MYCN's vision is to establish at least 30 Missional Youth Churches (MYC) over the next five years, enabling 11-18 year olds to build community and discover faith in Jesus Christ.
Local schools and colleges, churches and community projects will work together in partnership to build church with this generation. Youth leaders and volunteers will become part of a wider learning network accessing training and will be encouraged and mutually supported as they build for the future.
So far, the team have been busy travelling around the north of England to visit various dioceses, churches and secondary schools. We’ve been listening to what is happening in their communities, shared the MYCN vision and prayed and dreamed together with local leaders about what might be possible in the coming years.
We've been amazed to discover how open people are to dream and envision what a new Christian community might look like among young people in their own localities. People tell us that there is such a lot of need, both to do something for young people but also to rethink how we do church with them.
One example of this is the Seacroft Estate in East Leeds. Conversations with Bishop Paul Slater, Church Army and Leeds Faith in Schools, led us to Bishop Young Academy, a secondary school in an inner suburb of Leeds. Local churches soon got involved. Funding was found to employ a Lead Evangelist who will work with a local volunteer team and young people to begin a Missional Youth Church in the area. It is very early days, but the signs are good!
Another example is Archbishop Sentamu Academy which is in an area of Hull with high deprivation. At the beginning of October, we met with school and church leaders to explore setting up an MYC there. A Christian leader said, “there is a real sense that God wants this to happen in this place.” If you’d like to find out more about the Missional Youth Church Network and how to get involved, contact Andy Milne, Missional Youth Church Network Lead on 07800 599 148 or click below the button below to email.
MYCN is a joint funded and supported project by The office of the Archbishop of York, Church Army & The Archbishop of York Youth Trust
