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20+ years since I started preaching, I am constructing any portfolio to be recognised as a local preacher in the Methodist Church.
One item asks questions about how we talk about "salvation", and as a result I found myself digging out the dissertation I wrote for my BA Hons. in 2010! I haven't re-read it all the way through in a very long time, but am "self-referencing" in the portfolio piece, so want to make sure it's somewhere accessible for those assessing the portfolio to read! But the real question is: Would I write the same thing again? Or rather “The Manger Gift Hypothesis”: What do you See? How do you respond?
This is my go-to Christmas message for new groups of people... ____ I love Christmas. The excitement has been building, the traditions are all rolled out of the box, and it’s time for us to watch those classic seasonal films and eat the food that we only ever consider at Christmas... I mean, when else can you justify watching the Muppets Christmas Carol and eating turkey and brussel sprouts (neither of which any of us really like if we’re being honest...)! And then there are the Christmas specials that come on the TV, both the classics that we’ve loved and watched for years, and the latest seasonal offering produced by our current favourite shows. My favourite all-time Christmas episode of a TV series has to be, without a shadow of a doubt the Christmas episode of the Big Bang Theory, Episode 11 from Season 2. For those who are unfamiliar with the show and the characters, the story revolves around a group of geeky male scientists (well, 3 scientists and an engineer) who are ridiculously intelligent yet socially clueless and inept, and their socially gifted yet intellectually inferior female friend Penny. Invariably the episodes revolve around Penny trying to impart useful social practices and common sense to one of more of the men who just don’t get it. Sheldon is the most socially inept of the 4 friends, and in this clip he is struggling with the concept of gift-giving. In this episode, titled “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis”, Penny tells Sheldon that she has a gift for him for Christmas and Sheldon, though he despises the concept of giving and receiving gifts, knows that the right thing to do is reciprocate the gift with something of equal value, but how does he do that when he doesn’t know what the gift is? And so, he comes up with the “Bath Item Gift Hypothesis,” which is explained, and undone, during this clip. One last thing you should probably know before we watch: Sheldon doesn’t do physical contact. A sneak preview of what we're going to be looking at on Sunday night at our "Generate" youth gathering at The Church on Rise Park. This time's theme is the "I am's" of Jesus, to help us think about who we are in the future sessions.
 An ice-breaker made to encourage young people to mingle at a District-wide gathering today. Upward of 80 young people and some leaders playing at once. Seemed to do the job.
There are plenty of these templates out there, but none of them quite seemed to be what I needed for a mixed group of young people, so I made my own. Feel free to steal/amend accordingly! Rules are simple: 1. You can only use yourself once, in the box marked "You"; 2. Each box has to have a different person signing their own name in it; 3. No lying. (Click the image for a PDF download version... Aren't I nice to you?!) Another cheat blog...
This time is this morning's welcome service for the new Year 7's at National Academy, which was conducted at St Mary's in the town. The theme was "Blank Page", encouraging young people to use the fresh start and the blank page that is in front of them... Prepping for a series of assemblies at one of the secondary schools I am linked with, with the theme of "Hope".
Remit is 2 classes of young people, for about 15 minutes. Numbers are for references to slides/visuals/transitions used. Feel free to "borrow" any ideas, and let me know how you get on... NOTE: This is for a church school. Even then I am careful about how I present Christianity. Be sensible with what you say when you do assemblies ANYWHERE! You're entrusted with a privileged position and you represent us all... Different post today...
This is just a thought I shared with the Boys Brigade Awards evening at Nuthall tonight... (and a big plug for a new game!) "Flattery will get you anywhere..." ... Always worth trying I guess. "A smile that could light up the whole town..." ... Why thank you! "He could sell water to a drowning man..." ... It's all about the patter. But it wasn't my flattery, gorgeous smile or patter that worked today...
People get old.
Assuming that they are healthy, they can go on for a while. But it's not the number you reach that determines the value of your life, rather it's the number you reach. I'm a youth worker. It's my job to work with young people. More than that I believe it to be my calling. And normally I think I'm pretty good at it... Except I don't think I'm made for all youth work, not all youth work is the same, and not all youth workers have the same strengths.
The real secret though is this: |
MARCRemarcable is one man blogging about Youth Work, Theology, Family, Life and those other random things that come to mind. Archives
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