A Pastoral Letter from Barry Hill, Bishop of Whitby
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
How and why we grow younger and more diverse as a Church is at the heart of Living Christ’s Story (and part of the diocesan-wide brief which, with colleagues, I hold). ‘Younger and more diverse’ obviously covers a very wide range of different forms of diversity, with it being important to honour the stories, opportunities and challenges unique to each, but they are deliberately held together because a common question is at their heart: how do nurture a Church in which we don’t put ourselves, our stories, experiences and perspectives at the centre and define everything and everyone else by what we have known?
The scriptures show us that diversity (for example, in Acts 17 racial diversity) is not first a problem to solve, but God’s gift to the Church so that each person can see the difference Jesus Christ makes in their context and story. We seek to grow younger, not so we feel better about ourselves or have a slightly more secure future for the Church, but because the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps address so many of the challenges Gen Z and Gen Alpha are carrying, and because as a Church we need the experiences and wisdom of young people.
This week, as in our prayer diary we especially pray for Teesside University, please pray for a major piece of work starting next month to discern how best we serve, support and reach both Higher and Further Education students (post-18) across our diocese. There are more details on the diocesan website of how those already involved in mission and ministry with post-18 students can be involved. We can all join together in prayer as university and college students face issues as never before, that the grace and blessings of God would move contagiously through the education communities of North Yorkshire.
