“We … will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might and the wonders that he has done. … that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments..”(Psalm 78:4-7)
It is hard to believe that September has begun and there is that back-to-school feeling in the air, even for those of us who left full time education a long time ago.
September is a time of new beginnings for so many across the generations, but particularly for children and young people and those who work in the field of education. There will undoubtedly be a spectrum of thoughts and emotions in the coming days from excitement through to anxiety. If you are a parent, grandparent, carer of children and young people, or someone who works or volunteers with the latter, your story will be interwoven with these precious young lives.
Over the summer holiday period I have been encouraged by much that has gone on in and through worshipping communities to value and support children, young people and families. There have been holiday clubs, Holiday and Food (HAF) programmes, numerous family events small and large in church buildings, and organised activities let by organisations within the diocesan family including The Rock, Viney Hill Christian Activity Centre, and Sportily.
For me, much of this relates to one of my summer highlights, hosting a small gathering in the marquee at Bishopscourt with the leaders of the Gloucestershire Council Family Hubs and their local clergy, to explore how we might be better engaged with one another in our common desire for the flourishing of children, young people and families, whilst not losing our Christian distinctiveness. I wonder if you know where your nearest Family Hub is, who runs it, and whether there are possibilities for appropriate connection depending on your location? This is not about wanting to overwhelm worshipping communities with yet another ‘thing’ but rather to encourage local exploration of appropriate opportunities for mutual partnership as an expression of our Kingdom desire for every child to flourish.
Another summer highlight for me was spending a day at a national event called Satellites, which saw several thousand young people camped on the Bath and West Showground with a rich programme of worship, Bible study, discussions, a vast array of activities, and endless opportunities to make new friends, and to explore or grow in faith.
Some of the latest research reveals that children and young people are longing to hear about what faith in Jesus Christ means as they openly explore New Age spirituality, and seek meaning in things such as angel numbers, yet they often find ‘the Church’ reticent to speak directly and confidently about the mystery of God revealed in Jesus Christ and present through the work of the Holy Spirit. I was particularly struck by some feedback I read of some young adults in England speaking of their experience in a church school in which they learned about stories from the Bible but didn’t recall anyone ever explaining their significance for daily life.
At Satellites I was struck by the openness of faith discussion, and the spaces for those who would not describe themselves as Christians to ask questions and engage with Christian faith.
Whilst at the event, I had the privilege of spending some time with the young people who had gone there from this diocese, wanting to grow in their Christian faith or to explore it for the first time, and who had gone to the gathering from a number of worshipping communities of all sizes and shapes. When we met, ice creams in hands, I greatly valued hearing the young people’s reflections and their very simple asks which included a desire to be drawn together once back in the diocese (not least in worship); and wanting to contribute to decision-making in meaningful ways, both locally and in the wider diocese. They also expressed an appreciation of opportunities for intergenerational engagement and verbalised their gratitude for the adults who invested in them. On that note, I was immensely proud of our leaders (paid and volunteers) who were alongside the young people, and I came home deeply thankful for Barrie Voyce and our diocesan Connect Team which originally emerged from our LIFE Vision.
As part of this, I am excited to see how the investment in a pilot of four secondary school Connector posts will unfold and what we might learn and see emerge in faith being deepened, explored and discovered in the lives of young people attending All Saints Academy, Cleeve School, The Cotswold School, and Newent Community School.
I also returned from Satellites with a strong appreciation of all that I personally continue to learn and receive from young people in this diocese (including the henna tattoo, lovingly painted on my arm by one of the young people from St Catherine’s Gloucester!). Incidentally, the Church of England ‘Called’ tent was humming with young people wanting to have conversations about a wide range of vocations in the Church. Humbling indeed.
As we encourage one another, across the generations, to live our vision of LIFE Together with a fresh focus on the child and young person, I continually find myself going back to the Old Testament emphasis, not least in the Psalms, on the responsibility placed on God’s people to pass on their living faith to the next generation and indeed to keep in sight the children yet unborn (Psalm 78:4-7). I believe that those of us who are adults particularly need to be challenged about how we are living this in our engagement with children and young people in households, various activity groups, events, and places of education. Furthermore, how are we encouraging young people and children in their own sharing of faith as well as being challenged by those Christian children and young people who are often much better at sharing faith than many adults.
My prayer this week is that whatever age we are, we may know Christ present in all the new beginnings which September will bring, and that we will prayerfully seek to discern what one thing we might do differently as individuals and together in our local contexts, to take up the calling to ‘proclaim the gospel afresh in each generation’ (Words from the Church of England ‘Declaration of Assent.’).
With my thanks and prayers as ever,
Watch this video capturing some of the highlights from this year’s Satellites event →
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