The Future of Youth Work in Green St Green

I had mentioned the other day that GSGBC was holding a church meeting to discuss the borough council's suggestion that they spearhead the area youth work. The meeting was held Wednesday evening and though it was a lengthy meeting, it went well. Primary concerns for the members of the church centered on two areas: (1) additional money and volunteers most likely could not come from GSGBC itself (they're already stretched to capacity), and, more importantly, (2) that if the church took this charge and money from the community for this effort they could not afford to compromise their Christian emphasis and purpose in working with the young people.

The second of these issues has become exceptionally important in recent days here in the UK. Earlier this week, Britain's highest court ruled against Lydia Playfoot, who was forbidden by authorities in her secondary school from wearing a ring on her finger to symbolize her commitment to sexual purity (by the way, the UK is highest in the world in teen pregnancy rates). Furthermore, there is still outstanding in Britain a case involving Exeter University's Christian Union, which has been suspended from the student guild and has had its bank account frozen on the basis that they unfairly discriminate those of other faiths from membership and leadership of the Christian organization.

What this means for GSGBC is that if they elect to discriminate in their selection of volunteers or leadership in their efforts to help the area youth, which the people of the church believe they must if they are to maintain a sense of Christian mission in their youth work, then it is not difficult to imagine a secular organization accusing the church of operating unfairly in their policies. Still, GSGBC must be straightforward and very clear in their intentions if they are to expand their youth work in the community, especially if it is at the request of secular organizations like the borough council and the police.

For Christians worldwide, particularly those of us in the West, these are significant issues that we must be thinking on and preparing for. Though this kind of "persecution," if I can call it that, is not necessarily persistent or common in the UK and the US at this point, it is neither uncommon. We need to be clear on our beliefs regarding the difference between proper and improper discrimination. We need to know which is which and, therefore, when to acknowledge an injustice and when to stand firm.