JONATHAN Broome, lives in Bridport with his wife Laura and works as a part-time youth outreach worker for the Bridport Christian Fellowship.
After getting involved with alcohol and drugs as a teenager Jonathan returned to his faith to escape from his unsustainable lifestyle.
He studied for a degree in youth work with applied theology at Moorlands College in Christchurch and now devotes his time to helping young people make the right choices in life and avoid making the mistakes he made.
He runs the Bridport Christian Fellowship Youth Club on a Friday night from 7pm to 9pm, and also works with young people on film making projects. The group’s Youtube page now has over 1,000 hits. To watch their videos visit www.youtube.com/thescenevideoproject
DO you find it hard to reach children with the Christian message?
Actually no, I think a lot of young people are very open because often they haven’t set a decision about how they are going to live their life as such, they are still open to exploring the different issues.
ARE you from a Christian background?
My mum’s family were always very involved in the church. My father, not so much, he was very much an everyman. I’ve always had different perspectives. I was brought up going to church and then I left church and got involved as a teenager in drinking, drugs and the party scene. Going through that process I was able to realise a lot of the things I was looking for in that lifestyle didn’t ultimately fulfil me as much as what I had in the first place which was that relationship with God and that loving supporting family around me.
WAS there a turning point, which made you go back to Christianity?
Very much so, it was one of those nights at a party where I was worshipping the porcelain goddess as they say. I was on my knees over the toilet having probably done far too much. It was a dramatic turning point for me but it was more of a constant process of realising this lifestyle isn’t enough for me, it’s not what I want to be doing. The lifestyle is very attractive and appealing, getting drunk and doing drugs with your mates feels good that’s why we do it but the problem is of course it escalates and it’s not a lifestyle I could control, and to be honest it’s a lifestyle I don’t think many can control and we got into some pretty nasty places. It was just fantastic to know that there was another way. Just to know that I had the freedom to go that way was the greatest gift I could ever have really.
WHAT inspired you to go into youth work?
Having gone through what I went through really. Just realising that if I could influence some young people not to make the mistakes I made then I would be doing my job well. If I can in some way just share my experiences and that can help a young person stay in school, not get involved in that lifestyle and just try and make something of themselves. I really feel like I’ve done something good and been able to inspire people.
DO you think Bridport can be proud of its youth?
Yeah, they are not all bad. All they need is a bit of direction. I know that sounds quite old school but I really think it’s true. Recently we had a group of young guys who had a bad reputation and we did a river cleaning project with them. We did other projects as well and we’ve got another one coming up in a month or so.
WHAT'S the favourite video you’ve produced?
We recently made a music video for a local singer/songwriter called Beth Baker, which was a lot of fun. We have done stuff with some of the kids as well. We did a puppet show which they thought was the bees knees because they got to tell all their mates they had a film on Youtube so that was a lot of fun.
WHAT is your next video project?
We do have a project in mind called The Rolling Man. This would be a 15 to 20 minute screenplay using the young people. It would be a kind of comedy about not taking life too seriously and living life and enjoying it for what it is.
WHO would be your three dream guests at a dinner party?
Of course I would have to say Jesus, he would be great. Maybe someone Rock and Roll like Jimi Hendrix. The third would be someone else from history I guess just to really pick their brains, someone I find inspiring. Martin Luther King would be an amazing person to listen to.
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