Youth Synod

Click on the sections below to find the details you need.

• Next Meetings

  Upcoming Meetings:

  • 2nd June, 2-4pm – Barking Area
  • 23rd June, 2.30-4.30pm – Colchester Area
  • 3rd November, 2-4pm – Barking Area
  • 10th November, 2.30-4.30pm – Colchester Area

• How often do we meet?

  We meet 3 times a year, on a Sunday afternoon.

  
  At the moment, meetings take place in two hubs: East (in the Colchester Area) and West (in the Barking Area). Young people can choose to attend the meetings in a location that suits them best.

• Joining the Groups

  Youth Synod is for young people aged 11-18. (The West Hub also accepts young people aged 10 years old). To join Youth Synod young people will need to register their interest with Emma Anderton, who leads Youth Synod, and then complete a form which needs to be signed by both a parent/carer and a church leader (vicar, youth worker or PCC member).

  Once registered young people are not expected to attend every meeting (although, of course, we would encourage it). This is so that young people can choose to attend the meetings which are based on topics that interest them.

  Email Emma Anderton to ask for a form.

• What happens at these meetings?

  We tend to start with some games to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a chance to get to know the other young people in the room. We then have two topics for conversation/debate. One tends to be a diocesan wide or national Church of England issue. The other is more specific to your Episcopal Area. Refreshments are provided at the meetings.

  Not everyone feels comfortable to stand their ground in a full-on debate. Therefore, we design our discussions to be very interactive and creative and we facilitate the conversations in a way that enables everyone in the room to share their opinions in a way that is comfortable to them – sometimes in smaller groups or pairs, using written responses or other creative ways of expressing yourself.

• Will I really be listened to?

  Yes! At the end of each meeting, we summarise what’s been said, and each Area Youth Adviser will make sure that young people’s comments are being heard by the relevant leaders in the diocese. There is always a bishop present at our meetings who is kept accountable as to how what they hear from young people is impacting their work. There will also be occasions when youth synod members may be invited to come along to diocesan synod or other leadership groups to present their views themselves.

  At each meeting we also feedback the outcome of the previous meeting’s discussion and comments received. We also hope in the long term that youth synod will influence which topics will be discussed at leadership level in the diocese.

• Who organises the group?

  Youth Synod is organised by the Mustard Seed Team, with the support of some volunteers and bishops who have all been safely recruited to their roles. Emma Anderton is the main lead for this piece of work.

  Each Episcopal area has a Youth Adviser who oversees the Youth Synod in their area. Contact your Youth Adviser here

For more information or to report anything wrong with this page please contact Sarah Wilson