A former intern at Mosaic named Alan Baird recently won the National (Scotland) Youth Worker Award for 2010, in Glasgow. An article details the impact Alan and his team have been having:
“When Baird started working at the church in September 2005 as a student placement from International Christian College in Glasgow, there were about five young people who met regularly each Sunday night. Every week he works with 200 to 300 young people in the church building.
Over the course of the first three years, Baird, who is now a full-time staff member, launched many youth events and church activities. Now, various youth groups meet regularly on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
One such group is the Lunch Club…. It launched in 2005 with four main aims: To break down misconceptions young people had of church; to directly engage and build relationships with the young people in the community; to give young people the opportunity to hang out with their friends and make new ones in a safe and friendly environment; and to let them know about other church activities and events….
Baird also holds a variety of social events throughout the year, including weekend retreats, a 24-hour Stay Awake, paintballing, go-karting, and laser-tagging.
In November, the church had its fourth annual community fireworks display during the church’s anniversary celebrations. The congregation distributed 1,000 flyers throughout the community and sent personal invitations.
‘This was an idea that I had, as there were no events that brought the whole community together from all the generations,’ Baird said. The young people played in bands on stage, ran hot dog stands, baked, and served refreshments to the crowd. They had their highest turnout with nearly 1,100 adults and children from all generations, said Nick Daldry, senior pastor of the Erskine church.”
What impressed me most about Alan’s efforts was the fact that he was nominated for this award by a person who does not attend a church.
The article includes the following:
“Stuart McCartney recommended Baird for this award; McCartney, who is a youth worker for the local Erskine government council, is not a Christian. Baird does a variety of partnership initiatives with McCartney within the community throughout the year.”
How inspiring is it that Alan’s work has been so life-giving that someone who doesn’t share his beliefs feels he deserves to be honored.
How can we better serve the world around us so that they are grateful for our efforts whether they share our point of view or not?
