Church youth council to celebrate fifth birthday at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is preparing to host a fifth birthday celebration for the Church of England Youth Council (CEYC).

Young people from across the country who have been involved in the development of this national representative body have been invited to mark the occasion.

On the evening of Saturday, 28 November, around 400 young people will converge on the Abbey to celebrate the Council’s work in providing a co-ordinated voice within the decision-making structures of the Church for young adults.

The Council meets twice a year, offering seats to two representatives from each Church of England diocese. Three representatives of CEYC are invited to attend General Synod, the Church’s national ‘parliament’, as non-voting members invited to speak in debates.

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, will preach at the anniversary service, and young people will lead other aspects of the service including the formation of a ‘scratch’ worship band to accompany the congregation.

Those attending will be invited to contribute to a large ‘timeline’ montage before the service begins, charting the progress of youth participation in the Church’s formal structures.

CEYC Chair, Rebecca Swinson, comments: “The journey taken by young people in the Church to reach the point of a fully-functioning Youth Council has been a long one.

"The work of the Young Adult Network in the 1990s, the annual Young Adult Observers Groups at General Synod in York, and the 2000 report ‘Youth A Part’ were all key milestones on the journey.

"We’re really keen that people who were involved in each step of that process come along to our celebration.

“As well as being a reunion for those who have campaigned for giving young adults a louder voice within the Church, it is first and foremost an upbeat service to thank God for all He has done in the lives of those present, and in our wider networks.”

Admission to the service is by ticket only, and applications from supporters of the Council and its preceding groups are invited to contact Julia Eden (julia.eden@c-of-e.org.uk) to arrange their tickets.