Dear Jonathan: Social Action as a Youth Group

Even better than a Dear John letter is a Dear Jon/Jonathan letter, and I was asked recently for some ideas on getting a youth group involved in social action projects, perhaps starting with a simulation game.  Here's how I replied:

Simulation games are almost always good. You probably know that Stephen Hooper specialises in these things? He ran a big one on the Anglican Schools Students Network conference last year, but it needed more time. Doing a 3-4 hour (or even overnight) epic would be pretty memorable for all involved, I would think.

On my shelf is a book called "Ideas for Social Action" by Tony Campolo.  It's quite old (1983!) but many of the ideas inside are still completely applicable. For example, at St Lucia we use the idea called "Supermarket Stakeout" a couple of times a year - you get the group to stand outside a supermarket, and when people approach, you give them a slip of paper asking them to buy an extra item for the Inala pantry. If they bring back an item to you, you give them a thank-you card with your church details inside etc. (You've got permission from the supermarket manager, and of course you don't hassle the customers - not everyone will have the money or desire to buy something extra. But it's an exercise where everyone wins. The book has lots of other ideas too.

 

The Roscoe Library has several books on teens and/or parishes and social action - free to borrow, as you know.

 

I'd maybe start by asking the group (or a few of them) to name a cause they'd like to raise funds for. Then just try doing something straightforward to get them into the hang of it e.g. a carwash (if it's warm enough).  If you want to get some attention, you could have a continuous reading relay of the Bible all the way through. Reading aloud at a normal speed normally takes from Friday night to Sunday morning, just in time for church. Would people in the congregation sponsor the group to do that, so the money then goes to your cause?

 

If your group is interested in the asylum seeker debate, they could contact Anglicare SQ about the BRASS program (see attachment). Could be controversial!

 

My old youth group once doorknocked virtually our whole suburb for Freedom From Hunger: we raised over $1000 in a day (this was a long time ago) and got a framed certificate from FFH for being the biggest fundraising group in Brisbane. So if there's a doorknock coming up soon, you could do that, though many schools seem to do it too.

 

When I speak to parishes and groups on this kind of topic, often I mention the following (taken from a PPT slide):

 

What makes service projects empowering for children and youth?

 

Do the actual work and don't just observe.

 

Work with accepting adults who don't criticize their efforts.

 

Have important responsibilities.

 

Have a sense that they can make a contribution.

 

Have the freedom to explore their own interests and develop their own ideas.

Have opportunities to reflect upon the meaning of the activities.

So my point here is that even if the project isn't itself headline-grabbing (e.g. a world record attempt), if it fulfils most or all of these criteria, it will have served a very useful purpose and will probably also motivate the group to fire up for its next project.

There is a little group of us meeting up in the next fortnight to discuss how youth / Anglicare / ABM may be able to work better together. If something good eventuates out of that, I'll let you know.  I suspect it will become a topic at the next Bring It! meeting in late August!

Don't hesitate to get back in touch as often as necessary, and feel free to forward this on to others.  Thanks for the fantastic work you're doing - and this is just the beginning!

Peace in Christ,

Jonathan Kemp