News

Children's & Youth workers: Reflective Practitoners in Training

09/04/2009

I have a great mirror in my office, handed to me by graduating students a few years ago. As well as their signatures around the glass, it has a big Y on it....a joke at my expense at the number of times we ask students the question ‘Why?', and tell them that the role of our children's and youth work courses are to help them become ‘reflective practitioners'.

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All of our part-time children's and youth work courses are rooted in practice; it is really important that Christian mission and ministry is actually engaging with peoples lives. But often the busyness of the work means we forget to stop, do some reflecting on our activity and ask the question ‘Why?'. This is something everyone should ask in life, but especially in Christian ministry.

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Why do we think like that? Why do we do what we do week by week? Why are children and young people important within the Church and wider society? Why is what we believe not what we do in practice? etc etc - the Why questions are really important, because they help us redirect our work towards what we should be doing.

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Maybe you should be reflecting on your practice amongst children and young people, and doing that in the context of some highly creative and cutting edge courses alongside other practitioners. Why not join us here at Cliff? Maybe this is the way for you to receive professional ministry training, whether you are full, part or volunteer employed in your work with children and young people. Details of all the children's and youth work courses can be found under the Undergraduate (Part-time), and Postgraduate (Taught courses) tabs.

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Ian White

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Co-ordinator of Children's and Youth Work Programmes

Permalink: http://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/news/story/21

Red Nose Day 09

13/03/2009

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There was buzz in the air today at Cliff College as many staff and students were taken in by the spirit of Red Nose Day, dressing up in some very colourful and unusual clothes all in the attempt to raise money for charity. Bright pink stockings, sun glasses, wigs, odd shoes and crazy hair styles were all some of the things you would have seen on campus today!

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Although we have no photographic evidence, we have heard from a reliable source that even the principal got involved in the antics by wearing a very colourful tie and a huge afro. He was overheard telling some of the students that his appearance today was not far off from what he would have looked like during the fashionable era that we simply know as "the 70's!" Amongst all the fun of the day, there did seem to be a bit of sadness as he explained how he no longer owned platform shoes that would have accompanied the rest of his outfit so well. Another source told me that the principal, with much persuasion, did remove the wig during one of his lectures as the students were having difficulty concentrating.

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Even those who weren't brave enough to get involved in the fancy dress played a vital role today by giving money to the communal pot, which will be donated later in the day to Comic Relief.

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Permalink: http://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/news/story/20

David Firth's New Book

12/03/2009

After over seven years of work, David Firth’s commentary on the books of Samuel is now available, click here to purchase from IVP.

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The books of Samuel contain two of the Bible's best-known stories - David's encounter with Goliath (1 Sam. 17), and his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (2 Sam. 11). However, Samuel does more than just tell stories, particularly of how first Saul and then David became king of Israel and the mistakes both made; it also offers a profoundly theological reflection on this formative part of Israel's history and an artistic telling of it. We are told how Israel's monarchy began: the way this is done points to the interpretation of these events.

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Thus, in this excellent commentary, David G. Firth takes seriously the narrative techniques employed in the books of Samuel. Arguing that the books are a carefully constructed, intentional unit for interpretation, he explores the central theme of how the reign of God is worked out in the interplay between king and prophet. What emerges is a text that spoke with power into its own context - and which continues to address believers today.

Permalink: http://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/news/story/19