“With the same love that Christ pours out on us, we can love him in turn and share his love with others, in the hope that they too will take their place in the community of friendship he established”
Pope Francis reminds us of the importance to take real time to accompany young people. He says that all young people are in God’s heart, and that therefore they must be in the heart of the Church. Taking time to accompany involves offering community.
We seek to create space for young people in our communities with no conditions placed on them. We let young people know that they are welcome and they belong. This means we must intentionally find ways to make this real, gently challenging and transforming any prejudices in our communities and ensuring we are all demonstrating the love of Christ.
What this might looks like in practice:
Engaging young people in creative initiatives
Inviting the participation of young people in the design and development of parish plans, projects and activities
Creating times and spaces where young people can be - separate from some of the ‘Churchy moments’ and spaces which might alienate them
Inviting young people from your locality to join in with parish social events, letting them know they are welcome in your community
Being ready to respond to young people’s desire for connection and being open to move out of the usual way of doing things.
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