Editorial

18.08.08

Welcome to the Sophia Network!

Sharon Prior and Jenny Baker are running a session at Greenbelt called Sugar and Spice or Slugs and Snails?, exploring the way gender impacts both youth workers and young people. We'll be in the CMS Blah tent between 5 and 6pm on Saturday - come and join us! We're also hosting a reception in the youth resources area of g-source on Saturday at 12pm - come along for some chocolate and to say hello.

Qualities of a Leader

Who are the Christian women in leadership that you want to emulate, who display characteristics and qualities that any leader would be pleased to have? Add your suggestions to our blog post here.

Who is Sophia for?

The Sophia Network is for all female youth workers, volunteer and employed, full time, part time or spare time. You are also very welcome to join if you are a female children's worker or a woman in church leadership and think the network may be useful to you. The more women who join, the more we will be able to support, encourage and inspire one another.

We'd love the network to represent the full diversity of what women are doing in all areas of the world of youth work and ministry.

Why join?

Women can join the Sophia Network for an annual subscription of £20, which will enable it to develop and grow. In return, you will:

  • have access to a members only section of the website which includes the directory, a discussion forum, articles, reviews and interviews
  • create and maintain your own entry in the online directory of women youth workers
  • have the opportunity to help shape the network
  • be able to access and contribute resources
  • find out first about Sophia events and training
  • receive a discount on Sophia events and training

Join now!

(photo: toronto lex)

THE SOPHIA NETWORK aims to celebrate women in youth work and ministry, what we have achieved and what we are contributing to the kingdom of God. We want to increase the visibility of women in youth work, making the wider church aware of the fantastic work that women are doing. The Sophia Network will enable women in youth work to connect with each other, share skills and experiences and offer encouragement and support.

Latest Blog Posts

Walktalk

18th August, 2008

Gill Hicks lost both her legs in the London bombings on July 7, 2005. Yesterday she walked into London having completed a 200 mile walk that began in Leeds on 19 July as part of the Walk Talk initiative that she began with her husband Joe Kerr. The aim of Walk Talk is to 'offer a wide variety of people of all ages – representing a broad spectrum of opinions and ideas – new opportunities to meet, walk and talk with each other about matters of belief and conscience, especially those that are most challenging and divisive.' People were invited to join sections of the walk, and it is hoped that dialogue will continue in each of the communities that the walk passed through, creating a chain of human connections between Leeds and London.

Mustard Seed Associates on the world's women

15th August, 2008

Tom and Christine Sine have been long-time champions of people making a difference in their local communities in ways that may seem insignificant but are rich with kingdom potential. Their Mustard Seed Associates site 'provides resources and a network for committed followers of Jesus to anticipate the future, decode the culture, convey the Kingdom of God , and create new ways of being a difference and make a difference.'

And on its blog, Christine writes about the inequalities experienced by women in developing countries, giving links to other articles and information. The factsheet on gender-based violence in the Middle East is sobering and I loved this prayer for the world's women. 

Job opportunity

7th August, 2008
Young Women’s Project Worker, St Mary’s, northwest London
£21,670 inc. LW (JNC Level 2 or equivalent required)
St Mary’s is a diverse, vibrant Christian community in northwest London. In the past 18 months, we have been working with young women in Camden as part of our Social Inclusion Programme. We want to appoint a passionate and creative professional youthworker to more fully establish and develop our Young Women’s Project.

Our vision for the Project is:
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