National Youth Assembly 2013

Last month over one hundred young adults aged between 17 and 25 with a connection to the Church of Scotland got together in Dundee for National Youth Assembly, otherwise known as NYA.

This annual residential event was first introduced in 1994, and this year took place in Dundee’s West Park Conference Centre from Friday the 16th until Monday 19th of August. The NYA aims to attract people with different backgrounds from all over Scotland as it is an opportunity to worship together, learn together, discuss together, and have fun together. The event is also a means for the Church of Scotland’s youth to be involved in the decisions made by the Kirk, and over the weekend the Assembly tends to look at various issues for discussion. This year was themed: ‘Identity –who do you say I am?’ which we looked at in three stages: ‘What is it to be a part of the Church of Scotland?’; ‘What is it to be Scottish?’, and ‘What is it to be me?’.

The Friday evening is effectively used as a get-to-know-one-another kick off to the weekend, and usually involves an activity to get everyone talking. Over the NYA planning weekends there was a great buzz surrounding the idea of a Murder Mystery, which was justified as it went down an absolute treat! It provided an opportunity for we delegates to familiarise ourselves with the likes of the pastoral team; the worship team; the Clerk and the Moderator of the NYA, as well as having a bit of fun with our small groups. On Saturday we got down to business and looked at what it means to be in the Church of Scotland. In the morning we had a visit from Paul Cathcart who is a Deacon within the Church of Scotland, and he spoke about what the role entails along with giving a brief history of the Diaconate. It was interesting to learn about the often forgotten, yet important job Deacons play, especially as there were some of us who were unaware that the Church even had deacons. Fortunately, Paul was able to share lunch with us as more often than not our conversations and discussions spilled over into meal times.

The NYA always tends to invite a range of guests to come and share with us, and over the course of the weekend we also met Donald Carmichael and Fiona Mathieson from the Council of Assembly; Marjorie Paton the convenor of The Guild; a group from the Church and Society council to carry out some research about what the Church would like Scotland to look like in the future; and last but certainly not least, Very Rev. Lorna Hood, Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly. The Assembly looked closely at ecumenism in the Saturday afternoon and invited people from independent Churches, different denominations and religious organisations to be involved in our Ecumenical Human Library. This meant that the delegates could learn about other denominations and organisations within the Christian Church by rotating around the different stations each group had set up and asking questions. We had a similar Human Library last year at NYA, which is a feature that I believe makes the event so special. There are not many opportunities to meet an array of people from different backgrounds, and even when we do we are often not in an environment to chat and get to know one another, and yet within a matter of an hour or so we were able to learn a little about how different churches operate, and what makes them different from the Church of Scotland. This knowledge is what will enable us to work together in the future, as it helps create links and bonds that are invaluable when carrying out God’s work.

As well as developing meaningful relationships with our guests, the Assembly is divided up into small groups, each with a small group leader, to spark deeper conversations and form relationships with one another. The groups are organised by age (17-18, 19-21, 22-25) to allow people to be amongst others of similar ages and who are more likely to have comparable experiences. The small groups were also to provide a safe space where everyone could share and discuss their thoughts and opinions, especially if they were not comfortable doing so in a debate-style format like that of the General Assembly’s, when the groups fed back to the ‘Mod’. The NYA did previously adopt a debating system akin to the General Assembly’s, but chose to experiment this year with new ways of recording feedback and ideas to report back in to the GA in the following May.

After lunch there were several workshops that delegates could attend as another way of meeting new people. On the Saturday I chose to attend ‘Young People and Decision Making’ where we shared our experiences of being involved in Church groups or would like to be involved in on either a local, regional or national level; and to look at ways we could further participate in Church life. Other workshops included looking at the Mission Forum; the Go For It Fund; a Scavenger Hunt, and an opportunity to do some community service-type work such as hugging members of the public and picking up any rubbish. On the Sunday there was a workshop run by Sharon McNamara from Christian Aid; one looking at international trips; another about The Guild and Margaret McLarty took one for people wanting to learn and sing songs from the global church! Despite everyone being severely tired by Monday afternoon, there were still some fantastic workshops to go to, some looking at identity and the transitions we go through in life; one addressing community art; and one co-led by Moderator Lynsey Martin talking about managing finances.

Every morning we had a formal worship service lead by a praise band and had a more informal and reflective worship space in the evenings. On the last day when Lorna Hood came to visit, she led us in communion, which we shared twice over the weekend. Although the programme ended around midnight each day, there were some late night discussions delegates could attend along with a COSY cafe that served the best hot chocolate – we even had marshmallows and cream! The two late night discussions this year were looking at end of life issues, and mental health issues. These discussions were informal and are not recorded in any way, but provided a chance for people to talk about big issues that are important to us even if we cannot fit them into the bigger discussions during the day.

On the Sunday evening we all donned our frocks and kilts as we all dressed to impress for the fundraising dinner. This was held at the Invercarse Hotel where we enjoyed a gorgeous three course meal, and afterwards cleared the floor for (in typical Church of Scotland fashion) a rather energetic ceilidh! We managed to raise £2,470.67 which will be split between six Guild projects which are: Heart for Art; The Julius Project; Out of Africa Into Malta; Mary’s Meals; Comfort Rwanda, and A Passage From India. The NYA also became the first ever honorary Guild group.

Personally, I think NYA is something the Church of Scotland should be extremely proud of; it is a fantastic platform that provides young people with an opportunity to meet other young Christians and learn about God together. Not only that, but through the youth representatives, the NYA’s Clerk and Moderator, the voices of the youth are carried throughout the year to all parts of the Kirk, and the GA in May, which is really encouraging. Young people aren’t the future of the Church, we’re part of the Church now, and for those of us who are privileged to attend the NYA is a priceless and unforgettable experience.

Seonaid Knox