Comments on: when a youthworker doubts their faith

By: Roy

Roy — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:49:00 +0000

thanks Sarah

still hoping your humour deserts you Simon

feeling loved today….not had this many comments in a while

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:01:00 +0000

Are you having more doubts about your faith? Don’t worry it’ll be OK….

By: Sarah Brush

Sarah Brush — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:03:00 +0000

Many of the answers didn’t surprise me, knowing the church and how it works sometimes. I was offered a month’s sabbatical to go and do a placement in a parish somewhere else once (so… like.. still WORK) but it fell through so my boss said I could have a month of retreat and sabbatical BUT in fact I took like two weeks because my job needed DOING.

By: Roy

Roy — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:29:00 +0000

wow…..comments!
sarah – sabbatical, do youthworkers ever get that blessing lol. Most ministers think that is why we do weekends away! (tongue firmly in cheek)

r.terry – believe me, these would not necessarily be my answers but were given to me by a few folk at a round table thing I was involved with when this question was asked…..slightly edited and a couple thrown in to provoke, but some were genuine!!

By: R. Terry

R. Terry — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:22:00 +0000

How about be honest? Tell them that you occasionally question your faith. Tell them that many great men of the Bible have questioned their faith. (Hello, my name is Peter!) Tell them that questioning faith is part of the process to having truly deep faith. Tell them that they are human.

But about half of the answers you gave... would make the person doubt their faith even more.

By the way, if those were the possible answers the youth worker would never talk to you about doubting their faith.

Out of security and love comes a healthy place to work.

By: Sarah Brush

Sarah Brush — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:48:00 +0000

Pray with them and discuss if there is anythign in particular that has caused the doubts (is there major stress in their post, family etc) AND suggest a retreat or some of that mysterious sabbatical tiem that clergy get but often youthworkers don’t.