Okay so yet again I have left this a while since my last
blog, due to the sheer amount of work that that I have been helping (not
hindering…. Usually) with, at St. Luke’s UMC. So I am going to do this in my
normal style, for an “Owain-you-have-too-many-days-to-remember” catch up blog.
Children’s Ministry
So as you now I spent time over Christmas, researching
and trying to find some curriculum, for the hour long period I have total
control over the children on a Wednesday, I was happy with what I brought
together for them, however you would be surprised how many Tuesday nights I
spent looking at what I had planned, and thinking, “what the heck was I
thinking?!”, and changing my plan.
Looking back at some of the things I did with them, there
are definitely something’s I would change about how I would present it all. So
here is:
Do no, I repeat do not, put out the paint, brushes,
and paper in front of them before you explain what to do…. Or you will end up
with something beautiful, but also useless for the lesson… this is pretty much
the same for any craft activity.
Explain, in detail, to your volunteers what
the activities are, and even if think you have, tell them once more just to
make sure. This stops you having to answer their questions while explaining the
task or activity to the children, which can be very distracting to kids, or
seen as a chance to escape to the toys. Also, once you start explaining, don’t
stop for questions till the end, because when a child raises there hand, this
most certainly doesn’t indicate a question, it may actually be a five minute
ramble on how they went to school without their hair being the way they wanted…
When you make a plan, most certainly be free
to deviate, as with children, who knows what the heck is going to happen.
(Number of times I stuck to the plan the whole way…. Somewhere between one and
negative one) When you can't stick to the plan make sure you have small backups
to slot in, to keep the children occupied as you try to find a way back to your
plan. (Example: put on some kid friendly worship, as anyone under ten seems to
have the ability, and loves to dance to anything…)
So there you have it. I will put in here, an example of
one of the days we did that I felt went the best…
The Creed: God the
Father
First I sat with
and talked to them about the first two lines of the Apostles Creed, “I believe
in God the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” Trying to get them to
just appreciate how we believe in a being that created everything, and how mind
blowing that is, from the oak leaf veins to the massive burning ball of gas,
that we call the sun. I then showed a time lapse video that we had used in
Sunday school for youth that previous week.
We then created a
huge poster of the world, made up of blue bulletin board paper, and green craft
card, cut by the children into different land mass shapes
Youth Ministry
I love every one of my youth, no matter how hyperactive
some can be at times; they are all fantastic! It is a pleasure to be able to
work with them. Over the past month we started new Monday night programming,
called Plugged In, which I have been given as my programme to try grow, and run.
It is good experience starting a programme from scratch, first week we had a
grand total of….Five, which to some may be disheartening, and make you feel
like giving up, but you always have to remember that a programme is not going
to be an overnight success. Also being a new start and blank page, it does give
Andrew and me the chance to be creative with what we do in it over the next
months.
Wednesday nights I am still taking sport, and yes, I am
still awful at basketball…
Sunday School has been really interesting over the past
few weeks. With Andrew leading confirmation, I have been left to take what
remains of the 7th and 8th Grade class. It is a great
growth experience, I believe, for me. It lets me actually teach on the topics;
yea that is scary, me teaching young impressionable minds, on our religion and
faith. So far, however, I feel it has gone relatively well! Sunday evenings
have been going well, we still play games that are all…. Carefully thought
through, I think is the best way to describe them… Maybe…
We also have continue to volunteer with Wyldlife, an
external middle school youth fellowship programme. They are amazing! The leads
are so passionate, and caring towards their youth, it is something that a lot
of youth fellowships could do with!
Forty-four
games that I thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow
didn’t….
Dang! We actually have a lot of weeks and games to get
through…. Please note, not all these games are from St. Luke’s Youth, some are
from Wyldlife.
#13 Scavenger hunt… round a major theme park and night
club area, using Instagram! (Wyldlife)
Take
youth to a destination full of people, and different sights, have a list of
objects, people wearing specific clothes, etc. and have them go round in groups
(with leaders) to find them. When found the group must take a photo, be it a
selfie or a regular photo, then post it to Instagram, with a specific hashtag!
It did sound like so many things could go wrong, being out in the crowds, but
it was brilliant, and was a great way to integrate technology into the game!
#14 Reindeer Vs Elves
Marshmallow gun plus capture the flag, at Christmas! You
have a pitch with three thirds marked out,
a reindeer safe zone, a no man’s land, and an elf safe zone. Basically
if you are shot, you must return to your safe zone. The goal being to… well its
obvious… capture the other flag…
#15 Ant Raid!
Four points marked round a specific playing area. One person
is the exterminator, pretending to have a can of Ant Raid, the rest are ants. The
exterminator, runs around spraying ants with the raid! (okay so its tag) When
an ant is caught, it lies on its back with legs and arms up in the air. Four
ants can then drag the dead ant to one of the four previously marked points,
for the dead ant to be revived, while doing so they are safe from the
exterminator.
#16 Ninjas and Shaman
This is a weird, but awesome one. You need loads of foam
pool noodles (you know, the floats) these are swords for the ninjas. You also
need hula hoops, for the shaman. You have two teams, made up of many ninjas,
and a few shamans each. After the whistle goes, ninjas from opposing teams run
at each other, and sword fight. If hit in the arm, you put your arm behind your
back, if hit in the leg, you hop. This goes on till you have no limbs, and are
then dead. The shaman’s job is to hula hoop around, and heals injured ninjas,
but they can’t revive dead ones. Winner is the team with remaining ninjas.
#18 Trade Up. (Wyldlife)
So get multiple teams of youth, and give them all a paper
clip. They then get given a specific and unique route around a neighbourhood,
each. The task is to trade the paper clip for something bigger or better, and
then repeat till your set time limit is up. The winner is to the team with the
biggest item, and the most useful item. The biggest for Wyldlife was a sheet of
Plywood, which our team got at the first house in exchange for the paper clip…
we couldn’t really go anywhere further with trading that…. The most useful was
split between a Surf board, and a 52 inch telly. Yea….
To be honest I didn’t really expect a kid to get injured,
mind you with Florida’s stand your ground law, lord knows what could have happened…
#19 Wizards, elves, Giants
Wizards
beat elves, elves beat giants, giants beat wizards. Two teams. Each choice has
an action, which you can get creative with. Teams line up opposite each other
in the middle of a hall. Shout 1,2,3 go. At which both teams reveal their
action (which must be the same for each team member, if not those doing the
wrong one, loose) the looser is chased by the winner, back to their wall.
Whoever the winner catches joins their team. Rinse and repeat!
#20 Human Knot
Everyone(max
12 people) gets into a tight circle, and then put their hands in the middle.
Take your left hand, and grab someone’s right hand, whom is not beside you! Now
they have to untangle themselves without letting go… I am surprised nobody
ended up with a spiral facture or dislocated arm, with the way they tried
untying themselves… And this was done with elementary school children!
Missions
Missions work has been great fun recently. Not that it
never was, but it has been more so recently... Saved myself there….
I have been working closely with Miriam, in mission
development and Global Missions, as you will remember. The main project I am
working on at the moment is the Florida City Intergenerational Mission Experience. Kelly Brinker, Miriam, and
I have just recently got the applications complete, and sent out. We soon will
be selecting the team, setting up training times, and going down to Florida
City, to coordinate with our partners down there. The goal is to build a playground
over Memorial Weekend.
I have also started work on researching a possible
Intergenerational Mission Training Retreat, to prepare those who want to serve.
One of the places we are looking at is the ECHO far, I talked about recently.
This week I hosted Family Promise, overnight at St. Luke's. As their website states: Family Promise of Greater Orlando (FPGO) is a nonprofit, interfaith hospitality network providing temporary assistance, hospitality, and case management for families with children experiencing homelessness. Family Promise provides these services through the participation of local congregations, dedicated staff, and hundreds of volunteers.
It was great to get talking with the families, and hear all their plans, and what they did in their everyday lives.
This week I hosted Family Promise, overnight at St. Luke's. As their website states: Family Promise of Greater Orlando (FPGO) is a nonprofit, interfaith hospitality network providing temporary assistance, hospitality, and case management for families with children experiencing homelessness. Family Promise provides these services through the participation of local congregations, dedicated staff, and hundreds of volunteers.
It was great to get talking with the families, and hear all their plans, and what they did in their everyday lives.
Super Bowl
I watched the super bowl at Andrews… he is a mad patriots
fan, so Pedro decided to support the Seahawks, because he doesn’t mind stirring
things up at all…. So we watched the game at his, and I got to experience
proper super bowl adverts! There were some very impressive ones!
Also with those last four game plays, meaning the game
was in the balance till the end, made it a game I won’t soon forget. That and
Andrew flipping out when Patriots intercepted in the line….
School System
So I have recently started helping some students, at our Monday
programming and some others, with homework, and some tutoring.
Oh. My Goodness! I just cannot get my head around their
system. These youth are under constant testing, and the AP students have large
exams at the end of the year. Some start school before 7am, if they have a test
they need to do, and end around 2pm. In the last year of school they could be
doing up to eight subjects, sometimes more. Admittedly I haven’t come across a
subject (even AP) which goes into as much depth as we do in our A-levels, but
we are doing only four subjects, and other than coursework and practical’s, the
only real thing that counts for our result is our end of year exams, which yes
is horrendously stress full. Here though homework, and in the year tests, all
count, and then you get told where you’re grade is at the end of each term….
The stress is constant. I honestly don’t understand how that can be seen as
healthy, mind you I wouldn’t say that our home system is better. I have thought
one thing… Thank dear goodness I managed to get through it all eventually!
Six Nations
I can confirm I have watched all the games! Wooo! However I will also confirm the games kind of sucked, except the Scotland Wales game, that was a good one. Come on Ireland for Sunday the first of march!
 |
| Their first rugby game... it sucked.... |
CQ
On Friday just past I took part in CQ, a seminar,
workshop, whatever you want to call it on Cultural intelligence! I was interested
to see where I ranked on the scale for CQ, and it suggested that my cultural background
was, well all over the place. I have the collectivism mentality (focus on We
rather than I) similar to those cultures in in Arab, Confucian and southern
Asian, Latin American and sub-Saharan African. I am High Power Distance orientated,
meaning I see boundaries and somewhat accept inequality levels, as in Arab, Latin
American and southern Asian cultures.
I have a high uncertainty avoidance level, like Latin European
and American cultures, meaning I avoid failure, and need rules. I am
competitive like Anglo and Germanic European cultures, so need to excel and
live to work. I am long term based; I need a long term plan, look at past successes
to determine the likely hood of future success.
I am fairly high context based like Eastern European
Latin American and European cultures, so I am indirect in communication at
times, and don’t like upsetting harmony.
I am doing orientated, like Anglo and Germanic European cultures,
so am goal orientated. I am time focused, and need a time frame, and a plan!
My home culture would come under the Anglo cluster
culture, which includes the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand. However I do
hate the term Anglo…
For the Actual CQ Profile, I was in the top 25% of the
worldwide norm for each of CQ Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action. This
means I do have a good idea of Cultural differences, and know how to interact,
though it did show me areas in which I could improve, like in my
Socio-linguistic skills, or Extrinsic Interest in CQ, which is to see something
in it for yourself, apparently I don’t look at things for my own gain a lot,
which to be honest I am not too sure if this is true or not…
Despite this it was an excellent workshop, and if you are
ever offered to do it, please take it!
Spare time
What free time…
I am joking. kind of... Recently in my spare time I have been
hanging with the college students, frequently with my friend Francesca, who I can
honestly say I am lucky to have around, to keep me sane here at times!
I also have been to the cinema with Pedro on numerous
occasions, once to American Sniper, then with youth to Selma, and with him to
see Kingsmen.
They were all good films, though American Sniper made me
feel very uneasy, especially when the audience cheered and clapped when the “bad
guy” was shot dead from two miles away….
Selma was mighty powerful, and for someone who knows
little about the American civil rights movement, has created an interest.
Kingsmen was hilarious for a twenty year old male….
Prayers, Praises and Concerns
The Stiles-Williams as they continue their journey, Grace
as she continues through her Senior year.
Shakeria, just that whatever is going on in her life
right now is positive; and the same for Francesca.
Pedro, just for his heart.
Sarah, my other roommate.
My family back home, that they stay safe, healthy, and
mad as ever. That my father has a positive lent and Easter.
That St. Luke’s has a positive transition as Pastor Bill
retires in the following months, and Pastor Jenn moves from co-lead, to lead
pastor. That people, who may have fears in this change (as many do not like
change at all), may be put to rest.
Pray for me to keep motivated, and energised!
Pray for Andrew, as for the reason below!
Andrew
So this month Andrew, Director of youth ministry,
announced to the youth, that he was going for ordination into the United
Methodist Church. This was a hard time for them. I have known for a while now, but before I was told, I could honestly say
that he was made to be a pastor, his passion for youth, is only ought weighed,
in my eyes, by one thing, his passion for teaching scripture and theology. I
have learnt so much from him, it has been a pleasure working with him, and I know
he will make an awesome minister! The church council voted to send him forward
as a candidate for ordination, on Tuesday past.
Reflection
So this week I went to my first full Ash Wednesday,
complete with the Imposition of Ashes, something which rarely done at home, as
it is a Catholic tradition. Though it is a powerful service where I felt we
look upon our own mortality. We are very fragile, and as is said “the only certainties
in life are death and taxes.” Though as a certain nameless person (for their
own protection….) said “yea but you can avoid taxes….” We come into this world,
and from our first breath we have started our journey to death. There is a
saying, that I do use totally ironically when people ask me questions I can’t
really be bothered answering, and that saying is Y.O.L.O. You Only Live Once. An
example “Owain why is my coat on the ground.” “Because, YOLO.” Or “Owain, why
is my car totalled?!” “hashtag Y.O.L.O!” The thing is though, through Christ we
don’t. We will die, but because of Christ we can be born again, so Y.O.L.O does not apply. Many young people use the phrase, to pass of behaviour that isn't really positive, off as banter, joking, a one off, but we should strive to live with Christ. Viktor Frankl once said "live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time." We should really think about all our actions, be it what we say or do, be it towards someone, behind someone's back, our to our self, because we must love ourselves, others and God, we must aim to live for the next life.
This video is worth a watch, I found it as I was thinking on the Ashes service.
This video is worth a watch, I found it as I was thinking on the Ashes service.
Peace,
Owain.
