Group have conducted personal interviews with: The Secretary for Youth Work The Children's Advocate The Pilots' Development Officer The Centre Minister for the National Youth Resource Centre, Yardley Hastings; and received written submissions from them concerning their job descriptions, current work and vision for the future. > Held face-to-face or telephone conversations with all Youth and Children's Work Training Officers or Youth Leadership Training Officers > Met with the former Secretary for Training > Attended two meetings concerning the DfES Social Inclusion Project, one being the Stakeholders Conference > Attended a meeting of the Synod Managers for YCWT/YLTOs > Attended a meeting of YCWT/YLTOs > Attended FURY Council > Attended FURY Assembly > Met with FURY Chair 2001 and FURY Chair 2002 > Visited NYR Centre at Yardley Hastings twice, residentially > Met with Yardley Hastings staff > Met with Yardley Hastings Centre Manager > Met with Yardley Hastings Community Team > Met with members of Yardley Hastings United Reformed Church > Held conversations with, or read correspondence from, others working in the field and other interested individuals The Group wishes to record its sincere thanks to all those who have helped in its work, particularly Mrs Sue Eason for her secretarial work, Mrs Judith Johnson for supplying a list of churches for the random survey, and the Revd Colin Baxter for analysing the responses to the telephone survey, District and Synod responses and under-26 responses. We wish also to thank the Methodist Church for allowing Mr Colin Ride to serve on the Review Group and Colin himself for the contribution he made to the work. We believe that although this process has been lengthy it has enabled us to gain an overview of youth and children's work in the United Reformed Church. It is simply not possible to examine every local situation or to acquire complete knowledge of a complex and diffuse area of work. But a blend of interviews, written submissions, random and targeted conversations and relevant documentation has enabled us to discern some issues which the Church needs to address. Evidence comes in different forms: it can be anecdotal, statistical, historical. The church in general is not accustomed to evaluating its work, and struggles with finding suitable means of measuring the value of particular pieces of work. It is never as simple as numbers and categories, although they cannot be ignored. At a meeting of Mission Council in 1996 the Revd Flora Winfield, the theological reflector, commented that every time youth and children's work was mentioned Mission Council came alive. She asked us to reflect on the possible reasons for this. Does a predominantly ageing and declining institution seek re-assurance by focussing on the young? In 2000 the General Assembly spent some £520,000 on its youth and children's work, which was matched by a further £200,000 of Synod funding. The 2002 agreed budget figures are £615,000 and £230,000 respectively. We need to reflect on what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how effective it is. Spending money is not in itself a sign of effectiveness; on the other hand reducing expenditure is not necessarily better stewardship. We cannot afford to evade those critical questions > What are we doing? > Why are we doing it? > How effective is it? An outline story of youth and children's work in the URC In 1974 and 1975 the main foundations of a youth and children's strategy were agreed by Assembly: > District & Synod Youth Committees to be set up > Local churches to set up Youth Councils (wherever practicable) and to make efforts to include the uniformed organisations > All Provinces be asked to appoint a Provincial Youth Leadership Training Officer > The invitation by the Baptist Youth Movement to participate in 'Time for God' be accepted > Each District Council urged to include at least one young person in its Assembly representation > District Councils encouraged to commend 'Equipped to Teach' to the churches > Publication of new 'Partners in Learning' welcomed > Support for the Christian Education Movement affirmed Among significant developments in the following years were: 1979 > Following a study on 'Decline and Growth' it was recognised that the church is a worshipping and learning community of all ages, and agreed that a programme in support should be prepared > Appointment of 6 regional YLTOs agreed, subject to financial provision 1981 > Zambia/India project for young people agreed ('Together' project developed) 1982 > 1979 resolution on 6 YLTOs repeated, with implementation by 1984 > Agreed that the major service in every URC on 27 February 1983 should be conducted by young people, building on the Worship Project 1983 > Churches asked to review ministry to children in the light of the Children and Worship project > Boys Brigade congratulated on its centenary > Churches with uniformed organisations asked to examine the relationship between them and the organisations 1984 > Publication of 'How can a child choose Faith?' noted and churches urged to consider how children and adults can be nurtured in the Christian faith Up to about this point the Children's Work Committee seems to have worked largely in tandem with the Christian Education Committee. Changes of emphasis can be seen in some of the following years: 1986 > The work of Pilots commended in the light of the 50th anniversary celebrations > Creation of National Youth Training Officer post agreed, subject to funding 1987 > Districts and Provinces urged to appoint a Children's Work Secretary if they have not already done so > Owing to success of two Ginger Groups, a 3 year extension of programme encouraged These bore fruit in a number of further changes and appointments: 1988 > New short term staff post directed to work especially with 11-14s > National Youth Training Officer appointed > Goal of one YLTO per Province agreed 1989 > Discussion of 'Children in Communion' encouraged > Time for God silver jubilee celebrated > 12% increase in Pilots companies noted and modernisation of the movement encouraged > Change from YLTO to Youth and Children's Work Training Officers agreed in principle, where they are employed full-time by one Province > New FURY Project adopted and a national appeal authorised > Charter for Children launched 1991 > Appointment of ? time Master Pilot for 5 years from 1 September 1992 agreed > Report of 11-14 working party received, including recommendation for closer integration of children's and youth work > Post of Children's Advocate promoted > Jamaica Exchange project began 1992 > Training for those beginning to work with children or young people encouraged > Post of Children's Advocate approved subject to finance > The National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings opened > Youth Committee reconstituted and FURY Council created (In 1994 a restructuring of Assembly committees was agreed. Youth and Children's Work Committee created bringing two previously separate pieces of work together. YCWTs placed under the oversight of Training Committee) 1995 > Children's Advocate appointed > Good Practice pack well received > Local churches encouraged to receive FURY Information Service The next period was marked by more development and reflection: 1996 > Mission Council agreed extra funds for Yardley Hastings for 1996 and 1997 > In the light of 60th anniversary of Pilots, churches urged to see formation of companies as a means of growth in their work with children and young people > Plans made to celebrate 25th anniversary of FURY in May 1997 1997 > Mission Council decided to end post of National Youth and Children's Work Training Officer and to devolve management of YCWTs to synods over a period > Agreement reached for the post of Pilots' Development Officer > Jamaica exchange project completed 1999 > Recommendations of FURY review reported to Assembly A. Local Churches Observation and surveys tell the same story: most of our local Sunday congregations contain a small number of children and young people. Numbers printed in the annual returns tend to be inflated. When numbers in each age band are low this can create difficulties in delivering appropriate Christian education. Children who attend church regularly tend (like adult congregants) to attend less frequently than people did a few years ago. However, there are interesting developments: a minority of churches is experimenting with mid-week worship and education, for children and adults. These parallel congregations are usually targeted - pre-school children and carers, 'shoppers', teenagers etc. Some churches are also changing what they offer on Sundays: more all-age worship, more 'club' format children's activities on Sunday mornings, more acknowledgement that some rudimentary provision needs to be made for the unexpected child visitor (a 'children's corner'). However, there is a significant number of churches with no children present on a Sunday and some whose pattern of worship has changed little in the last fifty years. Separated families and the changing use of Sunday for shopping and sport has made a major impact on churches. The quality of what we do 'as church' on Sunday morning matters; so does our willingness to be imaginative in responding to people's spiritual needs at a time and in a form that is relevant. Service times that fit a bus timetable that is years out of date, or milking times in a congregation with no farmers, are ludicrous. We also need to learn how to acknowledge mid-week outreach, worship and education as legitimate expressions of 'church'. A minority of churches use Partners in Learning (to be discontinued and replaced by Roots after July 2002). Scripture Union 'SALT' material is used more widely; but there is a range of published material being used, as well as churches producing their own. There is a growing use of rotas for Sunday children's work, enabling adults to join in the main worship service on a regular basis. However, there is some reluctance to engage in training. It is hard to recruit URC people onto Kaleidoscope and Spectrum courses, even when URC trainers are providing them. Other denominations tend to insist on proper training before people begin working with children. The word insist is not in the URC vocabulary. The Good Practice Guide (now updated) has encouraged higher standards; but a minority of churches have seen its advice as threatening and have felt unable to initiate or even maintain work because of staffing levels and other requirements. Youth and Children's Work Training Officers have done valuable work in the Synods in advocating good practice and in helping churches to implement change. The responsibility for good practice does, however, rest with each local church. Local churches are in contact with much larger numbers of young people who participate in mid-week activities - Pilots, clubs, uniformed groups, playgroups. In theory all those in the right age category (11-25) are members of FURY. In practice this is not always communicated to the young people. Churches in contact with large numbers of young people may have little to do with FURY. However, there is much to celebrate in the work of church based youth groups. Young people from within and beyond the church meet on Sunday evenings or mid-week for a variety of activities. Sometimes these groups are described as FURY, more often they are given a locally chosen name. Many churches offer groups and clubs which encourage young people in their personal development and give them opportunities for spiritual growth. At a time when statutory authorities have been reducing their provision for young people churches should not underestimate the importance of what they do in this area. The Review Group was impressed by the commitment of churches to this work, involving as it does a willingness to give time and money to work with children and young people whether or not they have church connections. Although it was not specifically mentioned by the local churches contacted in the phone survey the Review Group is aware that one valuable aspect of such local youth work is time spent away together: at Yardley Hastings, at other youth centres or simply using facilities at local churches, as individual youth groups or as part of District or Synod events. Churches which have European partners may also involve their young people in group exchange opportunities. There are currently 30% of our local churches which have Scout or Guide companies associated with them (including the appropriate groups for younger children). In 2001, after consultation between the URC and the Scout Association, a URC Scout Chaplain was appointed who is attempting to create a network of Synod Chaplains. A major internal review of Scouting has led to a greater emphasis on the spiritual dimension of their work; after the launch of their new programme in 2002 it is anticipated that local churches with sponsored groups will have greater opportunities to work with Scouts/Cubs etc on the spiritual aspects of their activities. There is also a good number of churches which have Boys and Girls Brigade Companies. These are specifically church based, with the local minister usually acting as chaplain. They provide a Christian approach to faith issues, and can provide an effective evangelistic setting. Most uniformed groups still have parade services on a regular basis. These are often held less frequently than they were, but continue to be the main focus of all-age worship in many of our churches. They have the potential for sowing seeds of faith, and attracting families to the life of the church. They can also, of course, at their worst give credence to the idea that church services are boring and irrelevant. Many of the most committed children's and youth workers in the church are serving as Scout Leaders, Guiders or Brigade Officers. These organisations provide good quality programmes with national affiliation, and levels of local and regional organisation which aim to achieve consistency in training, accreditation and standards. It is a matter of disappointment that some churches say they have no children when they do have uniformed groups meeting regularly on church premises. Promoting this work as a real partnership for the good of the children and young people should be a priority for the churches concerned. Not all children wish to belong to single-gender, uniformed groups. Pilots is the United Reformed Church's non-uniformed youth and children's work organisation. It is church run and church owned, and is currently enjoying considerable growth (see separate section). Some local and county authorities have made significant cut-backs in youth work provision; this has led to an increased importance for church-run detached or open youth and children's work. Many churches run Holiday Clubs, often in co-operation with schools, building on the valuable contacts made by ministers (and others) who regularly lead school Assemblies. This in itself is a valuable aspect of open work and forms a critical part of the ministry of local churches to their communities. Across the country there is a growing number of Christian Schools workers, usually employed and funded ecumenically. There is also a burgeoning of locally employed church-based children's and youth workers developing the provision which churches can make, often because of a dearth of volunteers. Levels of training and competence are not consistent, and an emerging role of Synod YCWTs is in giving advice on such employment; the YCWTs frequently play an active role in supporting the on-going work of such employees. The role of volunteers should not be minimised. Enthusiastic individuals who give generously of their time can motivate others to share in responding to local needs. Churches should not underestimate the worth of what they do. Increasingly churches will be working ecumenically, both with committed young people and in open work. Such work may result from, or be creative of, real mutual commitment among local churches; it will certainly involve theological debate and an openness to a variety of spiritualities. Ecumenical developments can cause tensions when Districts seek to involve young people in FURY events across a much wider geographical area. In some places this is overcome by making all members of a youth group, whatever their church origin, into FURY members. Young people make use of summer holidays and 'gap' years to participate in a variety of programmes: some join the Community Team at Yardley Hastings, others participate in overseas visits which broaden their experience and give them opportunities for learning and serving. The 'Belonging to the World Church' programme of the URC can help with advice and funds, as will the World Exchange programme. Churches often have their own overseas links so that individuals or whole groups can make (and receive) visits. EU funding can be accessed regionally for such exchanges in some instances. It was good that the Pilgrim 2000 visit to the Holy Land deliberately included young people. A group of six young people also visited Bangladesh in 1998 under the auspices of Christian Aid/Commitment for Life. Issues that emerge from considering local church work with children and young people are: > The desire of most churches to pass on their faith in Jesus Christ to the next generation, in order that young people may live fulfilled lives, and be enabled to make informed spiritual and moral choices. > The need for churches to develop imaginative new ways of doing things appropriate to today's children and young people, and to a particular church's available gifts. > The key role of ministers in encouraging helpful change in the light of contemporary culture and in enabling churches to find the resources they need. > The need for a change of mind-set, so that training is seen as a gift, not a threat or burden. > The necessity for appropriate training designed to meet the needs of children's and youth workers. B. District/Area Councils Work among children and young people at District level is patchy. In one Synod every District has children's and youth secretaries who create a network of mutual encouragement among the churches, and organise District events and training. Elsewhere, few Districts will have such postholders and it falls to the District Secretary to pass on relevant information to the churches, or not. The churches which have participated and benefited most from District and Synod events are those with small numbers of children and young people. It is important for them to join in activities with people from other churches, and realise that they are part of something bigger. Larger churches could play a key role in sharing leadership and resources for such special events. The greatest problem mentioned by local churches, Districts and Synods is the difficulty of finding volunteers. The fact that most voluntary groups and charities report the same thing is of small comfort. At each level of church life the key factor is committed, enthusiastic leadership. Current patterns of working life militate against the involvement of working-age adults in evening children's and youth groups. The development of teams is essential if there is to be consistency of provision, yet many places struggle to find one person to help. District initiatives may be unrealistic in scattered areas; we have to ask whether or not the attempt to maintain a uniform pattern across the Church is necessary. Tailor-made approaches, responding to the reality in each District have proved to be successful. The ecumenical factor will often be the key to effective youth work locally, as churches pool their resources. The role of the District may then be to share stories of such developments and to maintain a network for mutual encouragement rather than to organise an extra layer of activity with all the demands which that places on people (including the young people themselves). However, we should not lose sight of the fact that in some Districts there is effective work being done which should be encouraged. Issues that emerge from considering District work with children and young people: > What is the role of District Council in encouraging and supporting children's and youth work given the great variety of circumstances? > How can that role best be carried out? > How can the meetings of District Councils foster helpful story telling and sharing of good practice? > What local support is offered to District children's and youth work secretaries? > Is District the level where paid training/ development posts would be most effective? > Are there other models of support that should be explored? > Should we be encouraging young people to participate in District Councils? C. Synods Nine Synods made written comments; they included three which have been or are currently reviewing their development and training provision, including youth and children's work. Two other Synods of those which did not reply are similarly engaged in internal review of posts and structures. That five out of thirteen Synods are considering re-structuring is in itself highly significant: we are becoming less centralised. Many synods have the funding to determine their own priorities and programmes. This has been helped by the inter-synod resource sharing programme. The exception to this is the Youth and Children's Work Training programme which was set up (initially as Youth Leadership Training) in the very early years of the United Reformed Church, funded by money from the then Department for Education and Science. National posts were deployed in Synods, with two Synods usually sharing one officer. Over time this sharing has ended, with each Synod having its own officer and paying half the costs. The Assembly now bears the other half of the cost directly, which in 2001 amounted to £259,000 It is increasingly difficult to find volunteers to fill District and Synod Youth and Children's Secretary posts. Where people are in post some report lack of support and lack of clarity about what they should be doing. The picture across the Synods is bafflingly varied. In one Synod every District has both children's and youth secretaries as does the Synod itself; in other places there are none. One has abandoned the YCWT programme because of 'a lack of young people and children in the churches.' Two Synods are running successful, well-attended events; others have had to cancel events, even after lengthy and careful preparation. Some Synods organise regular or occasional youth or children's gatherings alongside their Synod meetings: adults are asked to bring one or two young people with them so that transport costs are minimised, and Synod and FURY can appreciate each others' presence. Some find the pressures of Saturday jobs make this impractical, and have developed the practice of 24 hour gatherings which begin early evening Saturday, combined with occasional weekends or even week-long camps. Some Synods also organise youth journeys e.g. to Taiz or Iona or to overseas partner churches. The key to success appears to be enthusiastic and hard-working leadership, effective networking and communication, flexibility and teamwork. The Synods which are seeing success in organising events are those which match a vision for what they are doing with organisational flair and commitment of funds and leadership. > What are the issues which emerge? > The tension between the variety of Synod practice and maintaining a common identity > The need for development work at local level > The importance of team-work > A growing need for expertise in employment and management > An expressed desire for more paid workers at local and District level > The value of good large-scale youth events in encouraging young people and their leaders > The importance of good communication > The importance of lateral thinking > The need for enthusiasm and inspired leadership D. Youth & Children's Work Committee Committee Remit This committee supports, encourages and promotes work among children and young people, including the policy for the YLTO and YCWT Programme, giving oversight to Pilots, the National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings, and relates to FURY Council. It also ensures that its concerns are fully taken into account in the 'Doctrine, Prayer & Worship', 'Church & Society' and 'Life & Witness' committees, facilitating the involvement of young people in all the councils of the Church. Membership The committee comprises a convener, a secretary and 12 other members, two of whom represent FURY. The four staff members are in attendance. The committee meets residentially three times a year at weekends, normally at Yardley Hastings. The residential format is intended to enable committee members and staff to get to know each other and therefore work together more effectively. Unfortunately it has not been uncommon for some members to be absent and others to arrive late or leave early. At this stage in its life the committee is clearly wrestling with the issues which caused it to set up a comprehensive review. The committee finds it difficult to distinguish between the tasks of: a) carrying out the General Assembly's vision for Youth and Children's Work and b) furnishing General Assembly with such a vision. The committee meetings have been heavily dominated by a business agenda which reflects the work carried out on behalf of Assembly but which gives scant attention to supporting Youth and Children's Work locally. The special contribution of the committee members is that they are able to bring particular knowledge and experience of such work from churches, Districts/Areas and Synods across the country, enabling the committee to identify pressing issues of concern. An agenda which is biased towards specific programmes can leave committee members frustrated and can also frustrate staff who perceive an ignorance in the committee about the broader range of their work. The committee is unusual in having four members of staff attached to it. The relationship between the staff and the committee members needs to be clarified, including issues of accountability, staff roles in servicing the committee and the convener and committee secretary's roles in management and agenda setting. It was unfortunate that the change of Convener, in 1998, overlapped with the appointment of three new staff members. The committee as a whole is unsure as to whether it is meant to serve as a sounding board for staff or to be directing their work. The staff would like to be able to look to the committee for strategy and identification of the big issues. The Deputy General Secretary acts as line manager for the four members of staff but the role is supervisory and pastoral and there seems to be no provision for professional management. Members of the committee represent its concerns for children and young people on other Assembly committees. This significantly increases the time commitment required of them. It is not clear that the Nominations Committee alerts potential committee members to this heavy workload. Committee members serve for a single term of four years; this gives little time for becoming familiar with the many areas of work and can lead to a feeling of impotence. This has led to some members feeling deskilled. This is beginning to be addressed. The committee has specific responsibilities with regard to policy and programme. These are exercised in different ways. The YLTO/YCWT Programme is overseen by the Training Committee, managed by Synods, with the practicalities of employment being dealt with by the Personnel office, and the Youth and Children's Work Committee being responsible for policy. This division of responsibility is unnecessarily confusing. Both the National Youth Resource Centre and Pilots have their own management committees on which the Youth & Children's work Committee is represented. The Chair of FURY and one other FURY council member are members of the committee, but there is no reciprocal membership; support for FURY officers and FURY Council is given by the presence of the Secretary for Youth Work. It should be noted that the Review was advocated by the Committee in order to address issues of concern and frustration. The fact of conducting it has facilitated some improvement but substantial issues remain to be tackled. Issues that emerge from considering the role and the work of the Committee are: > Do we require a new vision for Youth and Children's Work? > Is the present committee structure an appropriate way to manage Youth and Children's work? > How is the agenda formed and carried forward? > How can the working relationships between committee and staff continue to be improved? > What is the appropriate oversight and support required for different areas of work? > Is there a need for clearer delineation of roles, particularly with regard to management? E. Role and Operation of Staff Secretaries Centre Minister for the National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings The Centre Minister, the Revd Liz Byrne, was appointed in 1998. Over the last three and a half years this ministry has provided leadership to the centre. Achievements of this post include: > Renewed energy and confidence > Better advocacy and promotion > High standards of provision of worship > Development of popular courses e.g. Jigsaw weekends despite overall drop in bookings > Improvement in numbers of Community Team members and their support and length of stay, reversing a period of decline. > Collaborative working with YCWTs. This post is due for Review during 2002/3 Children's Advocate The post of Children's Advocate was created by General Assembly in 1995 and Mrs Rosemary Johnston was appointed. The post was reviewed after five years and Assembly renewed the post and Rosemary's appointment. Achievements of this post include: > Encouragement of inclusion of children in every part of the local church's life. > Promotion of good materials for Christian education > Production and promotion of inclusive worship materials > Theological reflection on children and the church > Creation and maintenance of an effective database and network of District and Synod Children's secretaries > Production of an information network (URCHIN) > Creation of website and resources > Major revision of Good Practice Guide (with Secretary for Youth Work) > Collaborative working with YCWTs This post is due for review during 2004/5 Pilots Development Officer The full-time post of Pilots Development Officer commenced in October 1998 originally funded by the CWM 'Gift of Grace'. It is now fully funded by the URC with an annual contribution from the Congregational Federation towards expenses. Mrs Karen Bulley is in her fourth year in post. Achievements of this post include: > Development of the affiliation scheme > Agreement of a new constitution > Writing and production of new programme materials and regular editions of Bridge > Improved publicity, image and advocacy > Recruitment and support of Regional Pilots Officers > Development of training programme > Collaborative working with YCWTs > Ecumenical networking This post is due for Review during 2002/3. Secretary for Youth Work Ms Lesley-Anne di Marco was appointed in 1998. Achievements of this post include: > Successful application for URC involvement in DfEE Social Inclusion project > Support and monitoring of this project > Collaborative working with YCWTs > Support of FURY Assembly and Council > Interaction with National Youth Resource Centre > Major revision of Good Practice Guide (with Children's Advocate) > Encouragement of high standards of health and safety and child protection compliance > Participation in ecumenical and professional networks This post is due for Review in 2002/3 General Staffing Issues The four staff members are often referred to as a team; however team work is not part of the job descriptions. The staff quite properly keep largely to their own areas of work except when specific tasks e.g. revision of Good Practice Guide or events e.g. FURY Assembly require team-work. If a greater sense of 'team' were thought to be beneficial to the work then there would need to be discussion of which model of team it would be appropriate to operate. There has been some clarification of budget responsibility recently; some further clarification of which office handles particular matters would be welcome. It would be helpful if some level of administrative support could be agreed for the officers of FURY. Line management and appropriate induction of new post-holders deserve attention. The current round of staff Reviews gives a useful opportunity to harmonise job descriptions and clarify reporting and accounting systems. F. National Youth Resource Centre, Yardley Hastings The National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings was launched in 1991 as part of the New FURY Project as a development from the Ginger Groups which had lived together in community and travelled to local churches to lead worship and youth-orientated events. The centre was intended to resource the life of FURY, offering a place of focused learning and equipping for a Community Team who would work with the chaplain and paid staff to welcome groups of young people and work with them for a weekend, or longer period. It was also to be a venue for FURY Council and other URC committees, and possibly be seen as the base for Assembly youth and children's work. From its inception the Resource Centre has shared the time of a stipendiary minister with Yardley Hastings United Reformed Church, with whom they also share the building. The ratio of time spent on the two parts of the job has been adjusted as the membership of the church has increased. It now stands at 75% centre: 25% church. The post-holder is now known as the Centre Minister. It was a matter of concern that there had been no formal agreement for the sharing of the building. The Centre is overseen by a management committee on which the Youth & Children's Work Committee, FURY Council, the local church and District Council are all represented. On a day to day basis the centre is run by a loyal and dedicated staff, including a Centre Manager. The post of full-time Administrator has been vacant for over a year, with the duties being fulfilled by two part time staff. There has been some confusion of roles between staff members, including the minister; communication at the centre has been poor, and lines of decision-making and responsibility not always sufficiently clear. Both community team members and visitors making bookings have sometimes perceived administration to be unsatisfactory. The members of the church are highly committed to the centre, but can feel short-changed in terms of the minister'' time. There have been issues around providing training for new community team members, and in providing them with appropriate support and pastoral care. This highlights the difficulty of fulfilling split roles: 'boss'/chaplain, centre/church. Over the last few years bookings at the centre have decreased markedly. Events have had to be cancelled, and the level of contribution from Assembly funds has increased. It is inevitably difficult to attract visitors during the week, but there is a welcome take-up by schools; however, the centre is not financially viable unless it sustains a healthy number of bookings at weekends. Young people find travelling to the centre expensive and awkward. The cost of staying at the centre makes it an expensive choice for young adults. This is before the increase in charges proposed for 2003. It has become increasingly difficult to recruit FURY members to the Community Team. The pattern of serving for one year, beginning in September, has given way to a more flexible approach, with Team members staying for variable lengths of time, and commencing at any time of the year. This has helped provide a wider scope of opportunity, but it has also made induction and training for Team members more difficult. None of the staff at Yardley Hastings is professionally trained in youth work. There have been issues around the management of the centre, including health and safety procedures and protocols. These have largely been dealt with, but still need to be properly documented. The most popular sessions at the Centre are the Jigsaw weekends (successor to Pick 'n Mix). Local churches or District groups spend a weekend of varied activities and worship. Some of the specialist holiday weeks e.g. Theatre week have also remained popular. Visitors comment on the excellent quality of the food; the accommodation is adequate, although ten years from its opening the centre does need a planned programme of re-decoration and refurbishment. This is a critical phase in the life of the centre. The management has worked hard to reduce the projected Assembly contribution for 2001 by 35% over the first nine months of that year. Nevertheless the anticipated contribution from Assembly required for 2003 (excluding stipend) is £125,000. Over the last six months there has been a marked improvement in the atmosphere and spirit at Yardley Hastings. The sense of vision has been re-captured, and community team numbers have increased, with team members asking to stay longer. The centre minister, together with staff and team, are to be congratulated on continuing to seek out God's vision despite the difficulties and disappointments of recent years. Issues which have emerged: > What is the purpose of the centre within the URC's provision for Youth and Children's work? > Level of use of Centre by URC young people > How effective is the present management structure? > How can internal communication be improved? > Training and support for Community Team > Refurbishments G. Pilots Pilots is an area of particular growth within the children's work of the United Reformed Church. The original concept was a sharing between LMS/CWM and the Congregational Union/Church which initiated a themed children's programme around the missionary journeys in the South Pacific of the John Williams ships. With the inception of the United Reformed Church in 1972 Pilots came under its ownership, though close partnership with the Congregational Federation has continued. A Master Pilot used to co-ordinate the work, and printed programme material and magazines have resourced local companies. The concept of mission journey gives a framework for the programme, as does nautical terminology: its core values are respect for children and young people and encouragement for them to value themselves as they participate in worship, learning and service. The non-uniformed groups are for boys and girls, and attract youngsters from a wide range of backgrounds into a church-based, world focussed programme through which they are helped to grow in the Christian faith and given the opportunity to respond to God. In many companies up to two thirds of the children have no other contact with church. In 1998, following the retirement of the Master Pilot, the United Reformed Church undertook to employ a full-time Pilots Development Officer. Since that time there has been a major relaunch of the organisation: high production values for programme material and advertising, coupled with good organisation, have revitalised Pilots. There is now an affiliation system for all companies which helps to fund the production of materials, and more importantly, gives greater consistency of values and standards, including Good Practice. A network of volunteer Regional Pilots Officers is being strengthened and developed to offer support and advice to new companies. The work continues to be in collaboration with the Congregational Federation, who contribute £2-3,000 annually towards the expenses of the development officer post. A new constitution has been agreed which offers places on the management committee to each sponsoring denomination which has companies, on a pro-rata basis according to the percentage of companies belonging to each denomination. The Methodist Church and the Church of Scotland are both exploring the benefits of Pilots. By 2001 the number of Pilots companies had increased to 145, 60% of companies having been formed in the last three years. The summer of 2001 saw a suitably exuberant and well-attended celebration, when nearly 3,000 Pilots met at Cadbury World. What issues emerge from this: > The need to learn from success > The importance of good organisation > The value of affiliation > Good support for volunteers and local groups > Good record-keeping and communication > Managing growth H. FURY The Fellowship of United Reformed Youth notionally comprises all the young people aged 11-25 in The United Reformed Church. It has an annual Assembly at which each District/Area is entitled to have two voting members and one observer. There is a largely representative Council, which meets residentially three times a year. FURY is represented at General Assembly and on Mission Council and elects representatives to serve on other bodies e.g. the Churches Together in England Youth Forum. 'New' FURY was launched in 1991 as an attempt to make this layer of church life more inclusive and involving of young people. The National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings was to be the focus of its life. It adopted a mission statement and a structure. As there is no formal membership it is hard to ascertain how many members there are. The local churches' annual returns give the only information we have as to how many people in the FURY age range belong to our denomination. But to use 'belong' begs the question: the young person who is a baptised and confirmed church member worshipping regularly and sharing fully in church life, is counted in exactly the same way as is the young person who comes to Guides once a week but is actually a worshipping member of another denomination, or the young person who attends a youth club sporadically. Even when we look at the total figure (80,000) we do not know what we are seeing: some church officers will have worked hard to avoid counting the same person more than once... others will have simply added up the totals from each organisation ignoring the fact that one young person may belong to several groups. If there are 80,000 members of FURY why do Districts/Areas struggle to find people who wish to attend FURY Assembly? Those who come along usually enjoy it, but District/Area and Synod networks are virtually non-existent in many parts of the country. There were just 66 voting members at this year's FURY Assembly; plus a further 35 observers (one allowed per District/Area). Because the representatives are not actually representing anyone, or meeting each other regularly, there are few resolutions brought for debate except by FURY Council itself. Those resolutions which emerge during the event have had to be drafted at the last minute. There is now no Assembly sponsored FURY programme apart from events run at Yardley Hastings and support events for FURY and General Assemblies. The international dimension has not been particularly evident over the last few years, but there are specific plans to remedy this. The development of the FURY website www.furyonline.org.uk should help to provide a forum for a more effective sharing of news and ideas between Synods and Districts/Areas. The introduction of f2 as a supplement to Reform on an approximately quarterly basis in place of FURY National is difficult to assess. There is no separate subscription list, and its availability to young people is dependent on the action of those who subscribe to Reform. The ability of young people in the URC to participate in General Assembly and to run their own FURY Assembly is much admired by other denominations, and is to be cherished and affirmed. The heart of FURY in the recent past has been FURY Council. In the absence of Synod FURY groups, however, the Council is operating in something of a vacuum. FURY Council has a difficult-to-understand relationship with the Church. It is accountable to the Youth & Children's work Committee of the Church (not General Assembly) but the two groups meet together only in alternate years. The relationship that FURY Council has with the Youth Office appears to be misunderstood by many. Historically, DfEE funding for FURY Council led to it being set up as young-person run, servicing itself with such posts as Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. However, in recent years, since the United Reformed Church has funded the activities of FURY Council, the roles of Secretary and Treasurer are not so clear. FURY Treasurer appears to have little or no financial authority or control; the balance of secretarial workload between the FURY Council Secretary and the Youth Office is unclear. Each Synod has a representative on FURY Council, to share information. However, it is not uncommon for several Synods' representatives to be absent from a FURY Council meeting. The role of Synod reps is summed up in the FURY Council guidelines thus '...the main activity is communicating... this communication should not be exclusively one way...' The difficulties encountered by some Synod reps in negotiating Synod and District communication pathways goes some way to explaining problems with sharing information. Synod reps gain personally from their experiences through FURY Council, but the benefit to Synods of these roles varies considerably. Many young people are distanced from FURY and what it stands for. FURY Council is often seen as detached from young people of FURY age in the churches. There are many active young people in the United Reformed Church who have no explicit involvement with FURY, no sense of belonging to it, and who would not notice if it ceased to exist. Issues that emerge from considering the role of FURY: > Realistic membership > Communication > Identity > District/Area and Synod networks > Leadership > New mission statement I. Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Formerly Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) History The youth office has a history of being involved in government funded projects almost from the formation of the URC. The relationship with what was then the Department for Education and Science (DES) enabled the development of the YLTO/YCWT programme. Different programmes and projects have been funded over the years, as the nature of funding changed, including FURY Council. In 1998, the URC made a successful application to develop a national project focusing on social exclusion and young people. The funding, requiring 50% match funding from the URC, was for a feasibility study in the first year followed by local church projects during the next two years, in England only. The purpose was to enable local congregations to take part in projects which address the social exclusion of young people in their community, setting up 11 pilot programmes each year (notionally one per Synod) in each of 2 years, to undertake new initiatives with the disadvantaged, the disaffected, minority ethnic groups and those with disabilities. In addition one national project, The Black And Dynamic Conference, with black young people was included to address issues identified by the FURY Review and the Racial Justice Office and meets the DfES criteria. The project was named 'Mission Possible'. Mission Possible As a result of difficulties in meeting the very tight time scales set by the DfEE, a successful request was made to the DfEE to allow the URC to use the proposed allocated funding for year 3 of the project to consolidate the work done in year 2. The nine projects included: an alcohol-free bar, outreach youth work, a night drop-in for those at risk of offending, a video project. Monitoring has been carried out by a Group accountable to the Youth and Children's Work Committee, which was set up after the feasibility study and meets regularly about every two months. It has six members including the Secretary for Youth Work and the external consultant. Tim Barnes, the Consultant and Lesley Anne Di Marco, the Secretary for Youth Work produced a critique in September 2001 (from which many of these facts have been taken). It concluded that there were clearly distinct advantages to continued involvement in the DfES Scheme of Grants for National Voluntary Youth Organisations (NYVO), with the proviso that any criteria set by the government resonate with the Church's mission. All of the projects were invited to come together in November 2002 at a Stakeholders Conference, along with the Monitoring Group and a representative from the DfES as part of the evaluation process. It presented an excellent opportunity for workers on the projects to share their experiences (both personal and as part of their local church) of setting up a project, of process, of recognising achievement; of forming networks; of learning from one another; of the effect on local churches and communities; and very importantly how lessons learned can be shared with the wider church. A Handbook to encompass stories and encourage further projects is in the process of being compiled by the consultant. It will include funding guides, a directory of Social Change, Good Practice Guidelines and countless other ideas. This Handbook is in the process of being compiled by the consultant. The next step The next step is to apply for the new programme of the DfES if the relationship is to continue. The Youth and Children's Work committee, meeting in November 2001, recognised the value of the projects to the communities and churches concerned, but felt that, in the light of the current financial situation, it could not support a request for match-funding (a possible £20,000) for such a small constituency a second time. Time was needed to evaluate fully the Mission Possible projects and to share the experience through the wider church. There was also concern that work in Wales and Scotland would be further neglected. However, criteria have changed again and an application for funding a broader-based, though of necessity still England-only, programme, not requiring match-funding, has been submitted. The objectives of this new programme are: > To enable appropriate and relevant representation by young people involving the diverse youth work programme of the United Reformed Church > To enable participation in management within the structures of the United Reformed Church of young people from the representative groups > Develop the programme and young people's networks (FURY) on a regional basis > Liaise with Synods in accordance with their local operation to facilitate the objectives > Facilitate learning for young people and their workers with regard to participation, race and disability awareness and other associated issues, including those matters relating to poverty, rural isolation and crime in the context of both church and society > To integrate the recommendations made by the United Reformed Church's review of youth and children's work (likely timescale for the review report July 2002) The intended outcomes are for young people involved in local churches and projects to have equal access to the councils of the church at local, district, synod and national level; for a fairer representation of these people to participate more fully in these councils. Issues which have emerged: > Is it good to tie people in to the Government's agenda, with such tight time scales and with so few churches/people directly benefiting? Is it not a very expensive model of good practice? > Is the church separate from secular life or integral? > Should we, as a church, be forming society, not following it? > Does being part of a Government Scheme like this take the Youth Work Secretary and colleagues away from their core tasks? > Should the church consider ways of providing the money it has invested in this project without the need for it to be driven by external criteria e.g. will the Black and Dynamic (BAD) weekend continue without the funding? > How do we ensure that the projects inform our youth work policy so that the nature of our programmes reflect the different backgrounds of the young people we are working with? > Is it reasonable that a disproportionate amount of the URC's Youth & Children's Work budget should be spent on the English churches? J. Youth and Children's Work Training Programme Half the funding for this programme comes from the General Assembly which is the employer. One Synod has already forfeited Assembly funding in order to re-shape their training provision. Since 1994, the programme has come under the oversight of the Training Committee as the office holders are trainers and adult educators, coming from a variety of backgrounds. When in 1997 the National Youth and Children's Training Officer post was ended, the management of the YCWTs and one remaining YLTO passed to their Synods. The managers are invited to regular meetings organised by the Training Committee, which has oversight of the programme. All YCWTs and the YLTO continue to be employees of the URC and are subject to its Staff Development Policy. They assume personal responsibility for professional development. Synods, for the most part, continue to value what is done by these workers. However, the Synod of Scotland and Northern Synod do not have such posts, and two other Synods are considering change. YCWT work involves running training courses and events, working directly with local churches seeking to develop their work and supporting Synod and District Youth and Children's Secretaries (where they exist). Training offered is often organised ecumenically. Whilst the job title continues to emphasise the role of training church people to engage in youth and children's work, in reality an increasing amount of time is spent in developmental work, advising on new projects and on the setting up of paid posts, as well as contributing to the maintenance of effective networks and the organisation of events. They will almost certainly be part of a Synod Training and Development Team, and will continue to be expected, under current job descriptions, to offer some of their time to Assembly initiatives. The YCWTs meet four times a year with the Secretary for Training who is currently the staff member responsible for the oversight and evolution of the programme. Management in the Synods is not always adequate - some YCWTs have had to train their own managers! Nor is there consistency in the provision of strategy or support structures. One area of concern is in the handling of personnel issues. The size of Synods results in some YCWTs spending half their working hours driving to and from appointments. The housing of YCWTs can be a problem for a variety of reasons: like ministers they are expected (for the most part) to work from home. Housing costs vary widely across the country, which leaves some YCWTs having to live on the edge of their Synods in order to find suitable affordable housing; this in turn leads to more time spent travelling. This is a complex issue with no easy answers. The majority of YCWTs come from non-URC backgrounds. This brings a welcome cross-fertilisation of ideas; but it is puzzling that a church which lays such an emphasis on youth and children's work has few people within its ranks who can give a professional lead. The YCWT programme expects a contribution of time from each post-holder towards Assembly activities. The amount of time involved varies considerably. Much of what is offered is directed towards FURY. Some YCWTs are also involved in contributing to initial ministerial training, or to training courses run at Yardley Hastings, Windermere, or to particular events, e.g. the Pilots celebration at Cadbury World. The Secretary for Training normally attends the residential YCWT gatherings, together with some or all of the staff members of the Youth & Children's Work committee. It is not clear where responsibility and authority lie within the total group. What issues emerge from a consideration of the YCWT programme? > With limited financial resources where do we need paid workers most: locally, at District level or at Synod level? > What should be the emphasis of the YCWT programme: training or development? > Can this work satisfactorily be shared by two committees? > How can consistency in management and personnel work be achieved? > How does this programme serve any strategy for Youth and Children's work? > How can this programme be best advocated to local Churches? The following paper on the theology of youth work was agreed by the Youth & Children's Work Committee in 2001. Introduction The desire to think through a theology of youth work comes from three different directions: firstly, there is the constant agonising in local churches about 'how do we get young people into the church', born either of an indeterminate feeling that a church is not complete, or is even failing in some way, without young people in worship, or of a fear for the future demise of the church without a new generation to take up the baton. Then, there is the experience of those young people who are there and their sense of being a kind of 'church in waiting' - they enjoy their fellowship together, but feel alienated from the life of the local church they go back to. Finally there is the work going on outside the local church in schools, colleges, community projects, anywhere young people are found, which is often indistinguishable from 'secular' youth work. Any attempt to address these issues needs to go back to first principles - not 'what do we do?', but 'why do we do it?' We have used the grand title 'theology' of youth work, because that is what it is: an examination of the work of God that takes place in ministry and our part in it. Only when we know why we are doing something, is it possible to take the next step and work out the what and how and where and when. This is one way of looking at the issue - there are bound to be others. It is our hope that it will start a conversation, many conversations, that will go on and on, because there is no end to God's involvement with us. Working with God Loving relationships are at the heart of all Christian ministry - our relationships with God, with other people and with ourselves. The prime model for relationships that we are using comes from our understanding of the Trinity as God in community - as Creator, self-giving brother/friend, bound together by the inspiring Spirit. But the community of the Trinity is not a closed community: it offers an invitation of welcome into an inclusive relationship to all God's children, where we can all share in the work of God. Jesus calls all who will follow to share in the work of discovering, proclaiming and extending God's rule of justice, peace, healing and new life. The work of ministry is to nurture people, purely for their own sake, within a Christian community or reaching out from it, as a response to that call. This ministry is shared responsibility within the whole church of God. Elements of this ministry include: > Making oneself vulnerable and available (At once they left their nets and went with him. Mark 1.18) > Working 'with' not 'for' people; receiving as well as giving; being loved and loving (You, then, should wash one another's feet. John 13.14) > Always striving to 'become' good news (... that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me. John 17.23) > Being ready to offer and receive forgiveness and acceptance (Do for others what you want them to do for you. Matthew 7.12) > Sharing journeys and stories (Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. John 4.29) > Being prepared to challenge and be challenged by individuals, community and culture (Who is my neighbour? Luke 10.29) > Enriching life for all (I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness. John 10.10) > Responding to issues of justice (He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. Luke 1.53) > Persisting in prayer and care in the face of resistance or hostility or indifference (How many times I wanted to put my arms round all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under wings, but you would not let me! Matthew 23.37) This theology of ministry encompasses ministry with young people, ministry with children, ministry with people of all ages. However we know the Church is painfully discovering that there are special aspects of care involved when we work with children and young people, hence our policies on Good Practice and vetting of volunteers, etc. Adolescents and younger children can be particularly impressionable under the influence of strong older personalities. The safeguarding aspect of ministry should not be overlooked. Nor should we be afraid of the ministries of leadership and teaching and confuse them with infallibility or a refusal to be vulnerable. Some young people who are searching for their own identity may need to encounter Christians who embody a degree of clarity and certainty at first, even if later on these individuals emerge as fully-rounded people with doubts and problems too. Neither of these factors, though, should override the basic principles, but be aspects of the myriad ways ministry is carried out in so many different contexts. An Invitation The original work done by a very small group has been revised by the Youth & Children's Work committee, FURY Council and the secretary of Doctrine, Prayer and Worship committee, but it is not suggested that this is the final version, but more of a conversation starter for local churches, districts, synods. It is proposed, not so that church meetings can congratulate themselves or feel discouraged, but to encourage a new way of looking at the way we operate as church. It can be rewritten in a more local context, set alongside Biblical stories (the initial group were particularly inspired by the parable of the prodigal son), rejected and replaced with a different approach, used to develop a more specific theology of ministry with a different group of people. Responses would be welcomed and should be sent to the Youth & Children's Work committee and/or the Editor of Reform. God's work of ministry goes on and on and changes and adapts to meet the needs and circumstances and contexts of the people involved. It is in that spirit of flexibility that this paper is offered to the church. Charter for Children in the Church has been widely used both in the United Reformed Church and in many partner denominations. Towards a Charter for Children in the Church 1. Children are equal partners with adults in the life of the church. 2. The full diet of Christian worship is for children as well as adults. 3. Learning is for the whole church, adults and children. 4. Fellowship is for all - each belonging meaningfully to the rest. 5. Service is for children to give, as well as adults. 6. The call to evangelism comes to all God's people of whatever age. 7. The Holy Spirit speaks powerfully through children as well as adults. 8. The discovery and development of gifts in children and adults is a key function of the church. 9. As a church community we must learn to do only those things in separate age groups which we cannot in all conscience do together. 10. The concept of the 'Priesthood of all Believers' includes children. Affirmation In the light of this theology of youth work accepted by the Youth and Children's Work Committee in 2001, and the Charter for Children, we affirm the following: Children and young people are an integral part of the life and work of the whole United Reformed Church. The URC values being an organisation in which different generations from all backgrounds meet with affection and respect and people's needs for acceptance and friendship are recognised, whatever their age. The URC responds to its calling to share faith in Jesus Christ with people of all ages. The URC affirms its responsibility to accept, nurture and care for children and young people, so that they may develop to their full spiritual potential, having the confidence to make their own life decisions and find their place in the local church and community. The URC recognises that children and young people bring their own spiritual wisdom and experience to the life of the church. The URC takes responsibility for enabling the whole church at its different levels to respond positively to the challenges in this statement, by seeking to take seriously the needs of local churches in the light of contemporary influences and events, and to promote excellence and best practice in all its work. Most youth and children's work takes place in the local church, in Sunday worship, Junior Church, Pilots, uniformed organisations, after-school clubs, playgroups, open youth clubs, school assemblies, through ecumenical relationships... The role of Districts and Synods is to support this work in practical ways: acting as a channel of communication, organising occasional large-scale activities, offering training and guidance on a range of topics. The Youth and Children's Work Committee and its programmes and staff further and develop this work across the church, by providing theological reflection, training, up-to-date information, advice, resource materials, information exchange, support structures and wider perspectives and contacts. In conducting this review and in reaching conclusions for the future, we have used this understanding of youth and children's work in the URC as a way of measuring the need for and the effectiveness of current work and practice. Recommendations The Review Group, having reflected on the evidence it has gathered, makes the following recommendations. A. Local Churches We recommend that: 1. All colleges and courses used by the URC for initial ministerial training and education should be urged to include in their core curriculum learning related to > Human development (intellectual, emotional and spiritual) > Appropriate models of Christian education and worship in relation to such development > An understanding of youth culture(s) 2. Synods ensure that serving ministers and other church members are offered opportunities to understand contemporary youth culture(s) and the development of appropriate models of worship and discipleship. 3. The URC explores with its partner denominations the production of a new generation of training materials for local youth work. 4. Local churches continue to explore partnerships in the local community in order to meet the needs of children and young people. Ministers have a key role as theological educators and enablers of change. It is critically important that they bring understanding and enthusiasm to the area of local children's and youth work. If they are to help local congregations to understand and relate to the world of children and young people, and keep their own knowledge of continuing change up to date, then their initial and continuing education should include relevant courses. That such understanding should be available to all those who work with children and young people is self-evident. It is probably time for a new course to succeed Spectrum; there is also a need for continuing education: top up courses/programmes for those working locally. At a time when the vast majority of children and young people have no regular church connection the role of the local churches in engaging with them in accessible ways is a major mission task. The experience of some churches is that by working ecumenically they are able to offer a wider range of activities and opportunities, and sometimes fund professional support. Working with others is in itself a sign of what the gospel means. B. District/Area Councils We recommend that: 1. Councils continue to find ways to support the ongoing youth and children's work of the local churches in ways appropriate to their own particular context. 2. Councils be reminded of their responsibility to send young people as representatives to General Assembly. In some parts of the country the traditional pattern of youth and children's work secretaries at District level continues to work well. In other places the system has collapsed. We urge Districts to develop ways of encouraging local youth and children's work which fit their own situation. In some places this will mean combining the two areas of work, in others it may mean having a small committee, in others it may mean having a correspondent who is part of a national network transmitting information. Making personal contact with young people and with local youth and children's workers is important. Such personal contact avoids the bottle necks which can afflict official means of communication and also provides the network of friendships which fuel an appetite for joint activity. We do not believe that the employment of paid youth and children's workers at District level would be a good use of the church's resources. Few Districts have the ability to fund such work anyway. The role of Districts is to encourage the work that is happening locally and to provide the occasional opportunities for combined activity or training which give encouragement, particularly to the smaller churches. C. Synods We recommend that: 1. Synods prioritise the resourcing of youth and children's work. 2. Synods co-operate with the Youth & Children's Work Committee in developing and maintaining an effective network of young people, FURY members and those who work with young people and children across the Districts. 3. Synods be reminded of their responsibility to ensure that they have two young people as voting members. Some Synods have already decided not to continue within the YCWT programme. The Review Group would like to encourage all Synods, whether or not they are participating in that programme, to continue to support, encourage and resource local youth and children's work through training, developmental work and the occasional provision of large scale events, where appropriate. The development of a youth network comparable to the existing network of children's workers would, we believe, enhance the involvement of young people in the life of the wider church. D. Youth & Children's Work Committee We recommend that: 1. The Youth & Children's Work Committee and staff are asked to prioritise the creation and effective use of a youth-work network offering regular information and ideas. 2. Each committee member should have a portfolio of special interest. Some of the time at each committee meeting could be spent in relevant interest groups. 3. The committee continues to explore further developments in the ways it carries out its responsibilities. 4. The General Assembly should be asked to remove the requirement that the Youth & Children's Work Committee sends representatives to sit on other Assembly committees. 5. The Youth & Children's Work Committee should assume responsibility for the evolution and management of the YCWT programme. 6. The Secretary for Training be invited to participate in the regular meetings of the YCWT team. The Review Group was impressed by the existence of a children's work network and felt that it was important to develop something comparable for youth work. It was mindful that the agenda of the Youth & Children's Work Committee covers an enormous range of work and in order to benefit from the experience and skill of individual committee members they should be encouraged to develop expertise in particular areas. The Group became aware of the burden that has been placed on the Youth & Children's Work Committee by the General Assembly requirement that it should send representatives to serve on other Assembly committees. We do however see the need for cross fertilisation of ideas between all the committees and hope for the development of improved co-ordination and communication. The main responsibilities of YCWTs fall within the remit of the Youth & Children's Work Committee. It therefore seems sensible to place the YCWT programme within the framework of this committee. If this proposal is accepted it would be important to retain contact with the Training Committee. The Secretary for Training should be expected to give support and advice and participate in team meetings. E. Staffing Arrangements We recommend that: 1. There should continue to be a Secretary for Youth Work. The priorities of this post should be: > To create, maintain and support a network of District/Area and Synod Youth Work contacts; > To oversee the YCWT programme in place of the Secretary for Training, working co-operatively and supportively with managers in the Synods; > To work closely with the YCWTs and other professionals working at local, District and Synod levels, to produce and advocate high quality training and programme materials; > To co-ordinate the contribution of YCWTs to the national youth work of the URC, including FURY, initial ministerial training, production of training and programme materials, ecumenical collaboration and special events; > To support and facilitate the life of FURY including the creation and maintenance of a network of individual and group members; > To act as budget holder for the Youth & Children's Work Committee; > To foster ecumenical youth work. > To work collaboratively with the other Youth and Children's Work staff members; 2. There should be a Secretary for Children's Work (currently known as the Children's Advocate). The priorities of this post should be: > To enhance, maintain and support the network of District/Area and Synod Children's Work contacts; > To ensure the availability and advocacy of high quality resources for Children's Work; > To act as co-ordinator of the three Youth and Children's Work staff at Church House; > To act as secretary to the Youth & Children's Work Committee; > To work closely with the YCWTs and other Children's Work professionals at local, District/Area and Synod levels in resourcing and encouraging work with children, including appropriate training; > To work collaboratively and ecumenically on issues relating to inclusive worship and church life, faith development and child protection; > To work collaboratively with the other Youth and Children's Work staff members. 3. There should continue to be a Pilots Development Officer who will: > Work within the existing job description and management structure; > Encourage the integration of Pilots into the total URC provision for Youth and Children's Work; > Work collaboratively with the other Youth and Children's Work staff members. The Review Group believes that each distinct area of work benefits from having a staff member dedicated to that particular task. However some of the work does overlap and staff should work collaboratively with each other and with those serving at intermediate levels of church life. In fostering a collaborative working style it is suggested that one of them acts as Team Co-ordinator. The major task for the Youth & Children's Work Committee and all its staff members is to resource local work and the structures at District/Area, Synod and Assembly level which support that work. F. National Youth Resource Centre, Yardley Hastings We recommend that: 1. The URC should cease to use the buildings at Yardley Hastings as a Resource Centre for youth work. 2. The URC seriously considers potential future use of the resources at Yardley Hastings. 3. The Youth & Children's Work Committee should work with the Centre Management Committee and the officers of General Assembly to effect this change recognising the rights and needs of employees and customers. 4. The officers of the URC work with the East Midlands Synod and the Northamptonshire District to negotiate the changed use of the building in such a way that the rights and needs of Yardley Hastings United Reformed Church are respected. The Centre was set up with the intention that it would be the heart of the URC's Youth Work. Whilst in the early years considerable numbers of URC young people went to, and were associated with, Yardley Hastings it has always been a centre for the minority. It was with hindsight unrealistic to expect it to have been anything else. However there can be no dispute that Yardley Hastings has been for some young people a spiritual power house, often changing the course of their lives. It remains so, but for a notably declining number. The Review Group believes that, however painful the change, limited resources of personnel and finance should be targeted at a level where they may affect a greater number of our young people. It is not for the Review Group to comment on other uses for the building, or its disposal, or how to honour the needs of the local congregation. We do urge the URC to give good support and advice to those who will bear the brunt of this decision, if it is taken. G. Pilots We recommend that: 1. The Youth & Children's Work Committee invites the Pilots Management Committee to reflect on the recent growth of Pilots' companies, and to think through how it would manage continuing growth. 2. The Youth & Children's Work Committee should monitor the relationship of the URC to other denominations having Pilots Companies, including policy, representation and funding. It is good to see a piece of work with a long history that continues to thrive, and has enjoyed real growth over the last few years. It would be easy to be complacent. It would be better to reflect on the reasons for such vitality, with the hope that other programmes could learn from it. The exclusive use of one staff |