Anglican Youth at WCC

On Monday Lunchtime, a group of Anglican young people who were present at the WCC gathered to meet each other. The meeting had been organised by Kenneth Kearon, the ACC General Secretary. It was also a chance for us in the IAYN Steering Committee to talk about what we are about.

Two things emerged from this meeting. One was a desire to communicate. So a weblog has been set up (almost immediately)

The other is for more world wide gatherings for young people to meet and get to know each other and learn about and be inspired by what is happening around the world.

One of the really big issues is of course, language. Lots of the young people spoke Spanish and Portuguese. How can one blog or one website or one newsletter be used by people speaking different languages? A challenge! Exciting though. It helps you realise what being Anglican really is being about. Not the church of England any more. Something much bigger and world encompassing.

Today at our IAYN meeting we had reports. Stand out included hearing from Ailed from Cuba both about what is happening there and about a meeting in Panama of young people, and their desire to build on the relationships formed there. Another was hearing about the work of Young People in Pakistan and there work in teams among those devastated by the earthquake. Lastly hearing about the Archbishop of Canterbury's days inviting young people to pray and reflect with him, so that young people might develop strong living faiths, that they might feel like they are part of the Anglican journey, and that he might hear their voices.