New chapters
As young people across the country finish their exams and say goodbye to school life, the next chapter beckons them into adulthood, with big decisions to be weighed and made. The significance of this transition has been brought home to me because my eldest child is now at this stage. In the shadow of Covid, the next step seems to have come around all too soon and the leap seems more difficult than it should – or maybe parents always feel this way.
This month we feature PCI chaplain Nigel Craig, who ministers to young people at Queen’s, Stranmillis and Union College in Belfast. Nigel and his colleagues concur that Covid has certainly had an effect on those starting off their university careers. Assistant chaplain Lyndsey notes that the students who didn’t sit A-level exams are ill-used to revision and out of practice when it comes to examinations. She says, “It’s making them more stressed. Pastorally, we’ve had to give a lot more advice and support.”
Nigel also feels that the pandemic has left a legacy of uncertainty and insecurity with young adults. He says, “We want people to find security in Christ. That is where their ultimate peace will come. And it’s an honour to help them along that journey.”
It is perhaps surprising that young people today have the highest levels of loneliness. Dr John Kyle assesses the rise of loneliness in our society and says of the young: “Their world is radically different to that of earlier generations. Face-to-face time between fathers and their Gen Z sons today averages 30 minutes a week.” Echoing an article by Mel Lacy in the May Herald, John says that many of these young people are craving community and relationships, not just with their peers, but across the generations.
Norman Hamilton references Mel’s article in his column this month – struck by the idea that young people often leave the church because they have a biblical veneer rather than any depth of faith. He acknowledges, though, that this is not solely an attribute of the young and sets down a challenge for us all to have a renewed confidence in Christ and the gospel that transforms how we live all aspects of our lives.
As I cut the apron strings and send my daughter off on the next chapter of her life, I found the words of university chaplain Helen Freeburn particularly encouraging: “Know you go into this new adventure with a best friend already by your side and preparing your way… Jesus.” As I trust this for her, it’s also a good reminder for us all – he will never leave us.
The Presbyterian Herald is the official magazine of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It provides a forum for debate and discussion on a wide range of topics and aims to challenge and encourage Presbyterians, as well as inform them about what the wider Church is involved in. It has a readership in excess of 25,000 and is distributed throughout Ireland.
To find out more go to www.presbyterianireland.org/herald or access the digital version via Issuu.