Speaker stereotypes.

27 April 2011 by Shandri Brown | Comments (+5)

I was invited to Tasmania over the weekend to be a guest speaker at a youth Easter Camp. I loved the opportunity and met fantastic people. One of these fantastic people was a friendly young woman who patiently waited 40 minutes in a 10 minute parking bay for me at the airport while baggage claim travellators broke down one by one, then drove me over 3 hours to the campsite and lent me her cosy doona as well!

In our travel conversations we talked about church, work, interests and family. My new friend was quite suprised to hear that I was married and even more shocked to find out that I have a 1yr old. Apparently youth speakers don’t usually try and combine the roles of wife and mother into their ministry. At least that was the experience that this friend had. She had been anticipating a single gal and I didn’t fit the bill.

Both her and I were able to have a good chuckle about the stereotypes we subconsciously hold in our minds. I was glad to be a part of messing hers up but I realise I have held a few of my own.

Youth leaders are under the age of 40. (ok so I actually believed yth leaders were under 30 until I hit it myself).
No decent youth leader has ever shopped at Lowes, or any ’serious grown up’ store. (Hello! Tim Hawkins happens to be one ridiculously relevant leader).
All youth leaders live on a diet consisting primarily of caffeine (I am still not sure this is wrong).

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Comments

Older comments

Clint

27 April 2011 at 8:14 am

Shandri, it’s true… we hold so many stereotypes. Even over here in Canada.

How about these?

Must be tech savvy
Carry a cell & txt 1,000 times a day
guys – have a goatee
Have a tattoo
Multiple piercings
Know & play crazy games at youth group
play video games
wear skinny jeans

Jarrod Newton

27 April 2011 at 8:16 am

Haven’t you just described yourself Clint? hehe

Good to see you on the blog champ!

Shandri Brown

27 April 2011 at 8:49 am

Clint I love it!! Although I am pretty sure you just described a couple of people I know perfectly this totally is not the norm, and aren’t I glad! I can’t play video games to save my life.

Matt Godkin

27 April 2011 at 10:08 am

I’ve been told that if I smashed on a pair of skinny jeans my youth ministry would double…..haha.

Love it Shandri.

Narelle

2 May 2011 at 11:57 am

I’ll Smash your caffeine stereotype… No coffee here :0)

About us.

How do we get better at youth ministry?

That’s a question we’re asking ourselves all the time, so we started a blog to collect our thoughts and hopefully include you in the conversation too.

We – Claire, Nate, Shandri and Matt – work together at The Salvation Army’s Territorial Headquarters in Sydney, Australia, and are responsible for supporting and resourcing Salvation Army youth ministries throughout NSW, QLD and ACT.