In June the Presbyterian General Assembly accepted proposals from its Business Board that a special Youth Assembly be piloted at next year's Assembly in June 2009. Preparations are now underway to prepare for this pilot scheme and Presbyterian churches are asked to nominate two young people who will attend a regional forum in January 2009.
"The principle of the Youth Assembly is to allow young people to have their voices heard, whether in a big church or small church, in the country or in the town, whether they are one of 50 young people or the one and only young person in the church," said Neal Wilkinson, a member of First Coleraine Presbyterian and co-convener of the Youth Assembly Working Group.
The pilot project, called SPUD (Spokespeople for Presbyterian yoUth Discussions), will consist of two regional forums in January -- one in Dublin and one in Belfast. At these there will be a time for worship and teaching as well as four focus groups to choose from. These focus groups will each discuss a genuine issue or report from one of the Presbyterian boards, e.g. Social Witness, Mission Overseas or Mission in Ireland. Participants will have the chance to discuss the issues and views will be recorded.
"The clichè 'young people are the church of tomorrow' has been batted around churches in recent years, and indicated a shift towards a recognition of the importance of young people in congregations," says Neal. "This has been a significant step for the church; however there is a new phrase emerging, declaring that more than just being the church of tomorrow, 'young people are the church of today'."
The working group for the scheme first came together in November 2007 following the General Assembly's initial request that year to explore the option of a Youth Assembly. The group consisted of eight young people under the supervision of four youth workers.
"As we discussed issues we realised young people sometimes feel 'out of the loop' -- uninformed of how decisions are made and what decisions are being made," said Neal. "As a whole we felt generally cut off from the 'not-so-young people' in our churches, and can experience a generational divide within our congregations. The Youth Assembly is not there solely to bellow our demands, but also to provide a platform from which we can learn from others.
"As the General Assembly heard in June, the young people of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland love their church and it should be an encouragement to everyone that their young people are willing to be involved in the existing structures, to devote themselves and their opinions to helping the overall body.
"The vision is that young people will be integrated into the core structures of our Church, standing alongside our leaders, learning from their vast experience and devoting our hunger and enthusiasm to serve."
Young Presbyterians aged 15-25 who would like to have their say are encouraged to get involved through their congregation and be part of the discussions at the January forum.
Issued by Sarah Harding, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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