Catriona Munro reports from this year’s National Youth Assembly

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.” Romans 12:6

GIFTS were the central theme of this year’s National Youth Assembly (NYA) worship. The gifts God gives us, the gifts we use ourselves and the gifts we give others. Through a variety of worship styles we explored the greatness of God’s gifts – from the gift of His Son whom He sent for our salvation (yes, there may have been carols) the gifts a young boy gave Jesus to feed a hungry crowd, the gift a young woman gave of expensive perfume which she used to wash Jesus’ feet, and the gifts Jesus gave others to heal, empower and guide His followers.

Our worship team did a wonderful job providing powerful messages and time to reflect upon the gifts He has given us to live out His Word in our daily lives.

We were given another gift: a warm welcome at Gartmore Parish Church, which is a highlight for many at NYA. It’s always a special experience to join in worship here – how often is it that young people form the majority of a congregation on a Sunday morning, and in a church that’s packed full, too? Worship is such an important part of the weekend, and being able to share in that joy with so many other young people is truly unique. Fellowship at NYA is a powerful thing, and is present throughout the weekend.

Being in a small group is an important part of NYA. It is a group of people with which you quickly bond and share thoughts, frustrations and experiences. One of the most exciting parts leading up to NYA is finding out who your small group leader is and who you will work with over the weekend.

Groups are split according to age, and as such each group usually has a mix of people who are first timers and those who have some years’ experience of NYA. The small groups help delegates get to know others quickly, and it helps those who may not be comfortable speaking in front of a large group get a say without fear of being interrupted.

The role of the group leader is to facilitate the discussions and they are there to support the groups, answering questions and ensuring everyone understands the issues in question. For first timers, group leaders are invaluable as a point of contact; able to point folk in the right direction, give an idea of what to expect and introduce others. Each group has their own room, providing a quiet safe space in which to focus.

While the groups are a safe place for delegates to air their opinions, there is no pressure to speak in your group – some delegates prefer to listen and take notes than to speak out while others take the opportunity to share their stories freely and without judgement.

No matter the role you have or the part you play in your small group, you are a part of the group which is a part of NYA, and to be part of NYA is fantastic. You will never forget your NYA experience, the people with whom you share NYA; and NYA won’t forget you.

We had a number of guest speakers who led workshops covering a variety of subjects including mental health first aid, practical advice on how to pray and read the Bible, and the Church and Society Speak Out campaign. In addition, the small groups shared in conversations in faith – encouraging us to speak out about our faith, and teaching us how to carry out such conversations within our own congregations. These sessions gave delegates a glimpse at some of the ways in which to engage with our church at local and national levels.

NYA is a platform for young adults to voice their opinions and actively participate in decision making within the Church of Scotland. While small group sessions are invaluable to this, the full discussions are the main way delegates are able to get their voices heard. Our weekend focussed on three topics which we as young people feel are most pertinent and relatable: Young People and Discipleship, Interfaith, and Church Priorities.

We moved away from our usual debate style for the Young People and Discipleship topic and instead used a world café style, where delegates worked in small groups to brainstorm the ways they felt the church could create a culture of discipleship, before feeding back the key points. Delegates found intergenerational work vital; with a mentor/mentee system being used to share gifts and skills with one another and learn from one another’s faith journey. Delegates felt the Mission and Discipleship Council would benefit by sending out a team to congregations involving people in discussions and it was felt that a real push was needed to get conversations in faith started and spread.

We were indebted to our guest speakers who made up a human library of interfaith for our next discussion. Delegates learned from first hand sources about the Baha’i, Sikh and Islam faiths. For many, this was the first time such an opportunity had been presented, and one of the main points which came across later on was that we need more information on different faiths.

National Youth Assembly

We should be reaching out to our neighbours and educating ourselves about each others’ faiths, and sharing in community projects together to strengthen interfaith relations. Many delegates were keen to produce a Church of Scotland Youth (CoSY) guide to Interfaith Relations, and it was recognised that there were many issues around the ways religion is taught at schools.

Our final discussion was Church Priorities, for which we had the Rev Dr Martin Scott, Secretary to the Council of Assembly, address us on the work of the Council. Encouraged by the plea to have our voices heard, delegates got thinking about how we express our love for God and our neighbours through worship, discipleship, and engaging in the community; and how we can improve and change our ways. During the discussion there was a call for clearer distinctions of the many types of ministry, and a call for a shift in restrictive attitudes to ‘other’ types of ministry beside parish ministry.

At the close of the weekend we elected 18 young people to work with the moderator and the clerk through the year to turn the words shared across the weekend into action, that we might continue to make positive steps towards a growing and more inclusive church.

Please do get in contact with members of NYA (why not start with our Facebook page www.facebook.com/cofsnationalyouthassembly/) as we will be thrilled to share our experiences with you, and encourage more young people across the Church to join us. All the responses of our discussions and a more comprehensive summary of NYA 2017 will be found in our supplementary report, released for the 2018 General Assembly, which we would encourage you all to read in due course.

Catriona Munro is Clerk to the National Youth Assembly of the Church of Scotland. She thanks the delegates who shared their experiences of NYA for this article.