This semester Bristol CYM students have been reading and reflecting on Models for Youth Ministry by Steve Griffiths. They had some great things to say about it and we thought we’d share some of their thoughts with you.

One of the students summed up the content of the book like this:

modelsforyouthministry

“The book contains many different ideas about styles of ministry but each with a specific focus on the relationship between Kairos and Chronos time.  Griffiths sets out that Chronos time is the understanding of developing relationship with young people that then allows us to share our faith with them; the thinking that we have to earn the right to share our faith with those around us.  Griffiths goes on to talk about Kairos time, the shift in thinking to a position where we think about the quality of time we have, those moments when time slows and we enter this ‘golden’ time where much is achieved even without the relationship to back it up.”

After studying a chapter a week together they all found something useful in the book.

“At the end of each chapter there are helpful sections which address key points outlined in the chapter, and pose questions to inspire you to keep thinking about this in your own context. These ‘Pause for thought’ areas offer a light discussion base for you to work through as an individual or within a group setting. The questions are unavoidable directing your thoughts to the youth work setting you are involved with, which helps this book to assist you objectively and make a realistic impact in your work.”

And it’s not just useful for youth workers, one of our children & family work students had this to say about the book:

“A book about youth ministry might not seem an obvious choice for a children’s worker but Griffiths’ focus is on a change in outlook and overall methodology rather than on specific practical expressions of youth work. Although the focus of the book is on work with young people the concepts presented are universal and I believe the book would be of benefit to all those in ministry with people of any age.”

Another student agreed saying:

“Personally, it has revolutionised aspects of my practice, particularly in being more intentional in allowing space for, and seizing on, kairos moments within my group. However, during my studies and through discussions with ministerial students, I believe that it has almost as much weight for those who practice ministry in a more general sense. There are certain aspects of the book that definitely lend themselves to the title being models for ministry, as opposed to just youth ministry.”

Here at Bristol CYM we believe in equipping our students to be the best practitioners they can be, and studying a book like this together as a group is just one of the many ways we do that.

If you’re interested in training for ministry contact us on 01179 469 209 or email admissions@bristol-baptist.ac.uk to find out more.