Day 1
CIYD Launches Youth Leadership Development Fund at Synod
The Church of Ireland Youth Department unveiled a new bursary aimed at developing young leaders at General Synod in Derry/Londonderry this afternoon. Presenting the report of CIYD, National Youth Officer, Simon Henry, brought news of CIYD’s ‘Young Leaders in Ministry Fund’ which is being launched at this year’s Synod.
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Act of Disestablishment and to support the Church of Ireland ministry in the future, the fund has been created with the support of the Priorities Fund and the Fabric and Church Development Fund.
The ‘Young Leaders in Ministry Fund’ is an Ireland wide project that will support young people over a period of three years.
Aimed at Church of Ireland young people aged from 15 to 25 years who are actively involved in church life, the fund will offer grants for training and development courses, mission teams, leadership opportunities and placements that can be shown to:
- Significantly develop the faith of the young person
- Grow the skills of the young person especially, but not confined to, leadership skills.
- Be of significant use to the ministry of the Church of Ireland following the completion of the opportunity.
Simon outlined the potential for the bursary:
1. Leadership and ministry development: A bursary that awards even a small proportion of the costs can make the difference between a young person applying or not, leading to more young people with leadership skills.
2. Direct support for training: There are quite a few quality providers of training and other ministry development opportunities (including the C of I) for young people and young adults. Rather than trying to organise more of our own training provision to increase attendance it makes sense to provide financial support to encourage more individuals from the Church of Ireland to undertake these opportunities, both within and beyond the Church of Ireland.
3. Retention of young adults: Those aged 15–25 are the most likely to leave our church and this is also an age range least evident in church attendance. For young adults considering a role in leadership or mission, having the financial support of their church behind them would be significant in strengthening their relationship with the Church of Ireland.
4. The future involvement of young adults: Any bursary amount awarded will involve an application process that will encourage young adults to articulate how they will be involved in the Church of Ireland for the near future. At a time in and around the university years when many of our young adults will be consider leaving the church, this could be significant.
5. The development of church leaders: Every young adult going through this bursary will be on a contact database for other opportunities. This will allow us to help young adults progress through other areas of training and mission with the hope that some would be encouraged consider lay ministry and ordination training.
Simon also spoke of the success and importance of the second Church of Ireland Youth Forum which took place in Dublin in January and which saw representation for young people from almost every diocese.
“I, on behalf of CIYD, on behalf of the young people we engaged with at the Youth Forum, am asking you as bishops, clergy, leaders and influencers in your parish and dioceses to get behind young people and give them more opportunities within your parish and your diocese,” he said.
He continued: “We have to remember that Church is no longer at the centre of many of our communities. Young people inhabit a world that is increasingly diverse and morally bankrupt. Yet, they are more than ready to hear about Jesus Christ. It is vital that we do everything we can to direct young people towards God and to help them develop their faith and provide opportunities and not barriers”.
“Young people and children are often not taken seriously either in society generally or in Church. In the community young people are often perceived as a problem to be dealt with, or resented, and in church they may only be valued as ‘the Church of the future’ rather than the church of the present. It is always worth considering how young people can gain a higher profile both in church and in the wider community,” he concluded.
Seconding the report, Bishop Pat Storey said it was a privilege to be President of CIYD. She commended Simon Henry, Steve Grasham and Barbara Swann for their work and also commended the many resources produced by CIYD. “For a small team they achieve a lot and I want personally to thank them,” she said.
Archbishop Michael Jackson (Dublin and Glendalough) said that CIYD engaged first with commemoration of Disestablishment 150. Not only did the young people who gathered at the youth forum explore the theme of Disestablishment but those same people will have the opportunity to meet the President of Ireland to explore the issues that are in their hearts, he said. He encouraged everyone at General Synod to take something of the Disestablishment 150 and its strapline ‘Free to shape our own future’. He said a national programme has been developed and local events in each diocese will be added to it. Each diocese has been asked to undertake a project which shows the Church of Ireland as it is today.
Jack Wilson (Down and Dromore) commended the report and the work of CIYD for all the work they do with young people helping them to come to faith and grow in their faith. He thanked CIYD for their work in pointing towards God and Jesus. He urged members of Synod to support CIYD as they continue to bring the Gospel to young people.
The Revd Adrian Dorrian (Down) highlighted the resource ‘Praying for Young People and Youth Ministry’. He said there are prayers in it that can be used in a wide range of circumstances and he had found it to be a very valuable resource and encouraged everyone to bring one back to their parishes.
Archdeacon Craigh McCauley (Kilmore, Elfin and Ardagh) he said that the report opened our eyes to the huge amount of work done every week for children and young people. Referring to Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, he paid tribute to the work in the dioceses over seven counties in reaching out and encouraging children and young people into faith in Jesus Christ. He said many of the young people they had worked with over the years were now working with the dioceses. He recalled some years ago capital funds had been provided for interns but said that it had been hard to get people to come to work in parishes. He also called on Synod members to look within their parishes to see if there would be someone interested in working as Diocesan Youth Officer in Kilmore.
Edward Pierce (Kilmore) spoke of the importance of youth workers in helping young people to develop their faith.
Leo Kilroy (Glendalough) commended the great work and asked the question – are we reaching all groups in particular the LGBT group of young people who feel excluded from churches. He highlighted Changing Attitudes event in Derry/Londonderry tomorrow on inclusive church.
Robert Ferris (Cork, Cloyne and Ross) wondered if the learning from the Youth Forum could be shared more widely. He also asked how young people were free to shape the future of the church when their voices can’t be heard in this forum.
The Revd Christopher Peters (Cork, Cloyne and Ross) said he struggled with how to reach young people. He said one of his young parishioners was at the Youth Forum and he asked him to write a report for the parish newsletter. The young parishioner spoke of the feeling he had that believing in God made him stand out from everyone else. It is difficult for young people to develop a faith and balance the different pressures, he said. The young person also said that the difficulties of youth work were not about young people but about the older generations – that if there is not an example of commitment, enthusiasm and involvement of the older people why would they be surprised that it is not there among the young people.
Canon John Clarke (Meath and Kildare) suggested photocopying the entire section and circulating it to youths in the dioceses.
Bishop Patrick Rooke (Tuam, Killala and Achonry) welcomed the fact that the CIYD report was this year taken on the first day and not the last day which seems to usually happen. He added that he was encouraged by all the different things happening in the youth report.
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