National Assembly President Deidre Palmer enjoyed an illuminating online chat with some of the UC’s younger members recently.
National Assembly President Deidre Palmer had the opportunity to hear from some of the UC’s younger Victorian members during an online conversation last weekend.
As part of her President’s Roundtable, Deidre chatted via Zoom with a number of UC members aged between 18 and 25 to hear their views on a range of topics.
“As part of my ministry as President, I have hosted conversations with young people of the Uniting Church in ‘around the table’ gatherings,” Deidre says.
“It was wonderful to meet with a group of young people in regional and urban Victoria on June 19, in an online version of ‘around the table’.”
Deidre says the event gave her an opportunity to listen to the stories of UC youth and young adults around a series of key areas and questions regarding their journey with Christ and their Christian discipleship, and what sustains and encourages them in living the Gospel of Christ in their daily lives.
“It includes a conversation on their views on how the Church might be engaged in the public space and their hopes for who we are and are becoming as the Uniting Church and their hopes for the world,” Deidre says.
“I have hosted nine of these conversations and they have included 106 youth and young adults.
“I hope these conversations have been a source of encouragement, challenge and discernment, for all the participants and the Church more widely, as together we seek to live out God’s vision of the renewal of Christ’s Church and the reconciliation and renewal of the whole creation.”
Synod Intergenerational Ministry-Young Adults Co-ordinator Robin Yang says the discussion ensured the voices of young adults were heard in the wider discernment and decisions of the Assembly and Uniting Church more broadly.
“The conversation facilitated by Deidre invited people to share their faith journey, joys, grief and concerns about the church and society,” he says.
“The participants were also invited to share their experience of the Uniting Church and its place in engaging with the world and the sharing was insightful, deeply thoughtful, personal and inspiring.”
Deidre will include some of the insights offered by those who attended the weekend event, as well as their questions and hopes, in a report to the Assembly.
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