Had a couple of days away on retreat this week, depth was organised by our Diocesan youth & Children’s advisers. We were just 4 miles down the road from home which made it convenient, just 13 of us there (plus the two leaders) but this was really good as we had a chance to chat to everyone and felt you got to know everyone a bit, as well as having the opportunity to catch up with good friends. The two days were a good mix of input (which was optional) and space to think, reflect, chat, read & pray. It was fantastic and very thought provoking and challenging but in a really good helpful way. The time was spent reflecting upon how things around us, our culture, is changing and looking at how we as youth and children’s work practitioners respond to that in our lives and ministry. Of course there were some really deep questions that were raised like were there fish on the ark? And as for the prayer shack, we established that it is 15 miles down the road from a faded sign!

Thank you to Ian and Yvonne and doing all the work in putting the event on, the team at windmill Farm for their hospitality and fantastic food, the belt is now one hole looser!  And to everyone else who was there and part of it for being just that!

written by Simo

This weekend it was a great privilege to be invited to the wedding of Friends Mark and Lizzie. Lizzie joined the youth group Gill and I were running in our previous church when she was 13 and we saw her change and grow a lot over the next 4 years, including seeing the beginning of the relationship with Mark, they made such a great couple and it is great to see them now going on to make this commitment to each other. But have I really been in full time youth work that long that 13 year old members of my group are now old enough to get married? Of course Lizzie is not the first to get married, but she is the first who we saw through from the younger group that we did. The others who have got married (or are about to) didn’t even invite us (not that I’m bitter Peter or Laura!) but they were near the top end of their groups. It is always such a privilege to see the young people you work with go onto such great things, Not just in marriage but to see several now involved in ministry either voluntarily or as a job. To all those I have worked with over the years you have been such a great encouragement and I thank you for that, may God continue to guide and bless you in your lives and to Lizzie and Mark, thank you for letting us share in your special day and I pray that you will know God as the foundation of your love, drawing you closer and stronger everyday to each other and to himself.

written by Simo

Last week we went away for a few days up to Norfolk to stay with friends in Mulbarton (where I grew up) it’s amazing how having really left 12 years ago it still feels like going home, I just feel like I belong, not that I don’t feel that in Faringdon that is obviously home at the moment but I can go to Mulbarton and just fit back in with friends and the church as if I’ve hardly been away and I always enjoy worshiping in the church community there it is also always great to see so many new faces in a small rural church!

written by Simo

Not me, well not exactly although I have been listening to Riding with the King quite a lot recently, but I’m actually talking about Simon Faulks, not me the other me. A few years ago due to a mix up with changing email addresses around the same time I discovered another Simon Faulks, although we have never met we have contacted each other a few times, like me the other SF is also a Christian, he is also a very talented Blues musician, I recently found his page on Myspace which has some examples of his music, if you like blues that go and have a listen.

written by Simo

Thought it was about time to write something about Matrix.
A great time, really good to catch up with friends like agent K (will she keep up the promise to start blogging again?), the Good doctor, the newly renamed hobnob, Holy Phil & Little Alice, along with so many other friends old and new, on which point I should also include Pete as another blogger who was there!
We had some great keynote speakers on The youthworker as… Theologian, Leader, Missionary & Prophet all fantastic. Then there were the workshops, I attended one on extended schools which was very helpful being involved in the local response to this government initiative. Another one on Career or Calling with some great discussion and the last one I did was Creative Technology or ‘Can blogging serve youth ministry’ looking at blogging and social networking and run by Mr Youthblog himself.
Matrix is great, if you’ve not been, go next time, if you are involved in Christian youth work no other conference (that I have been to at least) can match it in terms of quality of content and networking.
Thank you to all those involved in organising the event and to all those who come and make it such a great few days. I was hoping some of those linked to above would have published some great notes from some of the talks but this hasn’t happened so far but there are of course other reflections on the last few days, I guess you’ve missed out by not being there, there is some stuff on the Amaze site though so you could check that out.
For now though see you later!

written by Simo

A few weeks ago I mentioned that it was two years since my first ever blog post. OnMeBus started while at a conference called Matrix, a professional youth work conference held biannually at High Leigh Conference Centre in Hoddesdon. So it is good to be able to post again from that same conference. Now just over half way through it has been a couple of great days so far. Some good teaching and discussions going on which has been great, but so has the networking, spending time with friends, catching up with old friends not seen for some time, making new friends and sharing thoughts and ideas, fantastic. If you want to get an overview of some of the stuff going on then take a look at Youthblog, there is no point in me trying to repeat stuff here. Just to finish though I will leave with this image, the view from my room that greats me when I open my curtain.

written by Simo