Fr David Wood writes about the potential youth bring to a congregation.

It is, to coin a phrase, a dark and stormy night!  I happen to be at a parish nomination board meeting, one of four diocesan representatives.  We are evenly matched around the table by four elected parish reps.  The unusual thing about this occasion is that the bishop has in his hand-luggage a visiting English priest.  Here is an opportunity for priest and parish to give each other an initial look-over.

Normally, we don’t do things this way, but in the circumstances it seems reasonable enough.  Along the way, the bishop has deliberately taken this priest to dinner at the local Sizzler, just to check out his reaction to the neighbourhood.

Sizzler is full of young families with children and teenagers, quite different to the fifty or sixty older people in church every week.  “Yes”, say the parish reps, “that’s what we want here; we see children as our future”.  Perfectly predictable, of course, and just the sort of line Dame Edna Everage would pounce on, proceeding to do with it unspeakable things for the rest of the evening.

Needless to say, we don’t quite proceed down this track, but I am left wondering why this business about young people being the church’s future is so popular and persistent?  Longing after the missing generations in our pews does not, of course, distinguish this aging congregation from many another.

It would be easy to suggest they want everything to change and nothing to change.  Young families with children and teenagers are very welcome so long as they don’t rock the boat, so long as they fit in with the way established power-brokers operate.
The visiting young priest responds to the parish wish list quite impressively, in measured and thoughtful terms.  Sidestepping the trap of presenting himself as the answer to their prayers, he suggests that connecting with the unchurched begins long before they ever darken the church door.

Mission is about being out where they are, doing ordinary things with them and for them, serving them - forgetful of our own selfish needs, free of ulterior motives and hidden agendas.  Say something about children and young people belonging to the present rather than the future, I think to myself, but he doesn’t buy into that either, no doubt wisely.

Probably, this is neither the time nor the place.  But at some stage it does need addressing, doesn’t it?  Such children as we have in our churches – and there are some, and teenagers and young adults too - are not future insurance so that we don’t go under.  They belong to the present, to God’s today, as all of us do, not some never-never land of tomorrow.  They and we together are part of this present day of salvation, this graced moment, this day of the Lord, and this is enough.

Faith means trusting God for our lives, without anxiety.  It is about living richly, fully, here and now, rather than fretting over what is yet to be.

The young awaken our sense of wonder, our best hope, genuine love, wordless awe before the divine mystery.  Giving good gifts of energy and enthusiasm, they open our eyes each new morning, making us glad to be alive.  Jesus sets a child in our midst, but does not say “treasure these little ones, they are your future.”  He talks about becoming, about welcoming, about caring, about living already in kingdom come.  Simple joy in what actually is - this is sufficiently odd to be attractive; anxiety just promises more of the same.

The Encounter will introduce the Diocese’s Ordinands over the coming editions. This month we spoke with Luke Hopkins.

Luke is 18 and was born in Maitland. His family (Mark, Pam, Adam and Lilli) live in Bolwarra Heights, 7km from Morpeth. Luke completed his HSC last year at St Mary’s Senior College Maitland.

How did you decide the priesthood was for you?
After attending a Baptist School (years 7-10), I felt that I needed to go to church. I had been baptised Anglican but my family had always enjoyed the pleasures of sleeping in on Sunday. I dragged either Mum or Dad to St James’ Morpeth on Sundays and my family are now active members of that community.
I felt called to ministry almost four years ago now. It was a feeling that steadily grew inside of me until the feeling could not be suppressed any more. Since then I have wrestled with God over vocation and journeyed down the selection process in this Diocese.

Vocation for me is not only a calling to a life you feel you were born to lead but also a risk, a gamble, made with God that he will guide you along the path and that in the end all will be right. In spite of the obstacles along the road that do occur, my advice to anyone who may have only an inkling of a sense of vocation is that it is worth the gamble with yourself and  God.

How have you been involved with the Church?
I have been an active member of St James’ Morpeth and a member of the serving team. I am indebted to the Rev’ds Roger Sharr, Wendy Gilbert and the loving people of St James’ for much of what I know about the Church as well as life. I represented the parish in 2005 at the World Youth Week events in Cologne Germany and a pilgrimage through Europe. I am currently on a parish placement at St John’s Cooks Hill with Garry Dodd and Stewart Perry.

What is one significant thing you have learnt along this journey so far?
It is important to trust in God as he takes us into all sorts of situations and learning environments. Life is not always what we expect it to be but God still stands with us.

What do you hope to learn from your ordinand training and experiences?
I hope to learn how to be a good priest that I may share the Gospel, in word and deed, with the people I meet.

The crucifixion prayer station at Youth Synod was featured in a large picture in the Newcastle Herald on August 6.

When I saw it I took a step back and thought, “Hey, that’s us!”

The fact that The Herald had picked such an iconic image and written an article about Youth Synod made me think, “Had our event truly caught the interest of the wider community?”

I’m so glad that our event generated the interest it did. Not only did it provide some great news coverage but it was a nice way of validating for myself and all of the organisers that we can, and do, produce quality events that are worthy of the publicity we received.

A vital feature of Youth Synod was the willingness of everyone to get stuck into everything the program had to offer and really become immersed in the culture of the weekend.

Whether it was taking part in the “African Drumming” or “Community Service” workshops, interacting with the presenters during each of the teaching sessions, or really taking the time to reflect at each of the prayer stations set up as part of our Saturday night worship, everyone made the effort to be totally caught up in the program to get as much out of it as they could.
The four main teaching sessions led by Bishop Graeme on “Creation”, “Old Testament Promises”, ‘“The Life of Christ” and “The Church” blended seamlessly, showing the campers that the Bible truly was written “with purpose” and that we can live our lives the same way.

To that end much emphasis was put on our need to evangelise and share our faith as Christians with the wider community as well as those in the smaller groups we network with such as families and friends.

Campers also saw presentations by Church Army and the Catholic Diocese on “Gap Year” options for school leavers and information on World Youth Day to be held in July next year.

Of course, Youth Synod wouldn’t be Youth Synod without a certain amount of showing off and tomfoolery which was provided this year by “Youth Synod’s got Talent”. Many campers took to the stage and talent was certainly unearthed!

What stood out to me most of all was the community that was created over the three days. It was purely astounding to see all of these kids from different walks of life come together as one group in Christ, worshipping and praising his name. What struck me was their obvious need to take part in more events like this, to be active members in faith communities of their defining, with guidance to build their faith as much as possible.

One of the most frequent responses to camp evaluations this year was, “Camp wasn’t long enough.” So we are already planning for next year’s Youth Synod to be a longer event. It will take place in the school holidays to provide more opportunity for these valued members of our churches to come together and share life-defining moments together, hopefully building communities that will serve them well for many years to come.  We can’t wait for next year and hope to see you there!

Mark Pullin
For CEY Ministries

View more pictures in our gallery or visit the CEY website.