When young people feel that they are getting too old for Children’s Church, they often still feel that the main services in our church are not for them. Frequently they have a lot of good ideas themselves about how worship and prayer should be done. For this important section of our church family, St John’s has its youth group. It is open to all members of the church, and their friends, who are aged between 11 and 15 years of age. The youth group generally meets every other Wednesday, in the hall of St John’s. The meeting starts straight after school and finishes between 6.00pm and 6.30pm. With the two adult leaders we explore the Bible and our faith through drama, music, dance and art and crafts. We also have a meal together – always a popular part of the evening. This offers an opportunity for young people to explore and develop their faith and their ideas in a safe and inclusive atmosphere. We hope that they will feel empowered to move on from this group to transform the wider church life of St John’s. Some of our young people regularly attend the Scottish Episcopal Church’s national youth week each summer at Glenalmond (see photo above).
