In order to find the inspiration for what I am about to tell you I have just read the famous Martin Luther King Jnr speech. This man had a dream and he had faith that his dream would become a reality. God gave Martin Luther King the strength to speak out against oppression and injustice and his obedience cost him his life, as he was assassinated before the year was out, never seeing his dream fulfilled!
I on the other hand have had the pleasure, privilege and joy to see my dream grow into a reality. I have spent 25 years of my life in youth work, 23 of these at The Door and 18 years as a full-time worker. My role has changed as the project has changed and the team has grown as the project has also grown.
In those early days I was pleased to be able to support nearly 200 young people every year, but then the dream grew, as God told me to build a team around me. This team now supports over 1,000 young people each year and the work is bigger than what I had originally dreamed of.
Now I am thinking of the future, my future and the future of the project. I do feel that my time at The Door is gradually coming to an end. I know that the team is now more than ready to manage without me. I am not sure where my future lies, but here I am again, taking another step of faith into the unknown. At the end of October I will be stepping down from the position of Chief Executive and I will do so with a mixture of emotions.
I feel that The Door is a part of my Legacy for young people and for the Church. I am excited by developments and opportunities that are currently unfurling for The Door and will be watching from a distance, in the same way that a parent watches their children, as they fly the nest.
Though I am the one flying the nest, I will still be aiming to do all that I can to help even more young people, as I am beginning a new journey of reaching out to assist other organisations, projects, charities and businesses that want to make a positive difference for the young people in their area.
I am still shocked by the number of young people that are struggling with their own oppression and injustices. I know that The Door will continue to support these young people and their parents, however it possibly can, but this is only possible with your continued support.
With sincere thanks,
Brendan Conboy
Chief Executive – The Door Youth Project.