
Detached youth work: engaging with young people on the fringes
Detached youth work, which is rooted in Christian tradition, can be a great way on reaching and connecting with and supporting socially excluded young people, detached work can be more than that.
Fr Gregory Boyle suggests that ‘we don’t go to the margins to make a difference. We go to the margins so that folks at the margins make us different’.
Detached youth work meets young people, who are often excluded from society, where they are, on their turf. In doing so it creates space to learn what things look like from the edge and discover from that place what positive transformation and good news might look like for the young people we find there.
This equipping day draws its material from a variety of sources including: The Grove Booklet Detached Youth Work by Steve Blower, which can be purchased at grovebooks.co.uk/collections/youth. I also draw upon the book Meet Them Where They’re At by Richard Passmore and the blog How to Start a Detached Youth Work Project: A Step by Step Guide, which can be found here.
Covering:
What is Detached Youth Work? And What Detached Youth Work is NOT?
The Aims of Detached Youth Work
A Theology of Detached Youth Work
The Benefits and Challenges of Detached Youth Work
Practical Steps/Getting Started
Ground Work: Key Considerations and Essentials
The Process
Tips for Cold/Initial Contact
After the acknowledgement phase
Establishing and Developing Relationships
Youth-Led Action
Exploring Spirituality
Staying safe on the streets
Books, Blogs and Useful Websites
Q&A
Closing Devotional
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