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A special service of commissioning takes place this Sunday for the new Presbyterian Church "Preparing Youth for Peace" Project Officer David Smith. The service in 1st Saintfield Church at 7pm will be conducted by local minister and Youth Board Convener Rev James Hyndman along with Moderator Dr Alastair Dunlop.
The Preparing Youth For Peace Project (PYFP) is a result of research commissioned by the Presbyterian Youth Board. Findings indicated that many ministers, youth groups and church members struggled with questions of reconciliation along with broader issues of political change in Irish society. Rev David Montgomery is Chairman of the Youth Board's Reconciliation Working Group:
"If our young people and their Christian growth matter to God, then we must at least ask what are we doing to help the youth of both communities surmount the baggage and the misinformation of the past decades and understand one another better. It is our hope that churches will prayerfully use the facilities we offer under PYFP to equip young people to lead the way in being lights in the darkness and ambassadors of the Gospel of peace."
Originally from Bishopton in Renfrewshire, David Smith worked as a researcher in the House of Commons before his appointment as Project Office with the Presbyterian Youth Board. He studied Peace and Conflict Resolution at the American University, Washington DC and has a deep interest in reconciliation work throughout the world which was sparked by a childhood interest in mission:
"Growing up, my family were always involved in supporting missionary work. This exposed me to a whole range of cultures and because of the nature of mission work, I often heard stories of difficulties and tensions between religious and cultural groups. My main concern in this new role is that we manage to strike the right balance between helping people develop their self understanding as Presbyterians while at the same time manage to challenge attitudes of division in our society."
Issued by Martin McNeely, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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