Conference of European Churches Essay Challenge

Have you seen the essay competition highlighted by Sarah Malik, our Methodist Youth President, on her blog http://methodistyouthpres.blogspot.com ? Methodist Minister, Richard Hall, has pulled out fuller details from the European Churches website to post on his blog http://theconnexion.net/wp/ if you want a quick reference.

There's not a lot of time to publicise this before the deadline of 15th February, but it would be good to encourage our young folk to enter. This is an ecumenical project on the wonderful theme of Christian hope - so much needed by all of us today.
Do go to these two websites and encourage the under 30s to challenge us all to truly put our hope in Christ.

Methodist Youth President

Have you been keeping up with the newly-appointed - or should it be 'newly-elected' - Methodist Youth President lately? I fancy that the answer is 'No' because I have just discovered that her blog is hidden on the connexional website! I had gone to http://methodist.org.uk to check something else but there on the home page was 'Methodist Youth President - Sarah Malik' and I thought I would see what came under that label. I did not expect to find Sarah's blog there!

Try it some time and you will find it very interesting. But why was it necesary to tie Sarah's blog into the connexional site? Would it not have been more accessible to the young people whom she is serving and representing this year if it had been floating free like our blogs and that of the President and Vice-President? Whatever, do please go to read her blog and encourage her as much as you can.

Sarah Malik named first salaried Methodist Youth President

First role of its kind in any mainstream UK Church

Sarah Malik has been elected Methodist Youth President at this year’s Methodist Youth Conference. From January until September 2009 Sarah will work full time to serve as an advocate and spokesperson for young people in the Church.

This new role is the first to be appointed in the Church’s new £4million Youth Participation Strategy, launched at the Youth Conference in Northampton last weekend. This is the first time salaried positions have been specifically targeted at the 16 to 23-year-olds in order that young people help guide the direction of the church.

Sarah, who is 20, said; ‘I’m really excited about this new role. In my year of presidency I hope to spend time travelling Britain and listening to what young people in the Church have to say and what they want to see changing. I find it easy to motivate myself when I am working towards something I love.’

Mike Seaton, Children and Youth Team Director, said; ‘This new role is about encouraging and empowering the Church’s young people. During Sarah’s travels she will be able to challenge Methodists of all ages to welcome the participation of children and young people in all aspects of the Church’s work and life.’

Sarah is a carer at a residential care home in Eyam, Derbyshire. She enjoys cooking and watching films and is passionate about helping people to participate in worship through the creation of prayer labyrinths.

The Youth Participation Strategy will also see 32 young people employed in new, part-time salaried posts as District Youth Enablers across the Methodist Church in Britain.

Youth Presidents will be appointed to work full-time in the Church annually from September 2009.

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This is wonderful news and I look forward to the dynamic energy and vision that these young people will bring to the Methodist Church. We live in exciting times!
Let's make sure that we all pray for them all in their new roles and that God will inspire and empower them for the benefit of the whole church.