Attitudes Towards Working ‘Out of Hours’ with Young People: Christian and Secular Perspectives

Based on empirical research, this article considers the different attitudes towards working ‘outof-hours’ (ie. outside of a typical youth work session) with young people. Using a survey of 55 youth workers in a small post-industrial town, it finds that there is a clear split between workers from Christian and secular organisations, with Christian organisations fostering a significantly more positive attitude towards engaging out-of-hours with young people. This is understood through a framework that compares the ‘new professionalising’ agenda faced by many workers funded through public moneys, with the vocational and incarnational theological underpinnings of much Christian youth work. It concludes by arguing that this difference in theoretical concepts influences an observable difference in practice, and that greater dialogue between the sectors would be beneficial to well informed, safe, and appropriate use of ‘out-of hours’ work.