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Enabling Participation. Plan a more participative project. You are asked the following question by the church leadership: How can we better enable the participation of young people in our Church?
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Plan a more participative project You are asked the following question by the church leadership: • How can we better enable the participation of young people in our Church? • You have 45 minutes to come up with a plan that could be put into practice to respond to this question. You will need to then present the plan to the rest of the groups who will be the church leadership. You will then decide which plan is the one the church take forward.
What’s your story? • What experiences were instrumental in your faith development? • Who were they and what part did others play in why you do youth work? • What was it about them that made a difference to you?
So what outcomes do you want for this session? • How involved are young people in your work? • What do you want to learn about increasing participation? • What challenges do you face involving and enabling young people? • What experiences have you got to share?
Defining youth participation “Participation is the process through which individuals and groups can influence decision making and bring about change.”
Defining youth participation In 1989 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child stated that the freedom of thought and expression of the child should be recognised so that a child ‘who is capable of forming his or her own views has the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.’ (Tresder, P, Empowering Children and Young People, Save the Children, 1997)
Defining youth participation Schultz defines youth ministry within a church context as, ‘for young people – operated largely by young people. Young people do most of the planning, preparing and executing…they delegate to other young people the responsibilities for directing…’ (Schultz T and J, Involving Youth in Youth Ministry, Thom Schultz Publications, Loveland, p.16)
Defining youth participation What do you think? What would your definition be?
Defining youth participation • Youth participation… • recognises that young people and their views are to be valued • gives young people a voice • involves young people making decisions and delivery of youth work • is voluntary • is intentional • gives the young people involved an appropriate amount of influence to change things • has relationship at its heart
Defining youth participation • ‘Youth participation has a high trust relationship at the heart, is voluntary and intentional, valuing young people, giving young people a voice and empowering them to make a difference through decision making and practice.’
The current state of youth participation • How would you describe your youth work; ‘fast food’ or ‘grow your own’? • Who makes the decisions about activities and programmes? • Who shapes the project? • Who delivers the project?
The current state of youth participation • What words would you use to describe the young people involved in the youth work you are involved in? • Consumers, Members, Partners, Onlookers, Leaders, Users, Owners, Clients, Customers, Followers, Participants
How competent are young people? How competent are you?
How competent are young people? • Less rights than prisoners • Growing angst, anxiety and stress • Infantilisation? • Teen 2.0 – Robert Epstein • Teens are very nearly if not as competent as adults – research (howadultareyou.com) • Teenage a social phenonmenon • Radical solutions – not age-based but competency based • Increase Responsibility not Freedom
God of participation • Participation in creation (Genesis 1 & 2) • Participation in redemption • Noah (Gen 6:9-22) • Abraham (Gen 12:1) • Moses (Exodus 3:7-12) • Disciples (Gospels, Matt 28, John 21, Acts 2) • Church (Acts 2:42-45) • Down through history • You and me • If God’s action in Christ (life, death and resurrection) is at the heart of the gospel, shouldn’t action be at the heart of mission and discipleship? • Christ’s action in the world – not to be consumed but ‘part of’!
Participation in Practice • Moral responsibility? • Theological imperative? • Young people are competent • Unique insight • Effective for discipleship • ‘How?’ rather than ‘If’
Participation in Practice • Challenges of participation – Decoration / Manipulation / Tokenism • How would you assess your enabling of young people against the two models? • What would you do to enable participation in your work context?
Asking questions of participation • Who are the right people? • How do you try involving those who don’t already participate? • Are the young people taking on too much? • How do we deal with disappointment? • Can you really deliver participation? • Is there a time not to involve young people?
Plan a more participative project • Pick a project involving children and young people that you know well or are part of: • How participative is it? • How could it be more participative? • What would you gain and what would you lose by making it more participative? • What do you need to do to make it happen?
A toolkit for participation • Why do you want to enable young people in this context? • What is the project or piece of work? • What duration? • Aim and objectives? • What expectations? (yours and theirs)
A toolkit for participation • What support is right and can be delivered? • What is the role? • Who are the right people? • How will you measure the impact on the young people?
Drawing some conclusions • Young people want to be involved • Participation makes a difference • Participation is integral to God’s kingdom • Participation should be a natural and integral part of mission • Participation helps young people live and work out their faith
