A new project from Scripture Union Scotland to bring the Gospel to the young people of Glasgow is officially under way as a new Project Manager, Steve Davies, is brought in to head the operation.

The Glasgow Project, still in its fledgling phases, is currently working with the Action Group in Glasgow to expand its network throughout the city before the official launch of the evangelism initiative, planned for May this year.

The new project, under the name of Glasgow Outreach or GO, aims to “present the good news of Jesus Christ to the young people of Glasgow, helping them to explore and respond to his significance for their lives,” said Davies in a statement about the new project posted on the Scripture Scotland website.

The Glasgow Project aims to establish a Christian witness programme in every school in the city, as well as support the youth work initiatives of churches in the Glasgow area.

The project will also share its expertise with these churches and church-related bodies involved in youth evangelism with the aim of building a “strong, city-wide foundation of committed and well-informed prayer”.

Davies is hoping to bring more people into the project who will each oversee a different area of the city as well as a particular area of focus, such as multi-ethnicity, urban deprivation or special educational needs, in order to reflect Glasgow’s diversity.

Although the workers on the project will take charge of their own areas, they will all work under as part of GO.

The intention behind GO is not to replace already-existing children’s and youth work programmes run by churches in the city but to support these projects and collaborate with them closely in reaching out to young people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Steve Davies took some time out of planning for the project to speak with Christian Today about his hopes for this new phase of mission in Glasgow.

CT: Where did the idea for the GO Project actually come from?

SD: There are two different strands to its history. It’s rooted in Scripture Union’s traditional sphere of work which is to go into schools – leading assemblies, taking RME classes, running or helping with lunchtime SU groups... This all reflects the desire to take the Gospel right to where children & young people are, in the normal course of their everyday lives. There is a recognition that whatever excellent work goes on in our churches and youth groups, the vast majority of children still grow up having little or no real connection with a church – hence the need to go to where they are. But traditionally SU’s regional and local workers operate rather on their own, and cover large areas; this is a plan for a team who will work together and more intensively.

CT: Why do you think the GO Project is needed in Glasgow?