Being an Accompanist

Where I have come from

Being an accompanist is something I have been pretty sure I am since year 2 of training at Centre For Youth Ministry. I have been able to pilot this amongst Children at Primary school level, beginning with just one school in my area. I have been reflecting (in my last post a bit) and tweeting this week about the expansion of this work and the values that underpin it.

What I hope to achieve

I am currently in touch with two more primary schools in my area, one of which I am meeting with this week (eeek) to discuss the possibility of taking the project to their school. I am also branching into the feeder secondary school for many of the primary schools in my area. This work currently comes under the remit of a CU, but I hope to communicate and enthuse them to the idea of accompanying, to come alongside Christians and others in way of voluntary relationship.

A brief background to accompanying 

For anyone reading this, who hasn't yet read 'Accompanying' by Chandhu Christian and Maxine Green, then I would advise it, because I love it but also it will help expand what I am talking about here. Another good book for this is 'Someone To Lean On' by Paul Fenton.  In essence and summary, (in case you don't have time to read these) they are concerned with voluntary relationships. I personally believe that this can be with anyone at any age, not a top down approach like mentoring can sometimes become. I have also been accompanied and the accompanist on several occasions. This in some sense is a more simpler task because it is not concerned with imparting your knowledge or wisdom, necessarily, but more to do with coming alongside others in support, or simply put 'being there'. This post is not aimed at outlining exactly what accompanying is, or indeed the role of the accompanist, rather it is about how others view and value this work.

Some challenges facing myself and the future of this style of working

In my setting I have been trying to promote this style of working, and in particular taking it into schools for nearly a year, which yielded the pilot project in the first school. I recently put together a vision for my leadership team for the year ahead, where I asked if they would endorse this work for the majority of my hours, as I aim to reach as many schools as possible, and where the need for such a project occurs. For the first time I was greeted with the kind of statement most Youth workers probably dread in Church work, 'yes, yes it is a good work your doing, fantastic but how is it helping our small chapels to grow', yes bums on seats people. In that short statement, the rug has almost been pulled from under my feet. Except the fact that when reflecting back to my last blog, I have faith that this is what God is asking me to do. So the main challenge is viability, it is not seen as a model of mission, or fully accepted, yet!!

Secondly there is the value of the voluntary relationship. It is accepting that you are not doing the work to impart knowledge, as I mentioned the role of mentor can ( but not always) become, coupled with the more traditional views of discipleship. It is not formal like schooling either, but it is spiritual. It is about belief in the individuals abilities, and being alongside to encourage and empower them towards this. I believe it is more born from the heart of Pastoral care than discipleship. It would seem then that it is part of Gods mission, and within the remit of the role of the church, how then is it such a foreign concept?

Thirdly my style maybe be counter cultural to the traditional. Building on the bums on seats statement, this simply is not my aim. I am not wired this way. If I spent the years of my contracts in this job and others convincing people to go to church, would I not be more concerned with religion than faith? Would it not be like the parable of the sower who's seed fell on the rocky ground? 'Where there wasn't much earth. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots' (NCV). Building for those who's seed fell on the good ground, takes along time to nurture and support.

Finally we shouldn't undervalue the informal approach. On face value what accompanying offers could seem to be little. I have no grand plan or massive program drawn up with stages. What I do have is a proposal with values and indicators, to what the role entails and looks like in practice. On top of this I have informally built in times of review with the school I currently work in this capacity with. I have also had the support of Bath Youth For Christ who have also been looking at accompanying in primary schools and the value this has with those reaching a point of transition in their lives. What accompanying also offers though is consistency! This is so important for children and young people. I have realised in this past week I am working with transition for toddlers who move from toddler groups to infants, and primary pupils to secondary school and finally with some of the sixth form students facing big life choices. The key is informal education and voluntary relationships, there is enough formality around for children and young people, there needs to be space for them to discover and become who they are not what we feel they should be.  

Beginning again?

After much time of hoping to write a new Blog post here it finally is.

Setting the Scene

I aim to start September 2012 as a new year and as much of my work is schools and community based the beginning of the year often feels like September!

When I began working in the Peak Methodist Circuit I was employed as a Children and Families worker, something which as I mentioned before was a bit unexpected at the time. Since then I have had a cracking year grappling with issues of mission facing my rural area. Through the families work role I have really felt able to connect with communities, but also learn of the needs and struggles. This has led to some truly amazing work in schools where I have been able to pioneer Mentoring/accompanying in one school in this circuit. I am still not fully sure which it is, mentoring and accompanying that is. I believe it is mentoring but this is something I will always deliver through an accompanying lens because that is my style, but more importantly my value of each individuals ability to transform their lives.

New direction new vision

Before I travel to far with that aside I begin September 2012 with a new role, encompassing that which has gone before but expanded to include working with young people 11+. This is an answer to prayer not just by me but some I know who were praying also. It seemed to me that the circuit could operate more efficiently. With two Lay Workers covering a circuit of 16-18 churches and chapels, with different roles, it seemed a little counter productive. This tied in with suggestions by our chair of district to think about how we do Circuit in the future, God was building momentum on this idea! I now operate in one half of the circuit, meaning I am covering roughly 9 churches and chapels, something I was doing across whole Circuit previously. I am a little nervous however as a professional at Green belt dismissed this style of working as dangerous, whilst others have warned of the difficulty of playing a role which may lead to being everything to all people. All I can do is follow what I believe God is saying to me and the vision that builds from within.  

In this new role I hope to continue linking up with entire communities, family units and so on. I developed a simple strategy last year to aid with how I did this. Not knowing how to enter diagrams yet, it goes something like this.

• Establishing links with local churches (Methodist and ecumenical) 
• Set a meeting if agreed with headteacher of local school to offer services based on need of the school and my gifts and abilities.
• Link with community groups, for example Sure Start Children's Centre in Bakewell, and Indian themed evening in Baslow. 

I believe working alongside key elements of community will mean I am well placed to work with entire communities. Key elements in my are to a community are still local schools and churches. Particularly in the smallest of small villages everything revolves around these things. 

Having Faith 

I believe I had a vision for the changes in my role which the strategy has developed from. I am trying to be more proactive when I believe a vision has been given, though this is not always easy. From a faith perspective God has provided me with opportunities to share this vision, and brought people alongside it to increase it's volume. On a human and sometimes practical level I am learning that within churches it is paramount to enthusiastically project your vision, gaining allies and striding forwards. As always there is an element of self belief and confidence, a struggle for many I am sure but something i have taken great strides in over the past 4 years.  

Finally I was encouraged today by 'The Word for Today', which today I think was talking about Vision, but the importance of alignment this with God's will. Here is a little snippet.

W. A. Criswell noted that before a stone was laid in St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren saw it in his mind. Before he struck a chisel against marble, Michelangelo saw the mighty Moses and purposed it in his heart. Why should it surprise us then that the designer and architect of the universe should have a plan and purpose for His creation? (UCB)