Notts young people to tell Church of England bishops what they think

Nine young people from Nottinghamshire will be sharing their views with bishops and archbishops next week, when they take part in a special summit in Sheffield.

The group from Nottinghamshire will travel up to the event with the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler and Youth Ministry Adviser for the Diocese, Angela Brymer-Heywood. The young people come from a number of different churches including Toton, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Trowell, Odsall, near Retford, Chilwell and Hyson Green. One of the group said as part of today’s church and not just the future church, they had the capacity to set an example for others and initiate a movement for change within the church.

Bishop Paul said: ”This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to hear directly from young people about how they think the Church of England can offer better resources for young people and communicate with them more effectively. I’m looking forward to learning from them about how we can reach young people in the UK today.”

The Regeneration Summit, on Thursday, 3rd March, at St Thomas' Philadelphia Campus in Sheffield has been organised with the support of the Church Army and will include discussions with some 25 bishops and 30 young people, aged between 15 and 21.

Nottingham student, Sam Follett, who is the youngest member of the Church of England’s General Synod, will lead the event, along with five other young people. Sam, who is a physics student at the University of Nottingham said it would be a day of affirmation for his generation and one that would encourage and inspire the Church’s leadership.
Both the Archbishops of Canterbury and York will take part in the event, which is being hailed as a unique opportunity for young people to meet the church’s hierarchy on their own terms.

The day will include worship, discussion groups and with question and answer sessions and activities.

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