Wednesday, October 12, 2005

This blog in a nutshell...

It is a well established fact that men are from Mars, and women are from an entirely different galaxy/milky way/ chocolate confectionery based universe. Or is it? If we have trouble understanding and communicating across gender gaps at the best of times, how does this impact on our youth work and youth ministry?

This is a blog which acknowledges that gender has a massive impact on how we relate to the world and is not afraid to ask questions about the implications for our ministry.

Does being a woman mean you work in a different way with boys than the way you work with girls?

In a society where men are no longer relied upon as breadwinners and father figures, how can a female youthworker help the boys in her group to find a godly, male identity?

Does our female gender change our theology of youth ministry?

Does feminism have any relevance to how we practice youth ministry?

Is sexism absent or present in youth ministry?

How does our gender affect and colour our models of youth ministry?

These are just some the questions we will be posing. We can't promise definitive answers, but we hope to stimulate some debate. We can promise, a blog filled with stories, hopes, reflections, and encouragements of those engaged in youth ministry to inspire and encourage others (yes, even you guys!) as we journey towards Christ with our young people.

4 comments:

simo said...

Obviously I am not a woman in youth ministry, but I did used to work very closely with my wife before we started a family and it has just worked out that I have been the one to continue the work at this time. I think though it is interesting to look back at how my ministry has had to change now it is male rather than being a joint thing with my wife, there is definitely a dynamic that I miss, not just because it was my wife I worked with but because as a Male & Female team it definitely brought a balance to our work that is harder, or perhaps even impossible to maintain (certainly fully maintain) now I work on my own. Looking at the idea of having a gap year scheme up and running next year I would be keen to have at least one woman as a part of that to bring back some of that balance.

KT said...

men are from earth, women are from earth, deal with it...

sorry, not constuctively helpful but it's good for a laugh. may post constructively later :-D

FellowPilgrim said...

great idea...this blogspace!

Wonder if it might makes sense to link/advertise it somehow in connection with Youth Specialities'
Youth Ministry Network for Women
here
http://www.ymwomen.com/
?

Sarah Brush said...

Fellow Pilgrim,

We've linked to them. I tried linking our network there before but couldn't because we're not in the US.