The service, at St Luke’s Church, Maidstone, saw the young people lead the service, as well as the music and prayers.
Growing Young Leaders is a course aimed at equipping young people with the confidence to become leaders, whilst encouraging them to recognise their identity in Christ and grow their discipleship. It also acts as the foundational training for a young person’s pathway towards various forms of church leadership.
The cohort of young people participated in monthly sessions from September until April. As part of the programme, the young people were encouraged to think about servant leadership in their own church settings, they developed their skills in working together and spent time dwelling in the word with scripture.
One of the participants on the course was Jacob. He said: “I decided to take part in the Growing Young Leaders course because I wanted to learn a bit more about myself and a bit more about Christianity as a whole.
“I t
hink this course is really good because it opens you up to new experiences and you can learn a lot about God and the religion of Christianity.”
Ezzie also took part in the course and added: “I found that you learnt a lot about yourself, and it was a really nice community and group we had.”
Reflecting on the celebration, Lead Officer for Children and Youth Ministry in our diocese, Jen Tobin said: “It has been a joy to watch the young people grow in their confidence, understanding and faith as we have progressed through the course. It is such a privilege to witness their gifts blossom and see how the young people explore where God might be leading them to serve.”
The course will run again from September 2025. For further information about the course and to register your interest for the next cohort, email our Lead Officer for Children and Youth Ministry: Jen Tobin.