"We want to and we are able [with God's help] to change the Church, and to move forward our parishes. Just use us. Give us a chance." This was the appeal of a Polish youth delegate to a regional conference of Lutheran church leaders focusing on the common challenges in church and society.
Ewa Issel-Cieslar, a member of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, challenged the bishops, presidents and other representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches in Europe to take seriously young people's active involvement in church life in order to ensure hope and a future
for the Lutheran church around the world.
She emphasised the need to include the youth in decision-making processes as early as possible, and endow them with responsibilities that prepare them
for a future as church leaders.
The 11-16 September European Church Leadership Consultation in Greifswald, Germany, focused on the theme "Called to Grow, Lead and Nurture." It was organised by the LWF Department for Mission and Development and hosted by the Evangelical Church of Pomerania.
The 22-year-old urged participants to reach out to young people, and invite them to take part in meetings and other events, and also provide a good example for them in faith and life. Failure to involve them, she added, could lead to the departure of young
people from Lutheran churches to other church groups, as was already being experienced in Poland.
Emigration
On the challenges facing Lutheran congregations in Poland, the religious education student explained that emigration, especially of young people, posed a great burden on Poland's Lutheran congregations. This was all the more since Lutheran Christians
were a minority in the country. "When your parish has 20 members, every single person, especially a young one emigrating makes a difference," she remarked.
She attributed the non-involvement of young Poles in the life of Lutheran congregations and poor church attendance also to the little attention given to their ideas and suggestions, making them feel unwelcome. "If this continues, Poland's Lutheran church should not be surprised if the young people leave to join
independent churches where they are greeted 'with arms wide open,'" she added.
