From my report at convention today:
Two summers ago, we took a team of students who live in a culture where an active Christian faith is normal and who are part of church youth groups and brought them to a country where active and faith are not heard often in the same sentence nor is it common to have access to any ministry to teens. This eye opening experience was our visit to the Irish Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin, & Ardagh. Having grown up in a vibrant faith context, our students had no idea what a different context looked like.
Last summer, a group from their diocese came to visit us and had the stunning experience of meeting teens who are bold and confident in their faith. They saw and experienced how that faith is nurtured through solid youth ministry. Listen to the reflections of five Irish students looking back on that experience….
Over the years, we have been in the pursuit of making biblical Anglicans for a global age. It has been the norm for our students to grow up in bible teaching youth groups, developing a vibrant faith, and attend inspiring diocesan events. Our students have little idea of how different it is outside of our diocese. Thus the Ireland partnership has been an amazing experience in creating awareness. It is more difficult to explain how youth ministry is not like ours in other diocese around the country. In fact most of Anglicanism in North America is struggling to engage in youth ministry. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to do two days of presentations to Anglican leaders from a variety of jurisdictions across North America. Many of them were church planters and others just looking to learn how to reach and minister to teens. I enlisted the help of two others. One was David Charney, formerly youth minister at Trinity Pinopolis and now a priest doing youth ministry at Christ Church Anglican in Atlanta. The other is Matt Marino, Canon for Youth & Young Adults in the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona. Together we taught on the topic of Bible Centered Youth Ministry. Much of what we covered was new ground for folks who are struggling to reach students and so we presented a simple and sustainable strategy for youth ministry. I asked Matt if he would express to you what he has been saying to me for the past several years…
(okay, there is a slight difference between this version and the one that was shown at convention – but the words are exactly the same)
On behalf of our youth ministers, full and part time, as well as all the volunteers running youth groups and Bible studies with students across our diocese (far too many to number) I would like to thank you for your ongoing support. Not only has your commitment to youth enabled us to pass the faith to the next generation, your support has become a blessing to many as we seek to make Biblical Anglicans for a Global Age.
Please follow and like us:
Leave a Reply