In the Mix

Participants from the In the Mix conference

Churches should actively identify and support young people with natural leadership skills according to a church working group. More than 20 youth work practitioners discussed recently how to remove the obstacles to greater engagement of young people in the Church, reflecting particularly on the experience of black and other minority ethnic young people.

In the Mix was a 24-hour consultation, convened by the Church of England’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns’ Youth Issues working group, to explore how the concerns of minority ethnic young people can be tackled as part of mainstream youth work rather than as an ‘optional extra’. The ‘think tank’ discussed four themes of worship, mission, leadership, and resources, reflecting the Church’s National Youth Strategy approved by the General Synod in 2002.

Participants discussed ways that the Church can create spaces for young people to worship God in a way that is culturally appropriate, such as through ‘deck-led worship’ using music and images orchestrated by a DJ. Other contributors spoke of the need to challenge the tendency within some churches to ‘include’ black and other minority ethnic young people only by asking them to ‘perform’ by singing or dancing in services rather than seeking to develop their wider skills in leadership.

One of the participants, consultant Bev Thomas, argued that young people readily identify their leaders - whether in the playground, college common room, or on the streets - and the Church needs to get alongside those emerging natural leaders. The Church should take a risk and look for those who want to communicate Christ to their peers, not just those who are good at reading or singing publicly at services, she added. Other participants stressed that opportunities should be offered to black and other minority ethnic young people to lead worship and other aspects of church life in a meaningful, quality way – giving them a platform to contribute to ‘main events’, not just experimental midweek evening services.

Guest speakers invited to the conference included liberation theologian, Dr Anthony Reddie, who urged youth workers to identify the modern-day prophets already in the midst of the Church, and reminded participants that several Biblical precedents suggest that leadership comes from unlikely places. “We delude ourselves if we think that God is limited to the frameworks that we ourselves have created… my challenge to all of us is to see beyond the obvious so maybe we can begin to discern that God is doing a new thing,” Dr Reddie suggested.

Andy Poole, youth officer for the Diocese of Manchester, believes that the event has given him valuable perspectives from which to approach issues of youth participation: “In the Mix has given us tools that will enable our parishes to reflect on how they can meaningfully engage with young people from ethnic minorities.”

Dean Pusey, conference co-convenor and youth officer for the Diocese of Southwark, summarises the conversations at the event: “We need to take many more risks to create spaces for young people to show what they can do, and continue to affirm, mentor and protect them. That way we will accelerate the process of actively showing young people that this really is their church, rather than just saying it,” Dean concludes.

For more information or for interviews with participants from the event, please contact Ben Wilson at the Church of England Communications Office 020 7898 1326

Find out more about the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/cmeac/