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2. Youth and mission


Youth are the future of the church, and in the Bible and Christian history the gospel has often been entrusted to young people. This transversal topic aims to highlight the role of youth in mission and to look at mission through the perspective of youth.

Edinburgh 2010 employs a Youth Coordinator, Kirk Sandvig, who is working to encourage youth participation and profile. Kirk's bio may be found here, and he can be contacted by email (2010youth@gmail.com) and on Facebook. He sees the role of the Youth and Mission transversal theme as a way to educate, integrate, and empower youth to participate in Christian witness throughout the world today, and believes that youth have an integral voice in the current and future development of mission.

 

Youth participation in Edinburgh 2010

Edinburgh 2010 aims to have 20% youth (18-30) among the delegates at the conference in June 2010. Two global youth bodies (World Student Christian Federation and International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) are represented on the General Council.

Through collaboration with organizations such as Echos in the World Council of Churches, the World Student Christian Federation, Syndesmos (International Orthodox Youth Organization), the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, the International Movement of Catholic Students Pax Romana, the World Alliance of YMCAs, World YWCA, and Lutheran World Federation Youth, Edinburgh 2010 Youth will be hosting a series of events geared at increasing youth participation in mission.  Events will include: an Online Consultation, which will serve as a platform on which we build our understanding of mission, and provide a channel for sharing deeper theological and practical insights for the Edinburgh 2010 Study Process; a Youth Writing Contest, which seeks to incorporate the input of youth within the nine study themes; and a Youth Multimedia Contest, which tries to engage youth on the topic of ‘The Changing Face of Mission’ through diverse forms of media, including but not limited to: video, photography, music, painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.

 

Youth at Edinburgh 1910 and 2010

Although it has been observed that most of the delegates at the Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference had ‘gone grey in service’ (quoted in Brian Stanley, The World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh 1910. Eerdmans 2009. p. 73), the 1910 conference leaders did not overlook the importance of youth.  One of the key figures in the preparation of 1910 was John Mott, who, as a founding member of the Student Volunteer Movement and later served as general secretary of the World Student Christian Federation, understood the strategic importance of disciplining youth and mobilizing them for the cause of world mission.

In preparation for the centenary celebration of Edinburgh 1910, the 2010 conference leaders are continuing the emphasis on youth through the transversal theme of Youth and Mission.

 

Links


    Participate

    If you wish to participate by sharing what you or your group is doing, please send information, documents, papers and suggested links to the Edinburgh 2010 Research Coordinator, Dr. Kirsteen Kim, k.kim@leedstrinity.ac.uk.