Supplementary Report

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Table of contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………...………………………………………..…..………..4

2. Gender Justice.……………………………………………..…………………………………….………..…………..5

3. Mental Health………………………...…………………………………………………………….…………………..9

4. Future of Ministry and Fresh Expressions………………………………………………………………..18

5. Reflections on NYA 2016…………….…………………………………………………………………………...23

5.1 Gillian……………………………………………………………….………………………………………..…...23

5.2 Matthew…………………………………………….…………………………………………………………...23

5.3 Hannah……………………………………………………………………………………………….……………25

6. Through the year……………………………………………………………………………...……….………….…26

6.1 A year as Moderator…………………………………………………………...……………………….…26

6.2 A year as Clerk………………………………………………………………...………………………….….27

6.3 A year as Youth Reps…..………………………………………………...………………………….….…30

6.3.1 Shahrukh..…..……………………………………………...……………………….….….…30

6.3.1 Fiona……...…..……………………………………………...……………………….….….…30

6.4 Promoting NYA……….…..………………………………………………...………………………….….…32

6.4.1 Social media………………………………………………...………………………….….…32

6.4.2 NYA 2017 Planning Weekend…………………………………………………...….…34

6.4.3 GA 2017……...…..…………………………….………………………………………..….…34

6.5 Other things we’ve been involved in……...…..………………………………………………..…35

7. Scottish Youth Parliament…………………………………………………………………………...….…….…36

8. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………...………….…38

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1. Introduction

This report aims to elaborate on the content of the blue book report where necessary, and provide a

space for the youth representatives to report on the projects that they have been involved in since the

conclusion of the Assembly.

This year, under the very capable guidance of Andrew MacPherson, the youth reps were split into task

groups to focus on taking forward the topics of discussion at the assembly.

Gender Justice

Mental Health

Future of Ministry and Fresh expressions

There was also a group working on promoting the NYA, and the joint working group with the Guild on

Intergenerational Ministry continued it’s work, writing a report for GA 2017.

Our youth reps took forward these focuses with enthusiasm and commitment that was inspiring to

witness, and have accomplished a great deal over the last few months, the details of which can be

found in this report.

First, this report will present a summary of the discussions that took place at last summer's National

Youth Assembly.

5

2. Gender Justice

The first aim of this discussion was to raise awareness and understanding of the issues that were being

raised, for many delegates questioning gender roles was something they did not have experience of and

so the topic was introduced in such a way to become clear and understandable to them. The second aim

was to examine how the NYA delegates felt the Church of Scotland should be responding to such issues,

bringing into consideration what our faith teaches us and inspires us to do.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all

one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Gender is the means by which individuals present themselves, with relation to the spectrum of

“feminine” and “masculine” characteristics. Historically in our culture, masculinity and femininity have

been enforced as a strict dichotomy usually pertaining to an individual’s sex assigned at birth; this dichot-

omy dictates aspects of one’s life such as how to dress, presumed inherent skills, and “acceptable” behav-

iours and interests. Today, thanks to the efforts of social movements throughout the 20th century, cultur-

al expectations have relaxed and men and women are freer to express themselves and make their lives as

suits them as individuals, less so by what is acceptable to society at large. Nevertheless, stereotypes

about how males and females “should” behave still persist and are used as a means to discriminate, such

as for employability, educational opportunities, what is deemed “appropriate” dress and appearance, and

acceptable expressions of emotion. There are, of course, individuals who reject the notion that one has to

identify on either end of the gender spectrum. Non-binary, is a catch-all category for gender identities

that are not exclusively masculine or feminine - whether they consider themselves to be a combination of

both, fluctuating, or completely a gender .

“For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.”

1 Corinthians 11:12

Gender Justice in this context, refers to the ongoing socio-political movement aiming to change attitudes

in such a way as to expand the scope of what we in our culture deem “acceptable” for people of certain

genders as we perceive them, and to actively acknowledge the power structures still in place today which

uphold the imbalance between men and women. The end goals differ depending on which aspect you

choose to focus on as this subject is very broad and nebulous; in our own country, we look to fight em-

ployment inequality and domestic violence, whereas in other countries, the priorities may be on Female

Genital Mutilation, and expanding a woman’s role from just subservient wife-mother-carer, to that of

somebody who has free agency to pursue what her calling in life may be.

6

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”

Philippians 2:3

Gender roles are societal norms that dictate the type of behaviour that is generally considered accepta-

ble and desirable for people based on their perceived biological sex; society creates these norms and

then women and men of all types are pressured to fit into them. Components of traditional gender roles

include seeing the man as breadwinner, providing for the family and often not showing emotions, while

the woman runs the household and takes care of the children. Some people argue that if it were not for

traditional (and sometimes archaic) gender roles and stereotypes, then there may not be such a need for

gender justice. As it is, traditional gender roles inform the way we all live our lives. They are first intro-

duced in childhood development and continue to affect us throughout our lives.

Traditional masculine roles, reinforced by patriarchal systems, are damaging and can lead to the normali-

zation of aggressive behaviour towards women. Women and men around the world suffer as a result of

rigid gender roles, inflexible and unforgiving to any who dare to live their life in a way deemed

“unconventional” when compared to traditional female and male roles. These traditional roles are not

inherently wrong, or less valuable than other roles, but it is important that individuals are able to make

their own choices about how they choose to express their gender, and not be forced to conform to an

archaic patriarchal system. Sometimes, in an attempt to achieve gender justice, double standards can oc-

cur – something to be aware of as we move forward towards a society of equality where all gender ex-

pressions and roles are accepted and valued for the gifts they contribute to society.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he

created them.” Genesis 1:27

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Gender nonconformity is behaviour or gender expression by an individual that does not match up with

traditional masculine or feminine gender roles. An example of this may be boys playing with dolls or other

toys typically marketed to girls, or women now wearing what once would have been considered “men’s

clothes”, or men choosing to stay at home to raise children instead of doing paid work. Gender noncon-

formity is often confused as something to do with sexual orientation, thus gender nonconforming people

are often assumed to also be lesbian, gay, or bisexual, while gender conforming people are assumed to be

straight. Gender nonconformity is only related to an individual’s gender expression, regardless of their

sexuality. This however does not ease the struggle they can encounter with regards to traditional gender

roles.

A lack of education about gender nonconformity can be frustrating for those who identify as such, be-

cause others around them may not understand what they are going through, or they themselves may not

yet have the understanding or language to describe what they are experiencing and how it makes them

feel. They are often faced with pressure to fit in to or conform to societal “norms”, and they can feel iso-

lated and alienated for not

fitting in. More than this, some

can feel endangered, and that

possibly even their life is at

risk, as there are those who are

so threatened by someone

different, that their only reac-

tion is to lash out and hurt or

even kill.

However, we acknowledge that

gender nonconformity can be a

positive experience for some. It

can be empowering to defy tra-

ditional gender roles, as many

believe they are out-dated and

reductive. It can also give free-

dom from societal expecta-

tions, and it can be a relief to

be able to express oneself con-

fidently and without caring

about the opinions of others.

8

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the

case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

We are called to advocate for the marginalised members of society and seek justice for all. Gender justice

is part of that. As Christians, we strive to be a force for love, hope, and faith, and Jesus taught us every-

one one is equal. If the Church wants to be involved in today’s society, it has to take a stance and make

its views known, it has to speak out on modern issues, including that of gender and gender justice. In the

same way we have in the past spoken out about Climate Justice, we must now speak out about Gender

Justice, and the impact it has on our communities. We need to take responsibility for and challenge gen-

der injustice in our own communities; we can bring about change by walking together. We have a re-

sponsibility to encourage an accepting community which discourages stereotypes. Jesus taught that we

should love one another, it is important to show that through acceptance and help, regardless of our

own prejudices. The Church as an institution has to admit it has done some things wrong and aspire to be

better, we have an obligation to do more. Biblical translations and preachers throughout history were

heavily male dominant and oppressive. Males and females do have different roles, and that is equally im-

portant, but as a more equal Church we should promote the equality and neutrality of our faith. This is

not a matter of changing our theology, but a matter of changing our attitude. We cannot continue as “us

and them”. They are us. We are them. We were all made in God’s image and we are all children of God.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13:34

The National Youth Assembly has a lot to say about Gender Justice, this is just a small sampling of the

varying views on the topic. Gender Justice is a complicated issue that requires nuanced, appropriate re-

sponses to the different problems faced by many throughout our society. The NYA believes Gender Jus-

tice is an important issue facing the Church, at all levels, and we would like to see the Church raising it’s

voice against the injustices to all genders in today’s society, across the world.

9

Mental health was a powerful topic discussed at this

years event, allowing individuals to explore mental

health, and consider how it resonates with themselves

and their church.

According to the mental health foundation good mental health is characterised by a person’s ability to fulfil a number of key functions and activities, including:

• the ability to learn • the ability to feel, express and manage a

range of positive and negative emotions • the ability to form and maintain good rela-

tionships with others • the ability to cope with and manage change

and uncertainty.

Within our small groups the youth assembly were asked if they agreed with the Mental Health Foundation’s description.

Vague, but needs to be. It’s too clinical, needs to be more descriptive. Agree with the definition!

Yes! Extending it to mental and physical situations too.

Good – covers it well!

Identifies good mental health well.

3. Mental Health

Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same. It can change as circumstances change and as you move through different stages of your life.

10

Does this resonate with your own experiences?

Similar to good physical health. It depends on each person’s

point of view.

Agree with the stigma of labels.

It’s so personal and different for each person so this defini-

tion allows for this.

Relatively, yes.

There’s a stigma attached to mental health problems. This means that people feel uncomfortable about them and don’t talk about them much. Many people don’t even feel comfortable talking about their feel-ings. But it’s healthy to know and say how you’re feeling.

11

As we began to discuss what the Church currently does about Mental Health, it was apparent that alt-hough the name ‘Crossreach’ was familiar – not everyone understood that this was the Church’s Social Care Council, whose Mission Statement is:

“In Christ’s name we seek to retain and regain the highest quality of life which each individual is capable of experiencing at any given time.”

During our wider discussion, Crossreach was referred to as the Church’s “Best Kept Secret” as their ser-vices are extensive, providing care and support for:

- Children and families

- People affected by the criminal justice system

- People with learning disabilities

- People who are homeless

- Older people and people with dementia

- People with substance misuse problems

- People with mental health problems

12

How can Crossreach work with the National Youth Assembly to battle stigma and talk about issues as ‘normal'?

RESOURCES!

Leading by example.

Encouraging open discussions among

congregations.

Being vigilant of stigma.

Tackling words that can often be misused. Urge youth reps along with Crossreach to

pressure GPs – as not all GPs receive ade-quate mental health training.

Perhaps Crossreach being includ-ed within Ministry training.

With this in mind, we were asked how Crossreach could support congrega- tions and communities to recognise signs of mental health issues?

Training elders in Mental

Health First Aid. Encouraging The Guild

to get involved.

Using the ‘Life and Work’ as a means of raising

awareness.

Resources (not just for ministers)

Support for Clergy themselves.

Raising awareness in congregations – ensur-ing they know the facili-

ties available

A ‘Helpline’ for those within the church to

seek advice or guidance

EDUCATION!

For youth, for congrega-tions, for ministers, for

organisations.

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What do you feel the Church does well in relation to mental

health issues?

Not forcing

people to be

something

they’re not.

God is al-

ways there.

It has good pastoral

care links (if not men-

tal health specific)

Some local

churches do

well, others

don’t.

The Church of Scot-

land’s national

work is positive

Present as a commu-

nity every week.

It has a good

foundation to

build on.

What are the gaps needing filled? What would the National Youth Assembly like to see

Crossreach doing/providing in the future?

Continuing the

superb work they

already do in our

communities.

Supporting our

ministers/elders/

deacons.

More widespread

consultation into

Combatting the

stigma of mental

health.

Training days/

courses to edu-

cate those within

the church.

Creating better

support networks.

14

As the youth assembly approached a full discussion about mental health, delegates were asked questions about their own experiences with mental health – and the re-sponses are depicted below:

What do you feel the Church could do better in relation to

mental health issues?

Training for those in

pastoral care roles.

Having “Mental Health Awareness” Days

within churches, like Christian Aid Sun-

Challenge the idea that “God

wouldn’t give you more than

you could handle.”

Not aware of what they

do.

Support for Ministers.

Lack of education for con-

gregations on issues like

mental health.

15

16

The full discussion was opened for delegates to respond to the three questions below.

What can or should be done?

What is your experience of mental health within the church?

What do you think of the work already being done?

COMPARITIVELY, HOW WOULD YOU POSITION YOUR MENTAL HEALTH BOTH GENERALLY AND

WHEN AT ITS WORST?

(1 = NEGATIVE, 9 = POSITIVE)

17

As a result of the discussion, three words very clearly emerged as important: ENCOURAGE, RESOURCE

and EDUCATION.

ENCOURAGE:

Encourage open and honest discussion within the Church à from congregational level right up to

the General Assembly. Recognise that local churches have a responsibility to respond at a grass-

roots level within their own communities.

Encourage congregations to support their ministers, deacons, elders and those who fulfil pastoral

roles within their churches à they have mental health too.

As Christians we have a huge responsibility, not only to those within the church, but those in our

wider communities who struggle with mental health issues. We need to actively support them, and

assure them that Jesus loves them too.

Encourage congregations to bring mental health into more formal worshipping sessions, so individ-

uals can connect with their mental health within worship.

RESOURCE

There is a lack of mechanisms at congregational level. This needs to be supported and resourced by

the wider national church and presbyteries.

Young people can lead the way à forgoing workshops at the National

Youth Assembly 2017 in place of running Mental Health First Aid Training to every delegate.

Work in partnership with organisations such as the Boy’s Brigade, Girl’s Brigade, Scouting and Girl-

Guiding, who have already produced resources surrounding mental health.

Liaising and learning from ecumenical partnerships.

EDUCATION

Provide resources and education for those who do pastoral home visits, to better equip them as supporters.

Educating ministers and deacons – perhaps through the ministry training; but also ensuring that ministers are correctly supported within their positions.

Tackling the misuse of words and language within our congregations and communities.

Promoting Crossreach and it’s vital services within our communities.

Take an active personal responsibility to share our stories and support others.

18

4. Future of Ministry and Fresh Expressions

This topic focussed on the future of ministry within the Church of Scotland looking also at Fresh Expres-

sions amongst other initiatives.

What do we look for in a minister?

People in the National Youth Assembly had a wide range of responses to this question. The qualities peo-

ple looked for in a minister included caring, accepting, friendly, relatable, enthusiasm, humour and sin-

cerity. It was felt that it was important that the minister was someone who had both academic and pas-

toral training. The Wordcloud shows the responses given by delegates to this question.

What are key ways in which ministers need to change?

The question “what are the keys in which ministers need to change” raised some interesting discussion

points. In order to break down the question into something more manageable, three key areas were

highlighted: the ways ministers need to change to be faithful; to connect with a changing Scotland; and

to lead a diverse church. Delegates were then able to discuss this broad idea in an easier more struc-

tured way, and helped us to arrive at more conclusive results.

Considering ideas around ways in which to be faithful, delegates agreed ministers should be spiritually

focussed on the essence of church, and move away from focussing purely on the church building. While

the importance of the physical building – and all that goes on in it - was recognised, many delegates

agreed that it was important to start moving towards discipleship thinking, creating opportunities for

discussions in the wider community.

Looking at changes to connect with a changing Scotland, there was a lot of discussion regarding minis-

ters engaging in societal matters – being a face in community projects, attending political debates and

generally representing the church at local events. A number of delegates were keen to see ministers be-

ing open to forging links and partnerships with other denominations in order to strengthen the church

presence in the parish. Again, there was more discussion about building up the Kingdom of God within

communities instead of focussing on how to build up congregation numbers.

19

Changes to see ministers lead a more diverse

church saw a unanimous plea for ministers to

be open to new ideas from their congrega-

tions. Many of the delegates felt ministers

should be open to hearing new ideas from

their congregation, and to appreciate and en-

courage different worship styles. Lengths of

prayer, a variation in hymn choices and involv-

ing others in leading worship were all brought

up by several people as ways which ministers

should change to promote diversity within the

church.

Across the three key areas of the question as a whole, the idea that kept recurring was that ministers

should have an openness to moving church outside the church, that is to say, starting to create opportuni-

ties for worship in different formats, involving other people in leading worship, discipleship thinking, and

creating discussions outside the church building, away from the Sunday services.

What should the Church of Scotland do to promote and enable ministry of young people?

People say that the young people within the church are the church of tomorrow, but in fact they are just

as much the church of today as the older members of the church. This is because anyone who is active in

the church at the present time is the church of today and they will work to bring the Word to the church

of tomorrow. So, the way of ensuring that more young people be involved in the life of the church is by

promoting youth ministry. Yes, we want to bring more than young people into the life of the church, but,

traditionally, the church is advertised towards the older members of society, so, there is not as much pro-

motion needed towards that generation.

One gap in youth ministry identified by the Youth Assembly was for young people who are moving away

from their home churches to attend university. To help those who find themselves in this situation, it was

suggested that the Church of Scotland could promote organisations that work directly with people of uni-

versity age. Student Union Ministry provides students with an open and safe space to talk about Christian-

ity and ask the questions that they don’t know where they will get the answers from. Student Christian

Movement is one such organisation.

They operate across Scotland and cur-

rently have groups working within Glas-

gow and Edinburgh Universities and are

hoping to get groups started within other

universities.

As much as we need to help those who

are starting a new chapter in their lives

with university, we need to remember

that there are younger children who

need to hear the Word also, to ensure

that future generations of university stu-

dents are hearing the Word before they

reach this point in their life.

20

One area where young Christians feel persecuted in their day

to day life is school. We need to help those who are bringing

the message to the young people within their schools. Chap-

lains do not always have an easy job as they are not always

supported, not only from the pupils and students they are min-

istering to, but the staff and teachers they are meant to work

alongside. One role of the Chaplain it to aid in the deliverance

of Religious Observance within schools, but some schools do

not always allow this to happen.

The Scottish Government published a document concerning

RO within non-denominational schools which defines RO as

“Community acts which aim to promote the spiritual develop-

ment of all members of the school’s community and express

and celebrate the shared values of the school community”.

Therefore, Chaplains should be allowed significant opportunity to hold RO assemblies and not just be giv-

en five minutes here and there where the whole school is involved, staff and pupils alike. The aim of RO

within schools is to honour the longstanding Christian tradition of Scotland.

By bringing the Word to children when they are young, we will bring the knowledge of God to them and

they will see that there is no need for stereotypes either within or without the church, that we are all one

in the eyes of the Lord. This would also be a great opportunity to get more young people involved in their

ministry. Because this would be a prime opportunity to listen to the young people, if we ask them what

they think would help, they know more of what their peers would want and therefore would bring more

churches to be more accessible to the young people in their parishes.

As a wider church, we need to promote the opportunities for young people and make sure that the mes-

sage is put across that there is support for them were they to take up these opportunities. We have a

wide range of opportunities and there is very few people taking them up. Every year there is a place for

each presbytery to send one young person to General Assembly, yet not every presbytery sends a youth

rep. Some young people think that General Assembly is this big scary place, but if we explain more about

the support that we receive, both pastorally and peer, it may not seem like a big leap for us to take. By

showing the youth involvement at the national level, we can show the wider church that the young peo-

ple want to be involved and maybe they will start to listen to what the young people want, and perhaps

even invest in our futures.

21

After all, if we promote the youth work today, we will give our young people a feeling of ownership and

they can tell their friends that “their” church is a welcoming church to all ages and there is no longer the

idea of the sparse number of young people being the “tokens” of the church. Young people need to feel

that they have a purpose within their churches and no longer seen as numbers on the annual statistics.

Now is the time to reframe what we are doing and ignite the spark of youthwork with even the smallest

of jobs.

How can we meet the vision of a Fresh Expression in every parish by the year 2020, thinking of the

Church at local, Presbytery and national levels?

The question of how we meet the vision of fresh expressions was split into three different categories:

What do we need to let go of? What do we need to encourage? And what needs to change?

It was also commented that some of the language and ter-

minology of the church can be very confusing and alien-

ating to outsiders and new members of the church.

Ultimately it was accepted that there was no clear magic

wand method that pleases everyone. There will be church-

es that prefer a more traditional style of worship and there

will be churches that want to inventive and new in their

methods. There is no right or wrong answer however what

is important is that members of congregations and church-

es have the opportunities, resources and free choice to

worship and outreach as they believe most effectively and

are encouraged to do so.

What do we need to let go of?

Whilst it was accepted that it was important

that we did not radically change the church so

as to completely change it and alienate those

who like it in its present form, delegates identi-

fied that there was still a lot of “traditions” and

“cultures” in the church that would need to be

let go of prior to meeting fresh expressions. Ex-

pectations that elders had to be older members

of our congregations and that only the same

certain people can volunteer for things were

identified by delegates as particularly needing

to be tackled.

It was also felt that there was too much bureaucracy and red tape. Delegates spoke about having an

idea but being put off due to having to go through the minister, kirk session and even presbytery to put

it into fruition.

22

What do we need to encourage?

Delegates strongly believed that the diversity of

ages and skills in our congregations need to be

fully utilised. If different people were encouraged

to volunteer and take on roles in future fresh ex-

pressions then a wider variety of expressions and

outreach can be used rather than the current im-

pression that the same people get asked to do

the same things.

Lots of delegates spoke about working together –

whether that be with churches in our town or

presbytery or even ecumenically it was widely

agreed that by coming together gave a stronger

opportunity to gather the skills, volunteers and

resources required. Delegates also expressed

support for street pastors and other organisa-

tions they volunteer in. They stated that it was

important we encourage simply having chats and

discussions with members of our communities in

pubs, cafes etc. rather than the end goal always

being “bums on seats”

What needs to change?

Delegates widely commented on the pessimistic nature of the church. There was a belief that often an

idea would be shot down rather than tried and that if something new was given a go but didn’t work

then rather than try and improve the original idea the church would simply give up and return to its origi-

nal state.

23

5. Reflections on NYA 2016

5.1 Gillian:

NYA was my first experience of anything of its kind. To be honest I was so scared about meeting all of

these new people. As soon as we got into our small groups and I met and chatted with my room mates, I

already started to feel like I was at home. I found it so amazing that a room full of strangers to me sud-

denly made me feel so comfortable and how much love I had for Jesus. The empowering feelings and

drive to achieve that NYA has already given me, have made me feel like such a strong person. Throughout

high school I constantly tried to find a place that I truly belonged, so I would fill my life with people who

made me feel welcome only if I was like them or in short.. not me. The weekend at Gartmore house was

absolutely amazing for me as I felt like I didn't have to be a certain way and that I would be accepted no

matter what, and it's all thanks to the common admiration for Jesus.

NYA for me has been such a faith building and strengthening experience. What better people could I ask

for to keep me on the path I want to be towards God.

Philippians 4:13 'For I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me'

5.2 Matthew:

The National Youth Assembly of 2016 was the last youth assembly I shall be able to attend as a dele-

gate.

It has been a great journey over the past seven years to watch the National Youth Assembly grow

and evolve since 2010 in Stirling University till now in Gartmore House.

NYA2016 will always be a highlight for me as I really got to see how people I have met through the

years have grown and been strengthened by the National Youth Assembly and wider COSY Family.

NYA 2016 was a great event to be a part of. We had an amazing time on the Friday night working to-

gether in our small groups in ‘The Escape Rooms’ which really helped us to bond with our small

groups right from the start of NYA.

Small groups are such an important part of NYA as these are the folks you discuss topics with the

most and bounce ideas off of which really helps to show that there are other young adults with the

same opinions as you who would support you if you want to say something to the whole assembly.

Our topics this year were very thought provoking and pushed us to think about things we may not

usually think about in our home churches. The speakers who came to give us input were great at giv-

ing us lots of useful information which led to some great discussions both in our small groups and in

the main assembly discussions themselves.

24

I particularly enjoyed the discussion on Mental Health as I used to work for Crossreach with adults who

suffered from mental health issues. I feel this discussion helped a lot of young people to realise that

there is a lot of different issues when talking about mental health and not just the ‘major’ issues you

hear about in the news or other media.

I had the great opportunity and privilege of being part of the worship team this year and leading the

worship band throughout the weekend. I have been part of the worship band for a few years at NYA and

it was great to be asked to lead the band at what would be my last National Youth Assembly.

Worship has been such a huge part of my NYA experience every year and I feel for most young adults

attending it really strengthens their faith to worship alongside loads of other young adults in music,

praying and sharing communion together.

NYA 2016 also showed a lot of new delegates coming to the event. It was great to have some time to

chat to new people about why they decided to come to NYA and what they hoped to get out of it. For

someone who is now moving on from NYA it was great to see so many new people in attendance and I

hope they come back and have a great journey like I have.

This has been my last NYA and I would just like to say a big Thank You! to all the people who have been

with me through this amazing journey. A journey which has helped me realise my calling to be a Youth

Worker in a church and also to be a member of the Mission and Discipleship Council which as an amaz-

ing council to be a part of to get my voice heard as a young adult working and worshipping in the Church

of Scotland.

Thank You NYA for the great journey and memories!!

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5.3 Hannah:

At the last National Youth Assembly I had the opportunity to be a small group leader for the first time. After attending NYA for the past few years it was great to get more involved with an event that has had such an impact on my faith. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to be a part of the team and expe-rience a different side of the event. It was so rewarding to be a part of such a great group of people and inspiring to see the passion and the work that had been put into the weekend. Being able to be a small group leader has definitely made me want to get more involved with the church and has given me a lot to think about.

NYA enables young people to have a voice in the Church of Scotland and as a small group leader it was great to be able to facilitate our group discussions at NYA this year and be able to help people to have their say. The discussions at NYA create a large part of the weekend and last year we covered some very important and personal issues. The topics we discussed were very relevant and the opportunity to ex-plore them deeper and then be able to share our thoughts and learn from each other was indispensable It was great to be at the planning weekend for NYA 2016 and be a part of deciding what the topics would be. There was a lot of discussion over the weekend and it was great when we finally came to a decision that we felt was right. Being a part of the National Youth Assembly has also meant that I’ve been able to meet other young peo-ple in the Church of Scotland. It’s been so important to me to learn about the ways that we as young people can get involved but also to be able to meet up together and form new friendships. Being able to come together and worship, discuss and socialise together is always so inspiring and something I always look forward to. Every year I attend NYA I come back at the end of the weekend inspired and ready to share what I have learned with my own church. Luckily I have been able to do this multiple times and it has led to having more opportunities to get more involved in my church and try new things. NYA has given me so many unforgettable experiences that have played an important part in my journey as a Christian.

NYA is such an invaluable experience for so many young people for many different reasons and it's been amazing to experience that and to be a part of it. Most importantly it plays such an important role in getting the voices of young people heard and giving them an essential voice that the general assembly.

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It has been a privilege to lead the National Youth Assembly this year, one that I will never forgot, and one

that I hope will not be forgotten. The reason I say this is not because I want my own personal year to be

remembered but instead the topics and discussions we have had, giving us the opportunity to change

people’s opinions on such important matters. It was clear from the moment the topics were chosen for

NYA 2016 that the potential of what we could achieve was great but such is the importance of our topics

that even if one mind was changed, it would be seen as a success.

Gender Justice, Mental Health and the Future of Ministry & Fresh Expressions. Any of these three topics

on their own would have been intimidating enough for some but to bring them all together and discuss

them in one weekend could have led any number of ways. Instead I got to lead the Assembly through an

amazing and inspiring weekend. The words that were spoken, the compassion that was shown and

thoughts that were generated went beyond any expectation I had for the weekend and it was a great

shame to see everyone leave on the Monday evening and to not be able to surround myself with their

enthusiasm for the topics, for each other and most importantly for the Church and God.

The year was also not limited to just our topics but was also used to really begin to spread the message

of Jesus and the love of God through our social media channels. This is something that has encouraged

me greatly throughout the year and it has

been amazing to see the engagement we have

had with such a large number of people out-

side of our usual NYA following, something I

am very keen on being the case. Throughout

Advent we posted a video daily, created by

our youth reps, giving their witness as to what

the message brings and means to them. The

diversity of experiences, feelings and emo-

tions gave us such a wealth of material and

with 7,000 views between them, the videos

worked as an excellent way to spread the

message. Lent then became our next time to

bear witness and daily postings throughout

each of the 40 days from a much wider group

of people right across the Church of Scotland

were engaged with thousands of times. At the

time of writing, we are planning our final se-

ries of postings this time on a very different

topic but one for the year, Mental Health.

My youth reps deserve a great credit this year,

not just for their work in the social media

campaigns but for their hard work and sup-

port throughout the year, it has been so great

to see their enthusiasm for the role and to see

6.1 A year as the NYA Moderator

6. Throughout the Year

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the impact of the work they have been doing in feeding back the messages from NYA to the wider

Church and also bringing the message of NYA to so many groups across the country.

Amongst so many opportunities that have come my way this year, the highlight must be my time in Bu-

dapest celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Scottish Mission there. It was an amazing experience to

hear the stories and the history of the work that has happened there working with the people most in

need throughout pivotal moments in world history and to see that continue today through their work

with refugees in Budapest, one of the few people offering such support in Budapest.

As I write this we are planning and working on an exciting campaign with Crossreach relating to Mental

Health but as it will still be a secret when this is published, I sadly cannot write anything but I’m sure we

will have a great number of people involving themselves with this and I can’t wait to share more!

6.2 A year as the NYA Clerk

My year so far as clerk to the NYA has been a busy

one. Andrew and I had the pleasure of leading the

NYA through an excellent weekend to start off our

year, details of which make up the Blue Book report.

We have been working throughout the year with a

fantastic team of passionate, dedicated young peo-

ple, the Youth Reps, to take forward the discussions

from the weekend and to produce our reports.

I attended the Edinburgh “On the Road” event, facili-

tating discussions around the future of the Church,

created Advent reflection videos and wrote a Lenten

reflection. I have also been working with some of our

Youth Reps to organise our tent for the Heart and

Soul event and we are hoping this will be well visit-

ed.

It has been amazing to work alongside the Youth

Reps, particularly Catriona, who will take on the role

of Clerk in July. Catriona is a joy to work with and I

know she will serve the NYA with grace and sure-

ness. I wish her all the best for her year, and I know

that she and Robin will make an excellent team.

Aside from national work, I have continued serving

within my own congregation, and was delighted to

be one of a number of new Elders appointed to the

Kirk Session.

I would like to thank Naomi, who has been serving as

my chaplain this year. She has been a tremendous

support throughout providing a listening ear and

words of wisdom.

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With a year of hard work, and dedication, some of the youth reps reflect on their experiences, and share with us their achievements throughout the year.

6.3.1 Shahrukh:

My year as a youth rep has been a new and ex-citing experience in my relationship with NYA as well as a noticeable chapter in my life. I have been part of a great team and had the oppor-tunity to speak to many others about the great work the NYA does. Working on issues such as mental health opened ways to be a part of problems close to my heart. Ways to educate people about the difficulties facing the church regarding mental health and voicing how to manage it.

Most of all I was grateful to be representing such a wonderful group of people. To be a part of creating a voice for this community and showing others that there are a lot of issues we can discuss, understand and work on. Andrew and Lyndsay are great as Moderator and Clerk and they have done a great job. I can't wait for next year and to see where it goes.

6.3.2 Fiona:

This is not my first year as a youth rep, but it has been my last. It has been bitter-sweet; it’s been a pleas-

ure to work with Andrew to carry on the work of the National Youth Assembly, but I know I will be down-

hearted when my time comes to leave the Assembly for the final time. It hasn’t been without it’s chal-

lenges, but our team has worked hard to pull together and help each other through.

I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to work as a youth rep for the past three years, each moderator

having a different leadership style, and a different plan for what they would like to accomplish. It goes a

long way to making one feel like a very important part of the assembly, and I’ve been very lucky to have

worked with individuals who share my passion to continue the work of the assembly, and spread the

word of God.

I’ve also had the pleasure and the privilege of being part of the working group for the Intergenerational

report being presented at this year’s General Assembly. That in itself has been a long process, but it has

been incredibly valuable being able to learn about what intergenerational work the Church is already

doing, what that looks like, and how we can share that with each other. It was very interesting, in fact, to

see all the different ways our congregations are working ‘intergenerationally’ examples of which can be

6.3 Youth Rep Reflections

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found in the intergenerational report in the Blue BookBeing a youth rep is a very rewarding experience.

I’ve also found it to be personally affirming, in my faith, and in my hope for the future of the Church. It’s

heart-warming to know that, though our churches feel emptier, they will not be lost altogether, as long

as we have faith and trust in our young people to carry on God’s message of love into the future.

These last three years have definitely resulted in an evolution in my faith. The role of youth rep allows

one to explore the deeper workings of the Church, to learn what is going on at a national and interna-

tional level, and to experience how our faith is being put into action. My time as youth rep has led me

to reflect on how my faith affects my views and opinions on major cultural issues, such as Climate Jus-

tice, Gender Justice, Mental Health, and Child Exploitation. I now find myself listening closer to God

when my mind is troubled, because in my heart I know He will guide me. He has led me to a point in my

life where I now want to give more of myself to the Church, and to deeper explore a call to ministry.

“This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:17

The most important thing I have learned in all my time in the National Youth Assembly is love; love for

one another, and love for myself. It’s easier said than done, loving one another in spite of our differ-

ences, but loving each other as Jesus loved us, is what gives the Youth Assembly, and the youth reps,

the strength to keep going, to keep sharing the love. I have never had so many friends, or felt so loved,

as I have at the National Youth Assembly, and I will carry it with me, always.

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6.4 Promoting NYA

Throughout the year the promotions group has been hard at work promoting the successes and raising

awareness of the National Youth Assembly.

In our first meeting back in September many fantastic ideas were thrown about and though it would have

been amazing to carry all of these on, the committee decided to focus on three main outlooks.

-Boosting our social media presence

-Actively seeking new ways of advertising to local and national level

-Creating safe space for prayer and contemplation at the planning weekend

6.4.1 Social media

“Social media is not about the exploitation of technology, but service to community”

Simon Mainwaring

How do you promote the National Youth Assembly?

This is the question posed to the group of youth reps concerned with promoting the National Youth As-

sembly to the wider Church of Scotland. There are some obvious answers – in 2017, the stereotypical way

to meet young people is to try and corner the social media market. Does It work? How could we translate

our National Youth Assembly through a variety of social media platforms?

How do we do this in an authentic way!? We’ll come back to that!

Another question that unravelled was who we should be promoting NYA to? Should our demographic just

be young people, or should we be sensible and cast our net to involve the wider community of those that

share our faith. Perhaps they may become our disciples to carry forward the Good News of the National

Youth Assembly.

Then came the how! How could we, as the token youth branch of the Church of Scotland, stand up and

ask the WHOLE Church of Scotland to join us?

Our answer – we join them!

Our ages, hobbies, occupations, hopes, dreams, lifestyles and locations all differ but the one constant in

all our lives is our faith. “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There should be no barriers in sharing this – our obvious way of doing this was to establish our version of

an Advent Calendar, to invite people across the Church of Scotland to share our journey on common

ground as we approached the birth of Jesus Christ.

We were intentional about keeping our Sunday reflection days rooted in Scripture, the life source of all

that we do. Other days fell to this year’s youth reps to share either a short video clip, photograph, verse

or reflection of what the season of Advent means to them – we even had some guest spots for this year’s

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Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) from

PCUSA working in Priority Areas.

It was stressful, there were many

panicked nights where we weren’t

sure we would get reflections in on

time, and to remedy that, we had a

bank of ‘backups’ that the members

of the Promotions group prepared.

With that, it was worth it. It was

worth panicking over; it was worth

pestering people to get their reflections in on time; it was worth having the opportunity to share our Gos-

pel Good News everyday of Advent in our own way.

Each day, young adults exposed their faith to the world-wide web, with no shame or fear. For them, the

stories they told were their natural forms of faith. This is where we are a vital part of the church. We’re

told we’re the future, we’re told we’re the church of tomorrow – we are the church of today, we are

YOUR church.

So, how do we engage with the wider church? We meet them where they are! We involve ourselves in

the church we mutually identify with, and rejoice in it.

And where do we go from there? We went further for lent sharing reflections from NYA past and present

based on words young people have used to describe the National Youth Assembly. In time we hope to

get these reflections on the young adults section of the Church of Scotland website.

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6.4.2 NYA 2017 Planning Weekend

“Do good; Seek peace and pursue it” Psalm 34:14

Traditionally the promotion group has put on an event at the planning weekend for all the delegates to

enjoy and have fun. The National Youth Assembly is a family and like most families they can be loud.

Which is great. But what we decided to do this year was to scale back on the noise and encourage peace

and reflection.

So we created a prayer room. The room had four stations each that either offered a prayer topic or a

contemplation topic. The topics were Praise, the bible, peace and love. The room was decorated in a way

that would invoke quiet, comfort and relaxation.

Many people used the room and it really achieved what it was meant to in a big way.

Members of the staff team used it often as they enjoyed the peace and the opportunity it gave to talk

and be with God. Many of the delegates used it also, as it gave them all the opportunity to converse with

God in comfort without the noise of the world around us.

6.4.3 GA 2017

One of the things that most annoys a member of the National Youth Assembly is the phrase “I’ve never

heard of you before”.

Part of our mission therefore was to try and combat this whilst enabling us to ensure that the materials

we create can be used to advertise the great work that the assembly does throughout the year for many

years to come.

Therefore we’ve been involved in creating some new promotional material and ideas for spreading the

word at the General Assembly. We again have a tent at Heart & Soul so please come and visit us and see

what you think of our new items.

During the GA, all the youth reps will be encouraged to make contact with commissioners, inviting them

for coffee and to hear about NYA and the GA youth rep programme. The NYA reps may well be wearing

their purple NYA youth rep hoodies, so should be easy to spot—please do stop us for a conversation.

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6.5 Other things we’ve been involved in

Throughout the year we have been actively seeking out opportunities to get out and meet people, sharing

with them all the great stuff about NYA. We’ve visited many Guild groups, youth groups and even some

presbytery committees.

To help make us visible, we made some NYA youth rep hoodies. These have already proved to be a great

success with many people we meet asking us what the NYA is having seen the logo on our hoodies.

A major piece of work which has been going on for the last few years with a small group of youth reps has

been our joint working group with the Guild on Intergenerational ministry and work. Our final report is

being delivered to the GA this year and is available on the Church of Scotland website. Working with the

Guild has been profitable in so many ways, not least because of the friendships developed, and to work

on such an important topic for the church has been inspiring and a privilege.

Finally, we have been involved in creating some of the content for the new young adult pages on the

Church of Scotland website. Do take a look and encourage others to explore all the different opportuni-

ties that exist.

This year has been a great success of course our year runs until July so there will hopefully be very many

successes still to come.

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7. SYP

For the past four years the NYA have had the privilege to

be involved in the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), a

youth led organization whose mission is to improve the

lives of young people (aged 14-25) in Scotland whilst re-

maining politically independent. This is a great opportuni-

ty for the church to get its voice heard in the wider com-

munity and be seen as politically engaged and active. It

has a platform to showcase and inspire all its great work

on a national scale. There has been great enthusiasm and

interest from other MSYP’s to hear what the church is

doing relating to the latest political issues allowing the

Church of Scotland to be celebrated and recognized with

the younger generations as current and relevant.

Members are democratically elected with 2 MSYP’s from each constituency in Scotland and some repre-

sentatives from voluntary organisations like ourselves.

Each MSYP serves a two year term where they are ex-

pected to attend national sittings of which there are 3 each

year. At these sittings motions are debated, talks are given

by political representatives and subject committees meet

to discuss issues relevant to certain issues. This year SYP

have run a campaign focussed on young people and men-

tal health, so it has been great to work together on that.

The NYA MSYPs that served this year were Rachel Walker and Andrew McPherson. Their term finishes in

June 2017 when our newly elected MSYPs, Rebecca Craig and Connor MacFadyen take up the baton.

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Newly elected MSYPS for June 2017 to June 2019

I'm ecstatic to have been elected to represent the Church, I cannot wait to be more in-

volved in the decision making of the youth parliament and representing the views of

many young people much the same as I. It is an honour to have been chosen and I will

do all I can to represent the youth of the church to the best of my abilities.

Having been a member of the NYA for 3 years now and getting ready to attend my sec-

ond General Assembly I have seen first-hand how divisions and debates can shape any

occasion. But we as an all-encompassing national church in many ways can be better placed to ex-

press the views of the nation as whole rather than a specific group of politically like-minded individu-

als. It is very early days yet. Rebecca and I do not take up our offices until June. But

there will be great things to come.

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8. Conclusion

The NYA is something that the Church can remain proud of. Young people continue to come to this event,

either as a veteran or as a first time delegate. The delegates are quick to form community; a community

that loves and cares for its members, a community that constantly evolves according to its needs, a com-

munity that is passionate about God, and a community that exists to give young people a voice in the

Church.

The 2017 NYA will be held at Gartmore House in Stirlingshire and will take place on 21st-24th July 2017

with discussions about Young People and Discipleship, Future of the Church and Interfaith. It is open to all

17-25 year olds with a connection to the Church of Scotland with 140 places available.

www.churchofscotland.org.uk/youngadults

ANDREW MACPHERSON: Moderator

LYNDSAY KENNEDY: Clerk

ALISON MARSHALL: Youth Rep

CATRIONA MUNRO: Youth Rep

CHRIS FETT-WORSFOLD: Youth Rep

CONNOR MACFADYEN: Youth Rep

ESTHER NISBET: Youth Rep

FIONA MARSHALL: Youth Rep

FRASER STOCKTON: Youth Rep

GEMMA KING: Youth Rep

HAZEL SMITH: Youth Rep

IONA KIMMITT: Youth Rep

JAMES HYMAN: Youth Rep

KEARSTIN BAILEY: International Youth Rep

LAURA-JANE SINCLAIR: Youth Rep

LINDSAY THOMPSON: Youth Rep

NAOMI DORNAN: Youth Rep

RACHEL WALKER: Youth Rep

REBECCA CRAIG: Youth Rep

SHAHRUKH GILL: Youth Rep

WILLIAM KAMWA: Youth Rep

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