YP4L

Gracie Walsh's talk to Bishop's Council

Posted by Keith Cousins on Tuesday 24 Mar 2009, 11:09AM

I’d like to talk about what life is like today for young people living in the Diocese of Leicester with a view as to how the Bishops Youth Council can try and further promote the message of God to the children and teenagers within our city.

So speaking as a young person in Britain today, I think we are born into an age of instant gratification whereby we can access almost anything we want whenever we want as we now live in a world of more advanced technology and communications meaning people can text or ring or facebook their friends whenever they like. I think that we are far more aware of what’s happening around us than previous generations- this is mostly to do with the increasing influence of the media and the growth of globalisation; This might mean that young people are exposed to a lot of stories of violence and conflict and suffering at a younger age but also means that we are maybe more tolerant of other races and religions (particularly in Leicester, as its very multicultural) and less ignorant about the world around us. I think young people today have greater purchasing power now than previous generations and are also exposed to more advertisements- this can mean that the pressure we feel to confirm to stereotypes such as gender roles can be greater and our exposure to sex and things of sexual content has increased. I think maybe young people today are more autonomous in the sense that we are bought up to have less respect for authority as the culture changes, but this is not necessarily a bad thing, although maybe a lot of people would argue that it is, as respect has to be earned more but that does not mean that it isn’t easily gained- I think a lot of young people are actually keen to connect with the adults around them. Finally I think another big characteristic of my generation is the fact that many of us are not religious and have never been to church or any form of religious service- society is becoming increasingly secularised and this is evident within young people today.

Aside from these changes in common culture however, young people are also affected by similar things to the generation before them, namely the difficulties faced as we grow up, change and discover and develop our identities. Young people are concerned by school-work, relationships, self-esteem and the increasing pressure we feel as we get older to get drunk and have sex, often because we are made to feel that that is what our peers and society expect of us. I also think its important to mention wider issues that concern young people because obviously teenagers don’t just think about going out and how they look and fancying people- a lot of young people are interested in spirituality, in injustice and poverty and why it happens and why its allowed to happen, as well as the environment and politics and prejudice. But as I say all of this, I am also aware that I’m talking from the perspective of a white, middle-class Christian girl and even though I can try, I don’t really know much about young people from different socio-economic backgrounds or religious backgrounds and the pressures, hopes and worries that concern them.

As the Bishops Youth Council, we thought that one of the most important things we should say to council is that we do believe that the church has such a powerful message for young people today who are surrounded by violence and sex and media enhanced images of what society thinks we should be. God offers peace and love, the two most important things in the world and can give people direction, security, hope and a promise of acceptance which lasts forever. Obviously though, for young people who have never thought about God before or who are certain they don’t believe in him, this could be met with cynicism and more importantly, for those young people who have grown up in poverty or have been failed by education systems and have very low aspirations, it may seem as though God can offer very little and almost rude and patronising that the church should think he has the power to change lives. This is why we firmly believe that if we as a youth council, with the help and support of the bishop the rest of those in the Bishops Council, are to make a real difference, it must be though actions and not through words.

In terms of mission and evangelism, therefore, we feel it is important to note that many of the youth workers employed though YP4L, such as those based within in Shepshed, Lutterworth and the Southern Edge Mission Partnership are entirely mission focused, with a view to helping young people who are vulnerable or struggling with problems at school and at home.

We feel that it is definitely time to admit that more young people do drink, more young people do take drugs and more young people have sex- children and teenagers are growing up quicker and this is not something the church should be afraid of or threatened by, rather it needs to be looked upon as a situation where God is really, really needed, more than ever before. Young people in Leicester need God and the church has to offer young people a chance to talk about everything that concerns them without a fear of being judged. Churches need to be a place where young people feel they can ask about life’s big questions or for help with relationships, or advice about any other issues that concern them. We think a lot of this can maybe be achieved through the new youth church in Shepshed but we think the most important thing is to utilise the resources around us and involve every church in creating a better environment for young people.

So this is how we as the youth council plan to move our ideas forward and create changes across the diocese. We have developed a strategy which firstly, does not further burden central resources, secondly, works in line with YP4L and Shaped by God, thirdly, is about growth and fourthly, and most importantly, is achievable

We would like the Bishops Council to agree to our proposal that as part of the development of YP4L and Shaped By God, an expression of church for young people is formed or further developed in every mission partnership across the diocese of Leicester in order that the message of Christianity is made accessible to every young person in ever area of our city

Gracie Walsh