Young people |
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Young people in the Church
This page features some of the events and areas in which young people in the Church are involved:
The National Youth Assembly
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Chill nite club
International AIDS Conference
The National
Youth Assembly
The Church of Scotland annual Youth Assembly is for young
adults who have a connection to the Church and are aged
between 16 and 25. Youth workers are welcome to attend
the event with their young people if they want to support
them through the experience. Young people with a connection
to other churches in Scotland, the UK and overseas are
also welcome to attend.
National Youth Assembly 2010
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This year's NYA will take place
from 3 - 6 September 2010
at Stirling University Campus, with the theme
'To Boldly Go ...'
Application forms can be downloaded below and should be returned to
Jane McCarthy, The National Youth Assembly, The Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN
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For more information, please email Fiona Fidgin at
Previous National Youth Assemblies
National Youth Assembly 2008
The 2008 NYA took place in Dundee from Friday 5 until Monday 8 September 2008. The event was called End of Part One, and looked at these topics: Participation Culture, Health Relationships, Sustainable Living and Future Church.
Iain McLarty, Moderator, outlined some of his thoughts before the Assembly and stressed why it is such an important event for young people.
| You can download this article here in pdf format*: |
(11KB) |
National Youth Assembly 2006
This took place from Friday 8 September
to Sunday 10 September at the City Quay Hotel, Dundee.
You can read a first-hand account of the event from delegate and guest writer Nicola Whyte from
Edinburgh.
| You can download the minutes from the
2006 assembly here: |
[.pdf]
(29KB) |
National Youth Assembly 2005
Alison E. Thomson was Moderator, the Rev Dr Marjory MacLean
was clerk and Judith Taylor was depute clerk. The theme
of the Assembly was the bridging of the ‘gaps’
perceived to exist between the Gospel of Christ and contemporary
culture and belief in the Christian message and living
it out in practice. The debates focused on the remits
of the General Assembly’s new Councils, and the
initial priorities within the first year of their work.
During the National Youth Assembly a one-day re-union
meeting was held of the children’s ambassadors to
the General Assembly of 2005. Renaming themselves ‘The
Junior Youth Assembly’, they discussed the format
of future events, and engaged in debate on themes raised
by the Ministries Council and the Mission and Discipleship
Council.
| You can download a summary of the 2005 event and its conclusion here: |
[.pdf]
(42KB) |
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
In November 2008, Church of Scotland youth representatives went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Read about their experiences below.
| The COSY pilgrimage to the Holy Land was a life changing experience for me. Having the opportunity to visit the places where Jesus ministered was incredible. To sail on Galilee and imagine Jesus talking to the disciples, or to be at St Peter’s Primacy and think on Jesus forgiving Peters betrayal is just such an awesome experience. |
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It was also interesting to be able to meet with locals, regardless of faith, and hear their accounts of life in Israel and Palestine. The most moving experience of the trip, for me, was the time spent in Bethlehem.
As well as being able to visit the Church of the Nativity, we met with some Palestinian Christians who spoke to us about the work they are doing, inspirational. We also had a chance to visit the Tabeetha school in Joppa.
One of the many things I brought back from the trip was a dream of building links between the community I minister in, Portlethen, and the Tabeetha school, either through the Church or the local academy, or both. If you ever have a chance to visit the Holy Land, grab it. Make the most of it, it is an awesome experience, a moving experience. Chris Hoskins
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Taking part in the pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine in November 2008 is an experience I think I will never forget. There were so many memorable moments, often in contrast to |
one another; there was floating on the Dead Sea and then the airport security system, the holocaust museum and then standing behind the Bethlehem wall, sailing on lake Galilee and then walking the Via Dolorosa, the luxury of the Scots Hotel in Tiberias and then the poverty of the unrecognized village, and starting the journey with relative strangers but finishing it with friends.
Our journey took us to many biblical sites; sharing in communion on the same beach that Jesus shared a meal with his disciples following his resurrection was particularly moving.
Although this was my first visit to Israel/Palestine I felt like I had come home, having grown up listening to stories of the events that happened in the places we visited. But the pilgrimage was more than just visiting historical sites, it was a chance to meet people who are living there now, 'the living stones', to hear and become part of their stories. Such meetings were uncomfortable and challenging but on reflection they gave the journey that extra special something. Suzi Farrant
Chill nite club
A night club for 12 - 17 year olds is bringing young people into the Church and there are branches across Scotland. Read more about Chill here.
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If you are interested in helping at your local branch, or would like to find out how to set one up at your local church, contact Scott McCrum at chillniteclub@yahoo.co.uk
International AIDS conference, Mexico
| The 17th International AIDS conference covered pastoral care, legal rights, human trafficking and how HIV and AIDS issues are dealt with in literature. Catherine Hay attended on behalf of the Church's HIV/AIDS project and found it a thought-provoking and fascinating experience.
Read about it here. |
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