You Fish Shoes

Whilst I enjoy writing resources for almost anyone it is quite tireseome having to write out step-by-step activities which assume the youth leader is stupid. You know the sort of thing:

Tell everyone to sit down
Ask them to get comfortable and be quiet
Hand out Bibles
Find Colossians
Take it in turns to read a verse (making sure no-one with reading difficulties is embarrassed)
Lead a discussion using the following questions...

How would it be if there was a book full of ideas for sessions which assumed that youth leaders knew how to open a cupboard door to get a Bible out, could find a web-site and work out what to do when they got there and could make use of the occasional pithy quote or top tune without being told precisely how to do it or where to find the CD player?

And how would it be if that resource had a surreal title so you had to hold it in your hand for a few moments trying to work out what it was about?

Welcome please You Fish Shoes published by Christian Education. I've linked their web-site but the book wasn't in their on-line catalogue this morning so my sample copy may be pre-publication.

You Fish Shoes is 30 sessions edited by the ubiquitous Jenny Baker. For 12 squids you get 250 pages of ideas with very little white space and no illustrations. I'm also chuffed because a couple of young writers I have tried to promote, Ewan Jones and Emma Sargeant contributed to it. I wrote some of it, as did Gatward, but you'll probably be able to tell that.

For those youth leaders who pick up a resource book, strip it of all its value like locusts at harvest time, construct their own sessions and forget where they left their now broken-spined and doodled-upon copy - this is for you. If you think you'll need training in how to use it, don't buy it but get a CPAS catalogue and use the BBRYG (Bible-Based Resources for Youth Groups) series. BBRYG books are not for beginners alone but they are great for starting out.