Rebekah PolleyIn an attempt to make Church leadership more aware of issues affecting young people, in the  lead up to the next National Christian Youth Convention (ncyc11) each synod’s moderator  will be mentored by three to five young people as they discuss issues important to them in  life, faith and the Uniting Church.

Heather DowlingThe Government has a ‘National Binge Drinking Strategy’ that includes taxing the alco-pops  loved by teenagers but not the wine loved by their parents. Despite the way it’s portrayed in  the media, binge drinking is not a new phenomenon. There are many passages in the Bible on  the topic, showing us it was as much of an issue back then as it is now. So will we ever learn  our lesson?

Are you thinking of joining in the Greenbelt/Taize Tour later this year but not sure what to expect? Michelle Coram tries to explain…

What a great Easter Camp 2010 Footloose we all had! Deep studies, inspiring worship, a much appreciated ‘invasion’ of Fremantle Wesley on Easter Sunday morning and a fabulous Footloose dance. Here are my photos. I hope you are as proud of our young leaders as I am.

How many times have you heard it said that the church is out of touch and irrelevant to young people? Or that youth are not heard or that young people do not contribute to the life of the church?

State Youth Games is a national Christian sporting competition organised by Churches of Christ Youth Vision. The WA event is being held this year in Bunbury from Friday 29 May – Monday 1 June. A team has competed under the banner of Uniting Youth since 2007, and offers the chance for young people aged 16 to 30 to get meet other Uniting Church young people from around WA. Craig Trethowen, event organiser, says this year’s event is not one to miss. “It will be a fun event with loads of exciting games and opportunities to meet other young Christians from all over the state.” He was also keen to point out that you don’t have to be a superstar to get involved. New games for this year’s event include Mastermind and Kubb, a game originating in Swedan which is described as being ‘a combination of bowling and horseshoes’. For more info contact Craig Trethowen on 0401745690 or Ben Hamblin on 0430142010 or visit http://www.wa.uca.org.au/home/uniting-youth/events/syg-team/

Make Poverty History is calling on 100 young people aged 16 to 26 to get on board for their national road trip from 8–15 May 2010. 

In churches around WA each week, at church, kids’ clubs, youth groups and even over morning tea, children learn about God and Jesus through the ministry of ordinary people who are passionate about passing on their faith to the next generation.

At 23, Allison Tyquin is an NCYC veteran. The National Christian Youth Convention (NCYC) is held by the Uniting Church every two years in different locations across Australia; ncyc11 at the Gold Coast will be Allison’s fifth convention.

Adrian (Age) Greenwood is the founder of MorePraxis, an online community aimed at supporting young adults who “long for a more interconnected Christian spirituality.” As the name suggests, the site is focused on an action/reflection model, where the personal is political and so is the spiritual.