Young people are not just a "category" but should be treated as individuals, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told congregants at the commissioning of the new head quarters of youth charity Youthscape on Sunday.
He spoke on the passage about "jars of clay" from 2 Corinthians 4, drawing out a message of hope and transformation for young people. He challenged youth workers to "stop just entertaining young people and help them hear the call of Jesus", before saying that "every time we see evidence of a young person being transformed, we see Jesus."
Welby posed for a selfie with the eighteen-year-old co-host Ellis Jones during the commissioning service in front of the 600-strong congregation at St Mary's church, Luton.
After taking the photo, he addressed the congregation with a sermon asking the question: how the church – and organisations such as Youthscape – can bring hope to young people.
The starting point, he said, was "don't treat them as a category." Rather than labelling youth as a hard-to-reach group, he called for the church to "see them as individuals that are unique, made in the image of God."
Jones spoke powerfully about her own journey, having received support from Youthscape during her teenage years. She shared how she saw Bute Mills, the new Youthscape HQ, being " a safe space for young people who are lonely, vulnerable, lost and afraid like I was."
The new building, a five story Victorian former mill which has undergone a £2 million redevelopment, will include a state-of-the-art youth centre, conference and meeting facilities, and offices to house the charity's staff.
