Ordinary Teens Can Change the World: Raising Up World Changers in Your Youth Group

The life of youth worker is busy, exhausting, hard work, and though we know it is rewarding we don’t always get see the impact we are making. Thankfully, there are times in our work when we get a glimpse of the impact we are making, over the past year I have had a few moments like that!

This time last year I was preparing to take a team of teens to the Philippines with Street Invaders (a summer youth mission program helping teens to but their faith into action). I have been attending the program for 12 years first, as a teen myself and now as a team leader. I have learned critical lessons on being a leader and on living out my faith through the program. As I was preparing this team to go to the Philippines one of my greatest desires was to help equip the youth to see the needs of our world and to dynamically meet those needs in a way that honours and communicates the heart of God. One of the challenges the teens accepted was taking only packing a carry on sized suitcase for themselves and then using their allocated checked luggage space to pack a large suitcase of items that we hard to acquire locally to assist the local church we were partnering with. We then raised money to buy any items that were available over there so that we were contributing to the local economy. This simple exercise demonstrated how we could use what we have (like a luggage allowance) and our circles of influence (friends and family who we asked for donations from) to responsibly help support the local church overseas in a way that costs us something (having a nice selection of clothes for the trip) because we all know that creating change does require sacrifice. The response from the team was astounding! One of the girls I had the privilege of getting to know on this trip was 16 year old Grace.

Grace is an incredible young woman, and she also represents your average teen. I say that because Grace is not necessarily different from any other teen except that she has chosen to do some extraordinary things in the midst of ordinary life Grace came to the Philippines last year and it profoundly impacted her. She had thrown herself into the challenge of traveling light and gathering donations for the Filipino church and this summer Grace is returning with me to the Philippines but this time I didn’t need to make any suggestions, Grace took initiative in using her circles of influence as she put her faith into action.

Have you heard of rainbow loom? I hear it’s the latest craze! Well Grace started a project called Bracelets for Asia, she has been making rainbow loom bracelets to give to teens in SE Asia who have been forced into sexual slavery! What a creative project!

Grace is using her context to make a face to face impact with teens halfway across the world. Grace sees each of those girls sold into slavery as a teen like herself who she might not be able to rescue but she can let them know they are cared for, and that brings hope. Grace’s project has caught on and now hundreds of bracelets have been made! Not only will girls in SE Asia receive a symbol of friendship and value but everyone making the bracelets are learning about the problems of sexual exploitation! While I certainly cannot take credit for the amazing woman Grace is, I have learned something crucial things from leading her and the other teens to the Philippines. I have learned how powerfully God uses teenagers through their creativity, friendships and passion. As youth workers we have an amazing opportunity to help empower our youth groups to live out their faith each day, seeing teens in action is one of the most rewarding things for a youth leader to experience! (If teens in your youth group like rainbow loom and would like to contribute to Bracelets for Asia email me at jane@hopeforher.ca)

Five ways to help teens to walk out their faith in the world:

1.      Talk about issues going on in the world and God’s heart for these problems.

2.      Demonstrate ways to walk out your faith in the world by meeting tangible needs and communicating God’s love.

3.      Provide opportunities for teens to buy in to a cause. Its ok to ask teens to sacrifice something in order to help often this is what creates a sense of ownership and commitment.

4.      Release teens to think up creative solutions to problems they see in their schools, communities and world.

5.      Provide opportunities for your teen to walk out their faith through local and international missions. One great resource for this is Street Invaders, they specialize in teen missions and I can attest to the powerful way God uses this program. If you would like more information go to www.streetinvaders.ca

Jane Galbreath

 Jane is a theology graduate and social work student, living in Saskatchewan. She spends her summers leading international youth mission teams. She is passionate about empowering young women to serve God particularly young women struggling with trauma and mental health issues. Jane has been a victim of sexual violence so she knows the heartache, shame, strength and courage it takes to face being a victim. Jane is a blogger and advocate for other females who have been victims of sexual violence because she knows that it is possible to not only survive but to come out the other side strong. After many years of healing Jane comes to you from that place! For more information and to visit Jane’s blog click here http://hopeforherblog.wordpress.com/about/

BRING BACK OUR GIRLS: Engaging Your Youth Group In A Global Response

What were you doing on September 11^th, 2001 when you first heard of the attacks of 9/11? Like me, I am sure your memories are ingrained with your reaction and what you were doing and when you first heard the news.

Fast forward to April 14, 2014. What were you doing that day? Do you remember? Do you know the significance of that day?

April 14, 2014 in the evening local time militants disguised in Nigerian military uniforms gathered over 270 school girls into trucks telling them that they were in danger and that they were there to take them to safety. Once all the girls were in trucks the militants shot bullets into the air shouting, “Allahu Akbar,” then sped off leaving the school ablaze. April 14, 2014 is a date we should remember yet most of us (including myself) were unaware of the horror occurring in Nigeria.

Fast forward again three weeks and only now is there wider spread knowledge of the abduction of these girls with calls for action. Imagine if it took three weeks for anyone to respond to the terror attacks of 9/11! Sure, you could argue that the 9/11 attacks were extreme, with more causalities, more damage and a larger security threat. That is valid but this most recent attack on April 14^th represents the continued threat to girl’s education globally. Honestly, if over 270 school girls were abducted from a local school in your community, don’t you think more would be done? Thankfully, the world is waking up to the situation and action is taking place, but what prompted this action? Growing pressure via social media!

I don’t say all this to serve up a supersize portion of guilt, I highlight the issue to assist in creating greater awareness of our Nigerian girls plight as well as some of the underlying issues contributing to the world’s slow response. It’s great that this recent abduction has gained media attention but don’t be fooled into thinking this is the only one. The terrorist group Boko Haram (meaning Western education is forbidden) has been operating and carrying out attacks for years (a quick search on Google found articles dating back to 2011). Taking a wider perspective, abductions and attacks against girls are happening all over the world with no media attention. Media attention isn’t the be all and end all but it does provide much needed awareness that can lead to action which is desperately needed.

So knowing all this, what can you and your youth group do in Canada to help bring awareness to this atrocity and injustice?

1.     Join the social media campaign. Teens are often on social media, empower them to take this tool that is often misused and use if for good. Our teens have a powerful medium at their fingertips lets help them to use it constructively. Check out #bringbackourgirls.

2.     Talk about it at youth group. Ask your students if they have heard about the abductions, discuss some of the issues that the abductions raised. Great discussion questions include:

Does knowing that students your own age risk their lives so they can go to school affect your approach to school in Canada?

Do you think that the world would respond differently if the girls abducted were from Canada or USA? If so why is that?

If you were a politician or advisor in this country how would you handle this situation?

Can Prayer Change Things?

3.     Get your youth group praying for the abducted girls. We need to be praying and what a great way for students to discover the power of prayer as people all over the world are praying for these girls!

The world has many lessons to learn about its response to these recent abductions in Nigeria. Personally, I am challenged to be proactive in watching world news (however depressing it may seem), to pray, and spread awareness amongst my circles of influence.

Jane Galbreath

 Jane is a theology graduate and social work student, living in Saskatchewan. She spends her summers leading international youth mission teams. She is passionate about empowering young women to serve God particularly young women struggling with trauma and mental health issues. Jane has been a victim of sexual violence so she knows the heartache, shame, strength and courage it takes to face being a victim. Jane is a blogger and advocate for other females who have been victims of sexual violence because she knows that it is possible to not only survive but to come out the other side strong. After many years of healing Jane comes to you from that place! For more information and to visit Jane’s blog click here http://hopeforherblog.wordpress.com/about/

Talking About Sexual Abuse - Creating A Different Response

Talking about sexual abuse can be hard; it is often a very awkward and clumsy conversation to have. There are teens in our care looking to have that “awkward conversation” but for them its more than awkward, its terrifying. There are so many teens carrying around huge secrets looking for someone safe to tell. Are you that safe person? Ask yourself these basic questions:

1.     Am I available? When spending time with youth are you aware of what is really going on or are you too caught up in dodge ball? Whether you are doing bible study or doing some crazy activity be aware of what is going on with your youth and look for opportunities to connect on a deeper level.

2.     Do I know when to be serious? We all know people that we love to be around but would never share anything personal with.  If we want to be a safe person for a teen in trouble we need to learn the balance of joking around and talking about the serious stuff.

3.     Are you worried about the paperwork a disclosure of sexual abuse will cause? When a teen discloses abuse its can be messy to work through especially when local authorities need to be involved. Be assured that the mess of initially dealing with a disclosure is worth it in the end even if that teen doesn’t realize it till later on.

4.     Have I passed the test? Teens often test before they disclose sexual abuse, they will share a smaller challenge in their life e.g. telling you their older brother is really mean or they are sad because their dog died. Teens will gauge your response and then decide if you are safe to confide in.

Statistics estimate that 1 in 3 girls are being sexual abused. That’s not 1 in 3 girls in other youth groups that is 1 in 3 in YOUR youth group. For too long sexual abuse has been an issue that society is ashamed to talk about. This has to end! I am not suggesting that we go looking for teens who we think may have been abused then force them to tell us but this is what I am saying: It is crucial that we are available and willing to have these difficult conversations and it is crucial that we communicate that clearly with our youth.

Here is one project that has been helping people to communicate that they are a safe person to talk to about sexual abuse.

Creating A Different Response Campaign

Hope for Her International has started an online campaign to help communities talk about sexual abuse. Too often when people who have been experienced sexual violence finally tell someone they are met with messages of disbelief, shame and ignorance; too many victims are shamed, blamed or not believed. If we want to end sexual violence this needs to change, we need a different community response.

Teens are always on Facebook and they seem to love taking pictures of themselves! Why not take part in this project as a youth group or as church. It’s a great way to talk about the issue while sending a clear message to those people wondering, “Is it safe to tell?”

If someone you cared about was sexually violated, what would be one thing you would want to tell him or her?

1. Take a picture of yourself holding a message answering the question: If someone you cared about was sexually violated, what would be one thing you would want to tell him or her?

2. Post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag it #hopeforherinternational and #creatingadifferentresponse so we can track the messages. Then nominate some friends to do the same. For more information on Hope for Her International go to www.hopeforherblog.wordpress.com/about

Jane Galbreath

 Jane is a theology graduate and social work student, living in Saskatchewan. She spends her summers leading international youth mission teams. She is passionate about empowering young women to serve God particularly young women struggling with trauma and mental health issues. Jane has been a victim of sexual violence so she knows the heartache, shame, strength and courage it takes to face being a victim. Jane is a blogger and advocate for other females who have been victims of sexual violence because she knows that it is possible to not only survive but to come out the other side strong. After many years of healing Jane comes to you from that place! For more information and to visit Jane’s blog click here http://hopeforherblog.wordpress.com/about/

TEENS WHO CUT: Being a Voice of Hope to Teens Who Self-Harm

I was reading through some old journals this week and came across many entries about my struggle with self-harm. At 15 years of age I wrote, “It’s been 3 days since I hurt myself, I know it’s not long but it’s been so hard, I know God is going to help me get free from this.” I remember those days well, the cycle of promising I would never hurt myself, asking God to free me only to slip up a few days or weeks later. I longed to be free from self-harm but it has taken me years to finally see that freedom.

I started hurting myself when I was around 10 years old. Like many girls, I stumbled on the idea of hurting myself, it seemed to help and so I kept doing it.

As a child I was dealing with a lot of trauma, lacking the ability to regulate my emotions or express how I felt. Self-harm became a comfort, a release and expression for me. Why would anyone want to cause themselves pain? For me, feeling physical pain was a welcomed relief and distraction from the emotional pain I felt. Self-harm, the act of deliberately harming your own body (ie. cutting, burning, punching, excessive risk taking and hair pulling) is a warning sign for a deeper issue present in a teen’s life. For example almost 50% of those who self injure have experienced physical or sexual abuse and almost all say they were discouraged from expressing emotion. (Canadian Mental Health Association)

“Experts describe deliberate self injury as ineffective problem-solving. People who self injure are often seeking relief from psychological pain, unbearable tension, loneliness, depression, anger or an absence of feeling or numbness. Some people self harm to feel emotions more intensely; others do it to punish themselves for being “bad.” They either cannot or have not learned how to express those feelings more effectively.” (Canadian Mental Health Association)

Do you have teens in your youth group that hurt themselves? Almost certainly! One Canadian study found that 2 out of every 10 youth in Canada aged 14-21 had deliberately hurt themselves, with girls being twice as likely to self-harm than boys.

The following are some tips on addressing self-harm behaviors among your teens:

Warning Signs

Unexplained injuries or unlikely excuses for injuries

Keeping themselves covered even in hot weather

Swinging from feeling elated to depressed

Wearing lots of bracelets on wrists or ankles

Secrecy or needing to be alone for long periods of time

Frequent “accidents”

Carrying around sharp objects or weapons

Do’s

Respond calmly

Let them know you care and are concerned

If they are willing to talk to you, work with them to get professional help

Learn as much as you can about self-harm

Provide realistic messages of hope i.e. it is possible to overcome self-harm but it will take a lot of work.

Be positive and focus on their strengths

Be consistently available as a support to the extent your able to (and no more)

Don’t

Force them to talk about it

Assume that every self-harming episode is for the same reason

Assume that self-harm is a suicide attempt

Oversimplify the issue

Label the teen as an attention seeker (its not attention seeking but it a sign of attention needing; a lot of teens hide their scars)

My journey of overcoming self-harm has spanned for more than a decade. It has taken help from professionals to work through the reasons why I did it. It has required me to acknowledge the role self-harm played in survival and I have had to learn healthier ways to cope. It has taken many prayers, tears and loving friends to see me through. It’s been exhausting but it has been worth it. Looking back on those journal entries I smile and tell my teenage self to, “Hang in there, you will get through!” Youth pastors you get to be a similar voice of hope, unconditionally reminding your teens who self-harm that one day they will be free!

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If you have a teen girl who is struggling and needs support. Jane Galbreath & Alison Springer both support The YOUNG WOMEN OF POWER CONFERENCE held in Calgary Alberta April 25-26 2014. Recognizing the great need to empower teen girls they use their resources and skills to support an event that is specific to the needs of teenage girls. For more information visit www.ywop.ca  or contact YWOP.

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Jane Galbreath

Jane is a theology graduate and social work student, living in Saskatchewan. She spends her summers leading international youth mission teams. She is passionate about empowering young women to serve God particularly young women struggling with trauma and mental health issues. Jane has been a victim of sexual violence so she knows the heartache, shame, strength and courage it takes to face being a victim. Jane is a blogger and advocate for other females who have been victims of sexual violence because she knows that it is possible to not only survive but to come out the other side strong. After many years of healing Jane comes to you from that place! For more information and to visit Jane’s blog click here http://hopeforherblog.wordpress.com/about/