This whole Gap year thing is strange because there are such distinct stages. You start and it's difficult adjusting to a new environment but eventually you become settled. Then you begin to work hard and perform well but by the time you've got to here it's time to prepare yourself for moving on. This is how the year has felt to me. As time goes on i feel more and more comfortable in London but more and more anxious about my future.
On Sunday we were discussing the concept of living for today. Does anyone ever live for that day alone and nothing else? Dave (senior minister) used the example of people going on Holiday to aid our understanding. He explained how people always say "but, we're going on holiday in July" indicating that they're looking forward to going on holiday. This is fine but it suggests that the here and now is miserable. I feel as guilty of this as anyone. In fact i constantly think about the future because i like to feel in control of whats ahead. However, I'm very aware that this stops me from enjoying some days for what they are. It stops me from embracing every day spent in London so that i don't reflect on it years later and think about how i should have appreciated it more. The days when I'm content and enjoying life as it comes are rare because constantly I'm reminded of the future by other people. I realise that it's just part of life but how wonderful would it be if there was a wider acceptance in society of today and what that brings.
It was also discussed that people too often dwell on the past and how good things were. But in reality the past is only good because we block out all the negatives and only remember the positives. I know for a fact in five years i will only remember this year for diverse London, great people, great food, culturally engaged church and not the times i have struggled. In Social Work i was taught about Solution Focused Brief Therapy where people going through the therapy are encouraged to focus on the future. It is considered that the past although important is a reminder of how things were and exists as a negative influence. Whereas, the future is unwritten and people are asked to think of their issues only in a future sense. It is felt that this helps people to overcome their problems in a more positive way.
Dave used a really useful analogy to help us think about living in today. He talked about teaching his son to ride a bike and how frustrating it had been for months to see him make no progress. But suddenly on Saturday it had just clicked and he could now ride a bike without any assistance. One of things his son had struggled to realise whilst learning was that he had to keep pedalling. If he stopped pedalling he'd fall. If he looked back on the bike (checking to see if his dad was still holding on to him) whilst pedalling he also fell over. However, when he began to look forward and pedal hard he found that he could ride the bike. The future is only meaningful when we've enjoyed the journey to get there. If we don't pedal today then we'll always be living for the future and that holiday that's three months away. This is something I'm really gonna focus on in order to really squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of this year because because before i know it it'll be over!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
TV Appearance
Yesterday i had the priveledge to make my first national tv apearance. The heaven and earth show is on BBC1 at 10am on Sunday. I'm an extra in an interview with Malcolm Duncan from Faithworks. Faithworks is part of Oasis and they were doing some filming in the centre. It just so happened that i was working in the coffee shop when the filming took place and they asked me to sit in the background....
Please check it out
Please check it out
Thursday, March 15, 2007
No picture of inky face but one of my weekend in Suffolk....
See if you can guess which one i am....here's a clue i'm wearing green!
If i wanted to document my day i'd show you my diary....
Just wanted to quickly reply to a comment left on my last post. I've not had any Blog abuse yet but i feel that this comment verged on abusive.
I would like to think that no friend of mine would ever use the word 'retard' especially when describing someone. I find even using this word within my Blog offensive and would like to point out that if this word is so readily used within someones vocabulary then they are a danger to the peace that we crave within society.
The comment also pointed out that i "did nothing today" when i actually got ink on my face and observed London in the sun. If this Blog was just about work then i don't think it would do my year in London justice. Much of my experiences happen outside of a working environment and it is these i care to write about. Also, I promised right back at the start of this Blog that i would include stories about 'the embarrassing things that happened to Andrew'. These incidents happen rarely and so i tend to document them when they do.
I would encourage 'anonymous' to read this Blog with an open mind and hopefully think more carefully before posting a comment with such abusive intent. Or i would ask that 'anonymous' be a little braver with their comments and at least give themselves a name so that i can respond. I would gratefully appreciate peoples comments in response to what 'anonymous said'. Thank you Suzie for already doing this.
I would like to think that no friend of mine would ever use the word 'retard' especially when describing someone. I find even using this word within my Blog offensive and would like to point out that if this word is so readily used within someones vocabulary then they are a danger to the peace that we crave within society.
The comment also pointed out that i "did nothing today" when i actually got ink on my face and observed London in the sun. If this Blog was just about work then i don't think it would do my year in London justice. Much of my experiences happen outside of a working environment and it is these i care to write about. Also, I promised right back at the start of this Blog that i would include stories about 'the embarrassing things that happened to Andrew'. These incidents happen rarely and so i tend to document them when they do.
I would encourage 'anonymous' to read this Blog with an open mind and hopefully think more carefully before posting a comment with such abusive intent. Or i would ask that 'anonymous' be a little braver with their comments and at least give themselves a name so that i can respond. I would gratefully appreciate peoples comments in response to what 'anonymous said'. Thank you Suzie for already doing this.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
carrier bags and sunny days
Aw man the weather was so good here today.....
Because the weather was so good i decided to walk into Oxford Circus on my lunch break to visit the borders book store there. I got completely lost on the way but thankfully ended up in Oxford Circus without really thinking i was going the right way. Once in the book store i purchased the magazine i was looking for and made for the exit. Outside the store i was again welcomed by the warm sunshine and i decided to walk back to work instead of taking the tube (the buses were all held up by protests today. Something about spending 70billion on our nuclear submarines...).
Again i managed to get lost on the way home but thankfully ended up at millennium bridge and i enjoyed the walk home along south bank. In the sun London really comes to life and your greeted with such a diverse group of people all enjoying themselves. On one park i saw homeless people enjoying the sun alongside people who were not homeless (i rather liked this). It was nice to arrive back to work and find people sitting on the steps outside and i had a great conversation with a disabled guy I've got to know really well....I walked back in the coffee shop entrance to find Oasis officials chatting about the future and felt good when they took time to say hello to me.....i felt a spring in my step as i walked through the coffee shop back to my office, smiling at all the customers.
Once back in the office Sam my team mate asked me if I'd been using ink. I asserted that i hadn't and then he asked why i had black ink all over the side of my face. I looked at my hands and found that all the print from the 'borders' bag had come off in my hand so when i touched my face it had transferred......not the best look i feel!
Because the weather was so good i decided to walk into Oxford Circus on my lunch break to visit the borders book store there. I got completely lost on the way but thankfully ended up in Oxford Circus without really thinking i was going the right way. Once in the book store i purchased the magazine i was looking for and made for the exit. Outside the store i was again welcomed by the warm sunshine and i decided to walk back to work instead of taking the tube (the buses were all held up by protests today. Something about spending 70billion on our nuclear submarines...).
Again i managed to get lost on the way home but thankfully ended up at millennium bridge and i enjoyed the walk home along south bank. In the sun London really comes to life and your greeted with such a diverse group of people all enjoying themselves. On one park i saw homeless people enjoying the sun alongside people who were not homeless (i rather liked this). It was nice to arrive back to work and find people sitting on the steps outside and i had a great conversation with a disabled guy I've got to know really well....I walked back in the coffee shop entrance to find Oasis officials chatting about the future and felt good when they took time to say hello to me.....i felt a spring in my step as i walked through the coffee shop back to my office, smiling at all the customers.
Once back in the office Sam my team mate asked me if I'd been using ink. I asserted that i hadn't and then he asked why i had black ink all over the side of my face. I looked at my hands and found that all the print from the 'borders' bag had come off in my hand so when i touched my face it had transferred......not the best look i feel!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Creating a culture of over protection
Again i approach another Blog entry with the guilt that it has been some time since i last wrote about something. I think i used the 'I've been busy card' to early in this whole Blog thing because busy back then doesn't compare to busy now. I'm now cooking on Gas whereas in the past i was cooking with a solar powered torch. I really like writing on this Blog but it's very difficult at the end of a long day to write something. I guess one of the benefits of a Blog is the self discipline. Anyway on with the blogging......
We had a team meeting at the beginning of the week and we were discussing our approach to work. As a volunteer its hard to be as disciplined about work as you might be in paid position. Perhaps this isn't the normal experience of voluntary work but i think for me the pay acts as a reward and within voluntary work you have to find other rewards for your work. I tend to feel pretty guilty if i don't work hard and this has been the driving force behind my work. However, at times i have still felt the temptation to take a morning off with the pushing factor being that I'm not getting paid for my time.
Our manager expressed that his biggest worry for us as Gap year workers was that we would develop a false reality of work and therefore has pushed us to consider our voluntary years the same as a paid years work. Our managers other concern was that we were creating too protective environment for ourselves. Throughout the year we've spent time with our mentors who encourage us not to work to hard and to watch our stress levels. Whereas perhaps a Gap year should be a time when you should work harder than you sometimes feel capable of. To do this allows you to test your limits and to also really test your capabilities as a future employee.
In a world where depression and stress affect so many people, the generation above us are desperate to protect us. Having trained as a social worker I'm well aware of the dangers such as 'burn out' and 'depression'. However, i wonder whether the current problems are creating a generation of workers who are over protective of themselves and never really push themselves without a bout of tiredness affecting their determination to work hard. Is it possible to get burnt out in a gap year....in the past i would have always said yes and now I'm not sure but i think i have to be very careful about the balance of work and fun in my life.
We had a team meeting at the beginning of the week and we were discussing our approach to work. As a volunteer its hard to be as disciplined about work as you might be in paid position. Perhaps this isn't the normal experience of voluntary work but i think for me the pay acts as a reward and within voluntary work you have to find other rewards for your work. I tend to feel pretty guilty if i don't work hard and this has been the driving force behind my work. However, at times i have still felt the temptation to take a morning off with the pushing factor being that I'm not getting paid for my time.
Our manager expressed that his biggest worry for us as Gap year workers was that we would develop a false reality of work and therefore has pushed us to consider our voluntary years the same as a paid years work. Our managers other concern was that we were creating too protective environment for ourselves. Throughout the year we've spent time with our mentors who encourage us not to work to hard and to watch our stress levels. Whereas perhaps a Gap year should be a time when you should work harder than you sometimes feel capable of. To do this allows you to test your limits and to also really test your capabilities as a future employee.
In a world where depression and stress affect so many people, the generation above us are desperate to protect us. Having trained as a social worker I'm well aware of the dangers such as 'burn out' and 'depression'. However, i wonder whether the current problems are creating a generation of workers who are over protective of themselves and never really push themselves without a bout of tiredness affecting their determination to work hard. Is it possible to get burnt out in a gap year....in the past i would have always said yes and now I'm not sure but i think i have to be very careful about the balance of work and fun in my life.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Stray shots and direct punches
I can quite confidently declare that my youth and children work skills are improving while I'm here....it may not appear that way as i stand shouting at a group of thirty kids who don't appear to be listening to me. This has happened on many occasions. I have also been victim to shouting louder than i've ever shouted in an attempt to try and regain some control of a room full of kids. Whenever this happens i think to myself 'that's what I'll be like when I'm a dad'. Its the fact that my skills are being challenged that tells me I'm improving.
For example, tonight at football i tried in vain to remain positive and encouraging throughout the session. However, as soon as we stepped into the sports hall i failed - J decides not to work on his passing and instead decides to shoot at the wall, eventually hitting F in the face with a volatile left footed volley....seeing only the injured child and the culprit i instantly roar at J to sit out for two minutes so i can speak to him once i've dealt with the injury. Meanwhile T has gone in the huff because he can't do the passing exercise and C has run out of the building because S punched him....That's a normal night.
Under those kind of conditions and my people skills stretched to their max i can only be getting better at crisis intervention....or maybe my physical health is taking some severe punishment.
For example, tonight at football i tried in vain to remain positive and encouraging throughout the session. However, as soon as we stepped into the sports hall i failed - J decides not to work on his passing and instead decides to shoot at the wall, eventually hitting F in the face with a volatile left footed volley....seeing only the injured child and the culprit i instantly roar at J to sit out for two minutes so i can speak to him once i've dealt with the injury. Meanwhile T has gone in the huff because he can't do the passing exercise and C has run out of the building because S punched him....That's a normal night.
Under those kind of conditions and my people skills stretched to their max i can only be getting better at crisis intervention....or maybe my physical health is taking some severe punishment.
Blog Back
Apologies for my obvious lazy attitude towards my Blog (work has been very busy and the Blog as well as my health has suffered!)....I have to go and do under 14's football now! Ever a joyful struggle. However, i'll write something after the football is over.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Stop the Traffik...
Please do support the cause 'stop the traffik'....it's part of Oasis and based in our building. Basically the aim of the group is to stop human traffficing around the world. Their current campaign is based upon the chocolate industry where they are encouraging people to eat fair trade chocolate only....there is some really interesting stuff on their website:http://www.stopthetraffik.org/. Please check it out.
I'm writing about Stop the Traffik because i think it's a great cause. However, it also brought about an exciting end to my day. Dave Parr (currently doing a voluntary gap year as Steve Chalkes driver) asked me at around four o'clock whether i wanted to help him attach a Stop the Traffik banner to the front of the church....i happily agreed. As Dave later said "you always feel like you've done a good days work when you've been up a ladder". So up a ladder i climbed, banner in hand... Now it might not sound so exciting but it really was. The Church is right in the centre of Lambeth so we were drawing a lot of attention from the commuters walking by. One guy even came up the steps to ask us what Stop the Traffik was....that was before we had even put the banner up! Now the banner is up and i am pleased with our work. Sometimes i get frustrated that the community we serve doesn't know how much we have on offer here. I would love to be able to find a way to tell all people but i realise that these days it's harder and harder to reach some groups within society....especially in London with such diverse language and culture barriers.
I'm now into my sixth month in London and i feel like time is slipping away.....we've achieved so much as a working community centre but i feel like there is so much still to do. We now have the coffee shop pulling in good numbers of customers, the kids clubs are establishing themselves as popular events within the community (one kid has refused to go to his drama lessons because he wants to come to our club)....At the school where i work half a day a week Oasis Mentoring is 'well' cool....within the year group we work with all the kids want to be mentored by Oasis! The Football Training is looking like producing a successful football team which will be entered into a local league come next season. My main project 'the advocacy service' is growing wings and it looks as if it will be fully in place by the time i finish to be carried on by the Church congregation and volunteers.
Then sometimes i fear what will happen when me and the other volunteers leave and the team will go from 12 to 4....then i remember that the great thing about this Church is that it's part of a bigger agenda. One that i'm in no way control of and one that i will never fully grasp....
I'm writing about Stop the Traffik because i think it's a great cause. However, it also brought about an exciting end to my day. Dave Parr (currently doing a voluntary gap year as Steve Chalkes driver) asked me at around four o'clock whether i wanted to help him attach a Stop the Traffik banner to the front of the church....i happily agreed. As Dave later said "you always feel like you've done a good days work when you've been up a ladder". So up a ladder i climbed, banner in hand... Now it might not sound so exciting but it really was. The Church is right in the centre of Lambeth so we were drawing a lot of attention from the commuters walking by. One guy even came up the steps to ask us what Stop the Traffik was....that was before we had even put the banner up! Now the banner is up and i am pleased with our work. Sometimes i get frustrated that the community we serve doesn't know how much we have on offer here. I would love to be able to find a way to tell all people but i realise that these days it's harder and harder to reach some groups within society....especially in London with such diverse language and culture barriers.
I'm now into my sixth month in London and i feel like time is slipping away.....we've achieved so much as a working community centre but i feel like there is so much still to do. We now have the coffee shop pulling in good numbers of customers, the kids clubs are establishing themselves as popular events within the community (one kid has refused to go to his drama lessons because he wants to come to our club)....At the school where i work half a day a week Oasis Mentoring is 'well' cool....within the year group we work with all the kids want to be mentored by Oasis! The Football Training is looking like producing a successful football team which will be entered into a local league come next season. My main project 'the advocacy service' is growing wings and it looks as if it will be fully in place by the time i finish to be carried on by the Church congregation and volunteers.
Then sometimes i fear what will happen when me and the other volunteers leave and the team will go from 12 to 4....then i remember that the great thing about this Church is that it's part of a bigger agenda. One that i'm in no way control of and one that i will never fully grasp....
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Imax.....
Today's been very cool.....
We had our first Kids Club trip and we visited the i-max cinema to watch 'Lions of the Kalahari'. What a brilliant event it turned out to be after i had lost my glasses, cleaned up sick and facilitated a mental game of 'duck duck goose'. I remember when i was at primary school and we had school trips. Teachers were so organised they had everything under control. We on the other hand were a group of eight young people with the kids of twenty parents learning how to do an outing for the first time.....
When H told me he needed to go to the toilet i could tell by the colour of his face that it wasn't because he needed a pee. Scared that he would be sick all over the pizza i rushed him to the nearest toilet where he did the inevitable. I hadn't been expecting that! His mum works across the road so we went to get her. She arrived and told us he was fine and so we carried on with the day. As soon as his mum left I saw him go to the toilet. When he returned i asked him if he had been sick again? He informed me he hadn't! I wasn't so sure and so i went to the toilet because i knew he wouldn't have flushed it away....in the toilet i found the inevitable and returned to tell H that he would need to go home. It was a real shame because he didn't want to leave. I knew to check the toilet because once when were at a football centre he needed a pee and so i showed him where the toilets were. I also needed so i went after he had gone and found that he had actually peed in a shower! I decided to use the toilet....
When we arrived at the imax i needed to go to the toilet (a theme appearing here) and so i asked S aged five to hold my glasses (i dont know why i couldn't just have taken my glasses to the toilet!!). When i returned the glasses had gone and S didn't have a clue where they were! Just as i started looking the film started and i had to wait until the end before i could find them. I did find them..... crushed up against the chairs in front!
As for Duck Duck Goose, well its always mental no matter who's playing....there's always one kid who slips whilst trying to run round the circle at full speed! I think today i learned that despite difficulties these kids have cemented themselves in my heart. The longer i work with them the more i see their potential. For weeks we've been working on passing at football training and the kids just weren't getting it! But last night i watched as three of the boys passed the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and then scored....the feeling inside was amazing, like i had just overcome the greatest of challenges. As i tied my shoes this morning i started thinking how great it was that we were working with kids of age 7+ because as long as their living in this community we'll be involved in supporting and encouraging them.....Even just walking home from the imax today was brilliant....being out of the centre you see the kids in a different light.
I thought i'd add some pictures of me working.... in case it was in question i actually did work.
We had our first Kids Club trip and we visited the i-max cinema to watch 'Lions of the Kalahari'. What a brilliant event it turned out to be after i had lost my glasses, cleaned up sick and facilitated a mental game of 'duck duck goose'. I remember when i was at primary school and we had school trips. Teachers were so organised they had everything under control. We on the other hand were a group of eight young people with the kids of twenty parents learning how to do an outing for the first time.....
When H told me he needed to go to the toilet i could tell by the colour of his face that it wasn't because he needed a pee. Scared that he would be sick all over the pizza i rushed him to the nearest toilet where he did the inevitable. I hadn't been expecting that! His mum works across the road so we went to get her. She arrived and told us he was fine and so we carried on with the day. As soon as his mum left I saw him go to the toilet. When he returned i asked him if he had been sick again? He informed me he hadn't! I wasn't so sure and so i went to the toilet because i knew he wouldn't have flushed it away....in the toilet i found the inevitable and returned to tell H that he would need to go home. It was a real shame because he didn't want to leave. I knew to check the toilet because once when were at a football centre he needed a pee and so i showed him where the toilets were. I also needed so i went after he had gone and found that he had actually peed in a shower! I decided to use the toilet....
When we arrived at the imax i needed to go to the toilet (a theme appearing here) and so i asked S aged five to hold my glasses (i dont know why i couldn't just have taken my glasses to the toilet!!). When i returned the glasses had gone and S didn't have a clue where they were! Just as i started looking the film started and i had to wait until the end before i could find them. I did find them..... crushed up against the chairs in front!
As for Duck Duck Goose, well its always mental no matter who's playing....there's always one kid who slips whilst trying to run round the circle at full speed! I think today i learned that despite difficulties these kids have cemented themselves in my heart. The longer i work with them the more i see their potential. For weeks we've been working on passing at football training and the kids just weren't getting it! But last night i watched as three of the boys passed the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and then scored....the feeling inside was amazing, like i had just overcome the greatest of challenges. As i tied my shoes this morning i started thinking how great it was that we were working with kids of age 7+ because as long as their living in this community we'll be involved in supporting and encouraging them.....Even just walking home from the imax today was brilliant....being out of the centre you see the kids in a different light.
I thought i'd add some pictures of me working.... in case it was in question i actually did work.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Does God love chickens?.....probably
I report sadly that Andrew's hair was cut at 12pm today....i'm sure each of you reading this Blog will have at some time taken a constructive look at his mop! I can report that Andrew is happy with the cut but sad to have now lost what can regarded as a useful homeless outreach tool....Many people made commented how Andrew's hair looked like that of a rough sleeper.
The image below is a wonderful one.....i encourage you to follow your dreams. I led the evening service on Sunday night and i used this image. I felt pleased that everyone could open mindedly see the beauty of this cartoon. It's by edward monkton who is quickly becoming my hero alongside jesus, my dad and the tellytubbies (what they did for this world is a constant inspiration).
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Woke up this morning and found it had snowed....that was a nice surprise. Managed to squeeze in an early morning snowball fight before it all melted. It's not just the people that move fast in London it's also the weather. It rains quickly, the snow melts quickly.....so now there is no snow left!
Carrying on this theme of good deeds i wanted to write about a couple of things I've seen in the last week. On Friday i went out with my team to celebrate my Birthday (I'm now 23) and we had a great time. It's the first time since we arrived in London that we've all gone out together and we really benefited from it. Things were getting a little tense at work mainly because we were spending too much time working together and not enough time socialising. But after Friday night we all felt great having witnessed each other's company in an environment outside work....Anyway, we were standing at the bus stop awaiting our bus home when we were approached by this guy. He asked us if we had change of a fiver so he could buy his bus ticket. Each of us raked in our pockets but were unable to find five pounds worth of coins. We apologised and turned to walk away. Then in a moment of inspiration i said "we could just give you the one fifty to buy your ticket!" and each of my team agreed. At first the guy hesitated but took our money gratefully and bought his ticket. It was so wonderful to see his face once the ticket was bought. It was like he had just realised what had happened and was like wow! He asked us how he could repay us and we refused recognising it as a kind deed that would cheer him up. We found out his name and chatted until our buses arrived.
Then last night i was travelling back to Brixton on the Bus and i noticed that the girl sat behind me was crying......Here goes i thought searching for a sweet in my bag ready to cheer her up but then i noticed she was on the phone, talking the issue through with someone. But i was ready, i had rhubarb and custard sweets in my bag. There is a definite routine in London of get up go to work come home and sleep. People are in that zone and i think very unable to deal with things that don't fit in with their routine. On Wednesday i was walking from my house to the bus and suddenly a guy behind me just yelled.....I got such a fright. I turned round and saw a man with his face was all smashed up and cut. What surprised me was not his appearance or actions but instead the reaction of people around him. No one seemed at all concerned or bothered. They were just walking focused and efficiently....they were in their zone.
Carrying on this theme of good deeds i wanted to write about a couple of things I've seen in the last week. On Friday i went out with my team to celebrate my Birthday (I'm now 23) and we had a great time. It's the first time since we arrived in London that we've all gone out together and we really benefited from it. Things were getting a little tense at work mainly because we were spending too much time working together and not enough time socialising. But after Friday night we all felt great having witnessed each other's company in an environment outside work....Anyway, we were standing at the bus stop awaiting our bus home when we were approached by this guy. He asked us if we had change of a fiver so he could buy his bus ticket. Each of us raked in our pockets but were unable to find five pounds worth of coins. We apologised and turned to walk away. Then in a moment of inspiration i said "we could just give you the one fifty to buy your ticket!" and each of my team agreed. At first the guy hesitated but took our money gratefully and bought his ticket. It was so wonderful to see his face once the ticket was bought. It was like he had just realised what had happened and was like wow! He asked us how he could repay us and we refused recognising it as a kind deed that would cheer him up. We found out his name and chatted until our buses arrived.
Then last night i was travelling back to Brixton on the Bus and i noticed that the girl sat behind me was crying......Here goes i thought searching for a sweet in my bag ready to cheer her up but then i noticed she was on the phone, talking the issue through with someone. But i was ready, i had rhubarb and custard sweets in my bag. There is a definite routine in London of get up go to work come home and sleep. People are in that zone and i think very unable to deal with things that don't fit in with their routine. On Wednesday i was walking from my house to the bus and suddenly a guy behind me just yelled.....I got such a fright. I turned round and saw a man with his face was all smashed up and cut. What surprised me was not his appearance or actions but instead the reaction of people around him. No one seemed at all concerned or bothered. They were just walking focused and efficiently....they were in their zone.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Inclusive or exclusive in your view of other faiths?....can we truly respect people when we dont respect their faith?
Inclusive or exclusive in your view of other faiths....surely followers of christ should be the most inclusive.
Every Monday morning we have training and it always inspires me. Today we were talking about our understanding of other religions and asking the question 'are we inclusive or exclusive in our view of religion'. We also considered what we as followers of Jesus are called to do concerning other religions. What i took from the session was the importance of having an inclusive stance towards other religions. Indeed, it was proposed that when we are exclusive of other religions we become defensive and this affects the way we present our faith. The war on terrorism is a perfect example of exclusive faith. George Bush presents as a christian quote "God loves America", yet we fight with weapons. Do we really want to wipe out another faith as a response to what has happened (i'm sure these are questions that have been asked before but it's just fresh in my head today). I also realise that i haven't felt the pain or desire for revenge that may come with losing someone to a terrorist act.
When we are inclusive we embrace others peoples views and in turn people feel respected. To open up some debate about who is right and who is wrong again is destructive. Instead acceptance is the key. As followers of jesus we are called to love and accept....yet so many Christians feel the need to attack other religions. It almost makes me want to break away from the term 'christian' because the influential people out there do the term so much harm. Think Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson and others in the public eye who i cant think of right now. What Oasis feel strongly about is creating a new understanding of the term 'christian'. I want to be a follower of jesus.... Following the actions of someone who had such a love for other people seems more appealing that the 'anti' abortion, homosexuality, sex before marriage picture of christianity currently in parts of society. Please help to change this picture....
The thing i like most about what we covered today was this statement.... "Jesus came to the earth not to create religion but instead to show Gods love". Simple and comforting. Where did we get it all so wrong....
Every Monday morning we have training and it always inspires me. Today we were talking about our understanding of other religions and asking the question 'are we inclusive or exclusive in our view of religion'. We also considered what we as followers of Jesus are called to do concerning other religions. What i took from the session was the importance of having an inclusive stance towards other religions. Indeed, it was proposed that when we are exclusive of other religions we become defensive and this affects the way we present our faith. The war on terrorism is a perfect example of exclusive faith. George Bush presents as a christian quote "God loves America", yet we fight with weapons. Do we really want to wipe out another faith as a response to what has happened (i'm sure these are questions that have been asked before but it's just fresh in my head today). I also realise that i haven't felt the pain or desire for revenge that may come with losing someone to a terrorist act.
When we are inclusive we embrace others peoples views and in turn people feel respected. To open up some debate about who is right and who is wrong again is destructive. Instead acceptance is the key. As followers of jesus we are called to love and accept....yet so many Christians feel the need to attack other religions. It almost makes me want to break away from the term 'christian' because the influential people out there do the term so much harm. Think Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson and others in the public eye who i cant think of right now. What Oasis feel strongly about is creating a new understanding of the term 'christian'. I want to be a follower of jesus.... Following the actions of someone who had such a love for other people seems more appealing that the 'anti' abortion, homosexuality, sex before marriage picture of christianity currently in parts of society. Please help to change this picture....
The thing i like most about what we covered today was this statement.... "Jesus came to the earth not to create religion but instead to show Gods love". Simple and comforting. Where did we get it all so wrong....
Monday, January 29, 2007
Chocolate as an approach to relieving the grieving
London is a lonely place, anyone who has moved here would tell you that. I've benefitted from being part of a team moving into a new place together and so not experienced loneliness as other might. The reason i mention this is because recently i've seen example of London's loneliness. One example is my team-mate. She had received some bad news through a letter and sat crying on a bus. In a bus full of people nobody approached to ask if she was okay. Even the person sat beside her showed no response to her emotion.
Then on the train last wednesday me and my friend Dan watched as girl said goodbye to her friends and then burst into tears as they walked off the train. Dan and I had been at a concert and on the way to the train picked up some chocolate. Dan asked me if we should offer the girl some to cheer her up. We were both so moved by her grief that we felt we had to do something (surely that's the natural human response!). So after a couple of minutes i took the kinder bueno out my pocket and approached the girl. As i got close i said "i see your upset so i wanted to give you this to cheer you up....it's both nutritious and delicious". The girl smiled and took the chocolate. I returned to my seat smiling. Me and Dan watched as she ate the chocolate and her grief turned to happiness. Once the chocolate had been consumed she turned to us and said "thankyou, that's cheered me up no end". It was a really nice moment.
Spontaneous good deeds is something we should all take the opportunity to do. Although it takes a small step on our part to overcome our inhibitions it has the potential to change someone's day. No one should ever sit on a bus and cry without being offered some form of reassurance. I hope that you agree with me.
Kinder Bueno: Now the chocolate bar associated with spontaneous good deeds......mmmmm
Then on the train last wednesday me and my friend Dan watched as girl said goodbye to her friends and then burst into tears as they walked off the train. Dan and I had been at a concert and on the way to the train picked up some chocolate. Dan asked me if we should offer the girl some to cheer her up. We were both so moved by her grief that we felt we had to do something (surely that's the natural human response!). So after a couple of minutes i took the kinder bueno out my pocket and approached the girl. As i got close i said "i see your upset so i wanted to give you this to cheer you up....it's both nutritious and delicious". The girl smiled and took the chocolate. I returned to my seat smiling. Me and Dan watched as she ate the chocolate and her grief turned to happiness. Once the chocolate had been consumed she turned to us and said "thankyou, that's cheered me up no end". It was a really nice moment.
Spontaneous good deeds is something we should all take the opportunity to do. Although it takes a small step on our part to overcome our inhibitions it has the potential to change someone's day. No one should ever sit on a bus and cry without being offered some form of reassurance. I hope that you agree with me.
Kinder Bueno: Now the chocolate bar associated with spontaneous good deeds......mmmmmFriday, January 26, 2007
Hub House - Save the youngsters
I wanted to draw your attention to one of my webpage links. These can be found on the left hand side of this page under a section call 'places you wanna go see'. The specific link is entitled hub house and it outlines the centres plans to open up a state of the art youth centre. Pete the head youth worker is running the London Marathon to raise funds and he would value your support.
The youth centre when up and running will offer young people an internet radio station, a training suite, a meeting area and a beauty salon as a career opportunity. This youth hub will touch hundreds of young people lives. Your support would be greatly welcomed.
The youth centre when up and running will offer young people an internet radio station, a training suite, a meeting area and a beauty salon as a career opportunity. This youth hub will touch hundreds of young people lives. Your support would be greatly welcomed.
Monday, January 22, 2007
New experiences are a good thing but I wouldn't like to be hit by a car
If you ever want to experience something then come to London. I believe that the people responsible for advertising London around the world could really market the city with the slogan ‘experience everything in London’. Obviously that’s a weak statement because I’m not even sure of everything that there is to experience but I’m pretty sure that you can do it in London.
I’ve had experiences in London that I wouldn’t have gotten in Perth. For example eating Jamaican food (seriously it’s some of the best food I’ve ever had, jerk chicken or even just rice and peas with jerk sauce). Maybe that’s a bad example because someone in Perth could make Jamaican food. My point is that I’ve been opened up to so many different cultures and it’s a really wonderful experience. Often I sit on the bus into work and try to work out where the different languages being spoken are from.
The reason I’m writing about experiences is because I had a very new one yesterday. I was leaving the centre heading to the post office to post a letter (obviously! Although I could have been going for a chicken mayo baguette, only £1.99). As I fixed my headphones into my ears I looked up to see a car screech to a halt and man bounce up onto the bonnet and then smack onto the road. First onto the scene I pulled out my phone and called an ambulance. By the time I got through to the right people I was beside the man. He was conscious but obviously in real pain. It was really hard to speak to the emergency people because the traffic hadn’t stopped and the vehicles passing were really noisy. I explained to the man that I was calling an ambulance and they would be with us soon. The driver of the car was standing over the man looking very concerned. Another pedestrian had come running over when it happened and he began to speak to the injured man. He asked him where he felt pain etc. Within about two minutes of my call the Police, the Ambulance and the Fire Brigade joined us. I had to give a statement to the police about what I saw (from what people were saying the man had walked out in front of the car from behind a truck). I told them I only saw the collision.
The man was taken to hospital and we were reassured he would be fine. Then I went to the post office to post my letter and I was more careful than normal when I had to cross roads.
I’ve had experiences in London that I wouldn’t have gotten in Perth. For example eating Jamaican food (seriously it’s some of the best food I’ve ever had, jerk chicken or even just rice and peas with jerk sauce). Maybe that’s a bad example because someone in Perth could make Jamaican food. My point is that I’ve been opened up to so many different cultures and it’s a really wonderful experience. Often I sit on the bus into work and try to work out where the different languages being spoken are from.
The reason I’m writing about experiences is because I had a very new one yesterday. I was leaving the centre heading to the post office to post a letter (obviously! Although I could have been going for a chicken mayo baguette, only £1.99). As I fixed my headphones into my ears I looked up to see a car screech to a halt and man bounce up onto the bonnet and then smack onto the road. First onto the scene I pulled out my phone and called an ambulance. By the time I got through to the right people I was beside the man. He was conscious but obviously in real pain. It was really hard to speak to the emergency people because the traffic hadn’t stopped and the vehicles passing were really noisy. I explained to the man that I was calling an ambulance and they would be with us soon. The driver of the car was standing over the man looking very concerned. Another pedestrian had come running over when it happened and he began to speak to the injured man. He asked him where he felt pain etc. Within about two minutes of my call the Police, the Ambulance and the Fire Brigade joined us. I had to give a statement to the police about what I saw (from what people were saying the man had walked out in front of the car from behind a truck). I told them I only saw the collision.
The man was taken to hospital and we were reassured he would be fine. Then I went to the post office to post my letter and I was more careful than normal when I had to cross roads.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
New years resolution failure
I never could do new years resolutions...and it seems a week in i've already failed to Blog everyday....
Yesterday we had a training session on group communication and in front of each other we had to present for 90seconds on a subject of our choice....I've always found talking in front of people fine but yesterday in front of my small team i couldn't. Not a very nice experience becuase i felt totally useless afterwards.....Perhaps it's becuase there are so many good publice speakers within Oasis and as a result you see yourself being able to reach a different level. I mean Steve Chalke is a great public speaker and i suppose that is what we're being asked to strive towards.
It was interesting to learn the traits of a good public speaker....one that makes eye contact with his audience, one that captures people's attention and one that uses stories and illustrations that people (young and old) can relate too. Dave our minister told us that these were essential skills for a church leader to have. Mainly to keep the church excited by it's vision.
After a visit to Church.co.uk one of my good friends once asked me a question. "If God is really so incredible and his word so wonderful, why do we need preachers and exciting speakers to sell the word?" Is it time to stop preaching, to change what church offers to people. To something active, something more community based....something that revolves around community and discussion and fellowship. Tea and coffee drinking and chatting. Minsiters as discussion prompters and carers. Encouraging people to meet and greet. Just a thought out loud becuase i think my friends got a point....I'm hoping i'll get some responses (gavin matthews).
Yesterday we had a training session on group communication and in front of each other we had to present for 90seconds on a subject of our choice....I've always found talking in front of people fine but yesterday in front of my small team i couldn't. Not a very nice experience becuase i felt totally useless afterwards.....Perhaps it's becuase there are so many good publice speakers within Oasis and as a result you see yourself being able to reach a different level. I mean Steve Chalke is a great public speaker and i suppose that is what we're being asked to strive towards.
It was interesting to learn the traits of a good public speaker....one that makes eye contact with his audience, one that captures people's attention and one that uses stories and illustrations that people (young and old) can relate too. Dave our minister told us that these were essential skills for a church leader to have. Mainly to keep the church excited by it's vision.
After a visit to Church.co.uk one of my good friends once asked me a question. "If God is really so incredible and his word so wonderful, why do we need preachers and exciting speakers to sell the word?" Is it time to stop preaching, to change what church offers to people. To something active, something more community based....something that revolves around community and discussion and fellowship. Tea and coffee drinking and chatting. Minsiters as discussion prompters and carers. Encouraging people to meet and greet. Just a thought out loud becuase i think my friends got a point....I'm hoping i'll get some responses (gavin matthews).
Friday, January 12, 2007
Not always easy to be inlcusive
I'll set the scene. The coffee shop in the centre is contently quiet. A few people sit scattered at numerous tables. Some having meetings, some reading books and others sitting reflecting. I'm behind the counter cleaning cups and plates awaiting the next customer to arrive so i can put my coffee maker hat back on. I really enjoy being in the coffee shop becuase i get to meet lot's of people. I always feel that its an opportunity to encourage people to make this their regular coffee house. This i do by chatting to customers and smiling warmly....(i would like to think that the face of the centre is one that smiles).
Every so often the tranquility of the coffee shop is disturbed by what can only be described as a penniless poet. Indeed, this is what he calls himself. The penniless poet enters the coffee shop loudly and aggressively and sits himself down beside the nearest customers. Once there he begins to resite poetry that he has written himself (some of it's actually very good). The problem with the penniless poet is that he makes a nuisnace of himself. He doesn't do anything quietly. He doesn't let other people speak and he can be very aggressive and nasty.
The dillemma facing the centre is how we deal with the penniless poet. We want so badly to be able to offer this homeless man a place he can feel welcome but while he acts the way he does we can't allow him into the coffee shop. So every time he arrives we always have to get the police in to escort him out. It doesn't matter how hard we work to settle him or chat to him he always does something that puts the safety of the customers in jeopardy....It really breaks my heart to see him taken out by the police.
The penniless poet shows me that it's impossible to be completely inclusive becuase no matter what you plan to do somebody will always be excluded. However, this shouldn't hinder our attempts to be as inclusive as possible.....
Every so often the tranquility of the coffee shop is disturbed by what can only be described as a penniless poet. Indeed, this is what he calls himself. The penniless poet enters the coffee shop loudly and aggressively and sits himself down beside the nearest customers. Once there he begins to resite poetry that he has written himself (some of it's actually very good). The problem with the penniless poet is that he makes a nuisnace of himself. He doesn't do anything quietly. He doesn't let other people speak and he can be very aggressive and nasty.
The dillemma facing the centre is how we deal with the penniless poet. We want so badly to be able to offer this homeless man a place he can feel welcome but while he acts the way he does we can't allow him into the coffee shop. So every time he arrives we always have to get the police in to escort him out. It doesn't matter how hard we work to settle him or chat to him he always does something that puts the safety of the customers in jeopardy....It really breaks my heart to see him taken out by the police.
The penniless poet shows me that it's impossible to be completely inclusive becuase no matter what you plan to do somebody will always be excluded. However, this shouldn't hinder our attempts to be as inclusive as possible.....
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A glimpse of sunshine on a cloudy day
I’m sure we all experience the moments where a small incident can change a bad day into a good day. I don’t know what you call those small moments but they’re wonderful. Today I had such an experience. Struggling to motivate myself on a slow Wednesday afternoon I groaned at the thought of doing kids club. I couldn’t understand why I felt so unenthusiastic because I love kids work. When the first kid arrived he came straight to me (F – you might remember him from past stories). Leaping and bounding he had one thing on his mind….Football. He grabbed my arm and we went through to the theatre of dreams that is the centres sports hall. Half an hour later and a full five-on-five football match was in swing. Me the oldest and tallest joined by nine 10year old boys in a game that made me so thankful to have the privilege of working in such an environment. It was an honour to be playing football with these boys.
Now I cant quite pinpoint when my attitude changed during that day but whenever it happened it’s a moment that is going to keep me motivated for a whole term.
Now I cant quite pinpoint when my attitude changed during that day but whenever it happened it’s a moment that is going to keep me motivated for a whole term.
2007 - a new era for this Blog
My new years resolution is to Blog something everyday. Whether it’s just a paragraph on what I’ve done that day or a paragraph discussing the finer points of ‘inclusion in 2007’, I really want to update the Blog regularly. I think this will help people to get a greater understanding of my work in London.
I have a feeling that by updating my blog more regularly my work will seem less glamorous and more real life. Perhaps you’ll come to realise that I’m actually the tea boy for Oasis. Or worse, realise that I never actually do any work and this blog is filled with other peoples’ stories. Upon refection that isn’t actually a bad thought because I would love to be able to share other people’s stories. It’s a severe reality that many people leave this earth without ever having been able to tell their story. In this next term of work I really want to push on with the drop-in advocacy/support/advice service. Its development will allow the centre to offer a service for the excluded - Those people who haven’t had the chance to tell their life story.
One thing I’ve experienced in all my work with homeless men is that they love to talk about their lives. As a young trainee Social Worker (how old are you Andrew?) I was in the mindset that it was my job to provide the answers for people. This meant I probably never really gave the guys I worked with the opportunity just to talk. By allowing them space to speak it probably would have created a more honest and natural relationship. Three years on I feel really strongly about allowing people the opportunity to tell their story. Whether realistically this is always possible I’ll find out. What I know for certain is that people benefit from an unconditional ear that listens for no other reason than to enjoy a person’s life story.
I have a feeling that by updating my blog more regularly my work will seem less glamorous and more real life. Perhaps you’ll come to realise that I’m actually the tea boy for Oasis. Or worse, realise that I never actually do any work and this blog is filled with other peoples’ stories. Upon refection that isn’t actually a bad thought because I would love to be able to share other people’s stories. It’s a severe reality that many people leave this earth without ever having been able to tell their story. In this next term of work I really want to push on with the drop-in advocacy/support/advice service. Its development will allow the centre to offer a service for the excluded - Those people who haven’t had the chance to tell their life story.
One thing I’ve experienced in all my work with homeless men is that they love to talk about their lives. As a young trainee Social Worker (how old are you Andrew?) I was in the mindset that it was my job to provide the answers for people. This meant I probably never really gave the guys I worked with the opportunity just to talk. By allowing them space to speak it probably would have created a more honest and natural relationship. Three years on I feel really strongly about allowing people the opportunity to tell their story. Whether realistically this is always possible I’ll find out. What I know for certain is that people benefit from an unconditional ear that listens for no other reason than to enjoy a person’s life story.
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