This month’s question is: ‘How has your church taken part in the Year of Young People?’

QUESTION

Robin Downie, Applecross, Lochcarron and Torridon Parish Church, Skye. Moderator of the National Youth Assembly 2017/18.

Lesley Ewing, Congregational Youth Worker, Carluke: Kirkton

“Over my year as Moderator it has been a superb privilege to be involved in the Year of Young People.

“For me it presented many opportunities to experience ways in which churches are getting involved in this year.

“To name a few, I had the privilege of speaking at Perth presbytery. The presbytery was looking at ways to get more young people involved in their churches so they asked each congregation to tell the presbytery what they were doing for young people.

“This helped to inspire everyone giving them ideas on how to get young people involved. Everyone was very enthusiastic and keen to learn about different ways that they can get young people involved in their church.

“I have experienced churches getting more young people involved in the Sunday services.

“In Stirling I also had the privilege of attending an award ceremony run by Friends of Logie Kirk. The ceremony celebrated the work of young people in the local schools and at Stirling University.

“It was an immense privilege handing out prizes and giving a speech in my year as Moderator to such a talented group of young people.

“The Year of Young People has inspired me for sure. It has made me feel privileged to be in a church which celebrates its young people.

“It’s been an experience as well for me which I feel has helped me grow as a person but also in my faith.”

“About five years ago our Kirk Session agreed to commit to the young people within our congregation and town by employing a full time Youth Worker to work with and support them.

“The young people within our congregation, local schools, organisations and town have always been a big focus here at Kirkton. By committing to take part in the Year of Young People it has given us a fantastic opportunity to reinforce and re-examine the work that we do with them.

“This year our summer Holiday Club was a main event in our participation in the Year of Young People.

“This is a joint project with the other Church of Scotland congregations within our town.

“There are many young leaders on our steering group and they played an important role in the planning and actioning of our club, at least 75% of our children’s workers at Holiday Club are young people.

“‘Helpful Holly’s Hospital’ was open to all children in the town and surrounding villages. We were delighted, and slightly overwhelmed when 188 children registered for the club!

“Helpful Holly’s Hospital saw an average daily attendance of 130 ‘patients’. The week was an amazing opportunity to work with so many children of all ages and backgrounds. We showed these children what it was to be a friend of Jesus and how much we are all loved by him and God. We have hoped and prayed that some seeds have been sown!”

Rev Russell McLarty – Transition Minister, Edinburgh: Meadowbank

Alison Kennedy, Youth & Community Worker, Cambuslang: Flemington Hallside

The Rev Daniel Manastireanu, minister, Glasgow: St Paul’s

“We had the idea to offer a class in the local primary school the opportunity to work with Fischy Music to write a song for the Year of Young People.

“We will then have the whole school over to the church for a Fischy Music concert. As well as singing some wonderful, lively songs we will also hear the class singing their brand new song and we really look forward to hearing what the class wants to say with their own melody, rhythm and beat. This seems a really worthwhile way to celebrate the Year of Young People and, at the same time, build our relationship with the school.

“The statistical summary of the parish is clear that we have a large number of younger adults between 18-44 but a relatively small proportion of young people compared with other parishes.

“While this is useful information it doesn’t stop us looking for creative and fun ways to recognise young people, to listen to what they have to say and to share that as widely as possible in church and, hopefully, on our website and on the school website.

“As a new ‘start-up’ church beginning a five-year period of Transition Ministry we are looking at the wider community using the ‘Discovery Programme’ toolkit.

“This involves listening to all the diverse voices and seeing where there are possibilities to develop projects and partnerships.

“The class song for the Year of Young People is an important part of our listening.” “We started our Year of Young People celebrations with a special ‘Stand up for Sunday’ youth service.

“For the past three years the young people of our Church and Cambuslang Parish Church have been part of this initiative. The young people plan the whole service, from bringing the Bible in at the start, to choosing worship songs, uplifting the offerings as well as prayers and Bible readings.

“For our talks, we do something we call ‘Bite size Bible’ sections, and we do three of these, one for all age talk, one for life application and one for Biblical interpretation.

“They get as much or as little help in writing these as needed, many totally independently.

“On February 25 this year we used the YOYP theme of ‘One Church. One body’ focussing on Romans 12:4-8. This theme was perfect for celebrating the work of our young people in our Church, on recognising their giftings, and in learning how to share these gifts as part of our wider church.

“It is a true blessing to see these young lives grow, develop in maturity and faith and then in turn to pass on their ponderings and thoughts to the wider body.

“Inevitably, this brings up many questions with which they can discuss with many folks around the Church, with two-way faith sharing happening.

“We hope and pray that the messages they share continue to be shared not just in the safety of our Church, but out into their wider family, friends and communities.”

“Our Year of Young People at Glasgow St Paul’s Church kicked off early in the year with a special service led by the young people involved in St Paul’s Youth Forum.

“They led the whole service, starting us off with sausage rolls and coffee. This was only the beginning. We’ve had many other services where young people cooked breakfast for participants before services, helping in leading parts of services, and giving us a monthly report on all they are doing in the Youth Forum.

“As a result, the shape of our services changed into a more participative style, using a lot more art which is displayed around our worship space. Our chancel has a large ‘Year of Young People’ art installation that reminds us of this special year and our focus on creating a space where young people can find a sense of real community. The congregation is delighted to see young people attend services not as spectators, but contributing alongside everyone else.

“Through the massive work led by Neil Young (MDS), our Youth Team Leader, St Paul’s Church built its identity around a youth work that changes lives through radical grace and inclusion. The Year of Young People is for us a natural celebration of that identity, an opportunity to take pride in our work not just for young people, but also through the young people for the benefit of the whole community. If focused our attention not only on working for young people, but with them as well.”