The Value of Schools Work

You’ve had a number of jobs within the church across the country - could you give a brief description of the different roles you’ve had?

I have worked as a trainee youth worker in a priority area in Dundee. Working in a Church of Scotland Church there. I ran youth clubs and started an internet café drop-in and started my schools work at the local primary and secondary schools there.

For the last ten years I have been youthworker/parish assistant in a rural linked charge also in priority areas. While working there I established a schools ministry in three primary schools and a secondary school.  In the primary schools I had lunchtime groups, assembly’s and one to one work with kids on the margins, kids who had various issues with school or home life.

In secondary school I worked with the guidance department and would be in school a few mornings a week and meet up with young people on a one to one basis. Was also involved in weekly assemblies.  

Do these various roles require a different approach in supporting pupils and working alongside schools?

These roles I found were different from the work we do in Church. As I started to think about working in schools I approached the head teachers and met with them. I was welcomed by them and I think the reason for that was that they knew I was not in to preach at them or their pupils. I was there as they were to see their young people thrive and be the best they could be in our community.  I think we earn the right to be in school and that school need assurance and be able to trust we will do what we say and not use it as a platform for preaching. There is a time to tell our story and we earn that right in time.

How important do you think schools work is (or should be) in the life of the church?

For me it is an essential part of ministry and the mission of the Church. If we don’t engage with the school community we miss a huge part of our parish. We will never have an impact on the community sitting in our buildings and a Church that does not impact the community is really not being Church.

In school we see and hear first hand the issues and the worries of our community and if the community don’t see the Church, they think we don’t care.

In your experience what are some of the biggest challenges in supporting local schools?

The biggest challenge for me was to show the Church that it was a worthwhile part of my job. Many thought I should concentrate on what went on in the Church buildings and that was what I was paid for! It was then getting a few folks on board and trying to change the mind-set of what was Church. That we could as easily be Church in the school and reaching beyond the walls was part of the mission of the Church.

How would you measure success?

After ten years in the one place that is still a difficult question. There have been families and young people whom I have seen grow and change. There have been young people who have not.  People in the villages when I left expressed their thanks and would tell me stories of how I had been there for them. I suppose sometimes we never know how the work we do impacts but I think that is the reason to keep going.

Have you found ways to encouraged church members and volunteers to be involved in schools work?

I was in a particularly difficult situation in my previous job and the Church members were not involved with any of my outreach work. That I would never do again. One person can’t do all the mission and now that I have left no work takes place. It has to be team ministry and not driven by the paid person. Encouraged and supported but not driven by the one person.

Are there any particular stories that stick with you as significant or moments where you feel like lasting change happened in the lives of a young person?

I worked with a young person at secondary school, they had been excluded from 2 other school for violence when they came to us. This young person’s gran came to Church and asked if I could work with her. I started working with her in 2nd year. At first there was no change. She would talk a good job with me and then leave and cause havoc. Slowly we got to the problem and she was dyslexic and to deal with this caused trouble to get out of class. She had no idea of how to deal with emotion. Fast forward to today I am about to conduct her wedding she’s 22 and has twin boys. I look and see the total change in her life and the difference that faith and encouragement make in the lives of young people.   

Are they’re any resources that you’ve found really helpful in your work with local schools?

I found schoolswork.co.uk website good initially lots of pastoral stuff and assemblies. Through time I adapted some games like uno,jenga even Minecraft to start folks talking( particularly boys).

What advice would you give any congregation or church member keen to develop a relationship with their local schools?

I would say attend events at school, show interest and get to know the senior management team and at first just be at school, earn their trust and build on that relationship.