pc_Issue7_Fall2018

Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
The Presbyterian Church in Canada • presbyterian.ca ISSUE 7, FALL 2018
Presbyterian Youth in Action
The Canada Youth (CY) 2018 com- munity gathered at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., from July 2 to 7, and once again celebrated the oppor tunity to be awakened, engaged and encouraged through God’s word and by God’s people.
The event brought together 365 par ticipants with representation from each synod. Eighteen inter- national guests from four countries (Ghana, Taiwan, Malawi and Leba- non) were also welcomed into the community.
Worship at the event was a high- light for many of the participants. The community gathered each day for worship and it was not uncommon to have participants lined up, wait- ing for worship to begin—indeed a unique Presbyterian experience! The preaching team of the Rev. Emily Bis- set from Calvin Presbyterian Church in Toronto, and the moderator, the Rev. Daniel Cho from St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Toronto, was exceptional and very well-received by the participants. Music leadership
was provided by the Rev. Reuben St. Louis and friends.
CY events continue to be a won- derful opportunity for youth, young adults and leaders to connect; to celebrate and affirm not only their faith, but also their unique witness as Canadian Presbyterians. This re- markable event is made possible by the financial support provided by Presbyterian Sharing and is aug- mented by generous gifts from the Ewart Endowment Fund and personal donations. Many youth groups, con- gregations, presbyteries and synods provide funding to their participants.
Volunteer leadership gifts were given so generously by so many! Planning Team members, commu- nity life deans and chaplains, event staff, advisors and denominational staff gave willingly of their time and talent throughout the planning pro- cess and the event itself.
Check out the amazing images from Canada Youth at presbyterian.ca/cy-images
Stirred Up at CY2018
By Abigail and Noah Law from Eckville, AB
My name is Abigail Law and this was my first year at Canada Youth. It was an amazing experience as I was able to try new things, meet new people and create lasting memories.
I had heard from my brother Noah a little bit of what CY was like, but any expectations I had were definite- ly surpassed. I wanted to be able to have the same kinds of experiences he had, and it really was a fantastic week. I had the good fortune to meet some of the international visitors from Malawi and Taiwan; as well as some Canada Ministries’ guests from Surrey. I had the opportunity to learn about them, their culture and their homes, as well as to teach them a little bit about ours. I know I surprised one of the people from Malawi when I told him that Canada had different time zones (he didn’t know that was
a thing) and that the far north only had about one hour of daylight in the winter, whereas it was the land of the midnight sun in the summer. It was interesting to hear how different lifestyles are in each of the different countries.
CY really gave me the opportunity to meet Christian people my age who share similar beliefs. I’m from a small town that doesn’t have many Presby- terian youth, so having so many of us in one place was a nice change. I think CY is important because it al- lows faith to be seen in action. You can hear what people are doing in their communities and churches as well as see how it is affecting peo- ple. I valued my time there because it let me see a part of the church I don’t feel like I’ve seen before. CY has certainly impacted my faith be- cause I feel more connected within the church. I was able to sense God’s love around me through others’ ac-
tions, words and the light shining in them. I feel like my eyes have been opened and I have seen God’s work in a new and fun way.
My name is Noah Law and CY 2018 was the third CY that I have been to—and there was no doubt that it was my favourite one yet. I en- joyed rekindling old friendships and making new ones with people from across Canada and from different countries. One of my favourite parts of CY is the music. Whether we are up dancing at Morning Energizers, singing during worship or listening to the songs performed at the Tal- ent Show, music is everywhere. I also love the evening activities. The planning team comes up with differ- ent games every night and they never disappoint. This year we got to play jumbo versions of board games, be- come secret agents solving the miss- ing case of Rexy, and be entertained
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Young Adults at GA
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The Way Forward
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Young Adult Consultation
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