Page 6 - pc_Issue7_Fall2018

Connection
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Young Adults Representing
6 FALL 2018
PRESBYTERIAN
presbyterian.ca
Each year, approximately half the 45 presbyteries of the PCC are invited to send a young person, 16–25 years of age, to the General Assembly as a Young Adult Representative (YAR). This is an opportunity for YARs to be introduced to the proceedings of an Assembly while making new friends. YARs are granted the privilege of participating in discussions. And while they do not bear responsibility for decisions taken at the Assembly, they take on an advisory role that allows them to express opinions on recommendations that are of particular interest to them before commissioners vote. In this way the commissioners are “advised” by the YARs.
The Young Adult Representatives at the 2018 General Assembly in June.
By the Young Adult Representatives at the 2018 General Assembly
At General Assembly, the Young Adult Representatives (YARs) presented their experiences visually, standing in a line and stepping forward if they agreed with the statements read. Some of the statements were: Step forward if you prayed for God’s in- struction. Step forward if you felt the YARs and their advisory votes were respected and taken seriously. Step forward if you felt like this was a safe environment to share your opinion, even if your opinion was in the mi- nority. Step forward if the way the sederunts unfolded made you proud
of the behaviour of the court.
As YARs, we found we had dif- fering positions on the topics dis- cussed at General Assembly, but we still found harmony and com- munity with each other because we are all children of God. Some of us felt disempowered by the discussion and decisions of the week. There were times we felt un- heard. But we all left the Assembly feeling hope for the future of the
church.
During the four days at Assem-
bly, we came together, not as indi- viduals but as children of Christ. The only thing we knew in the beginning was that we love Jesus
and that is good. Is that not all we need? But then we started talking about our beliefs, and oh boy you know what comes next—we did not agree.
We say now that we had differ- ent thoughts and experiences. Yet no matter what question we posed to each other we returned to stand side by side. We respected each other, we supported each other and did not take anyone’s space. We stood side by side, in Christ, with each other.
Together with love, with Christ, with God and with each other, we are one.
Leaving Assembly, we know that these commissioners love Jesus and therefore love me and you— and is that not what we need?
The YARs give an advisory vote during Assembly.
Zaria Dulvy, Presbytery of Cape Breton Morgan McKay, Presbytery of Pictou Jacqueline Cleland, Presbytery of New Brunswick Joseph Ragbir, Presbytery of Montreal Aaron Head, Presbytery of Ottawa
Robbie Ott, Presbytery of Lindsay-Peterborough Chukwuemeka Kalu, Presbytery of West Toronto Kathleen Tigwell, Presbytery of Barrie Samuel Shivcharan, Presbytery of Hamilton Lauren Fulton, Presbytery of Paris Anna-Marina Giurin, Presbytery of Essex-Kent Mark Dyck, Presbytery of Winnipeg Matthew Yakemchuk, Presbytery of Assiniboia Spence Wiseman, Presbytery of Peace River Abigail Law, Presbytery of Central Alberta Cordell Storey, Presbytery of Kootenay
Nate Hartley, Presbytery of Westminster Soul Chin, Presbytery of Western Han-Ca
Our Prayer
Gracious Lord, we thank you for this time of togetherness and for the Gen- eral Assembly for gathering us.
We pray for the Rev. Daniel Cho, our new moderator, as he travels and represents The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
We pray for Stephen Kendall and Don Muir in the General Assembly Office as they carry out the work of General Assembly.
We pray for the commissioners who have put time and thought into their decisions.
We pray that the people who have heard or seen our presentation un- derstand the message we are trying to convey, and we encourage them to be open with the youth and young adults they come in contact with.
Oh Lord, we pray that you stay with each and every person who
attended the 144th General As- sembly. We pray that they return to their communities empowered and filled with hope as we continue our journey as a church in Christ in har- mony.
In your name we pray, Amen.
Thank you to everyone who wel- comed us to General Assembly and allowed our voices to be heard.