Around 30 young adults from different denominations across the region came together on Sunday night for the first “YA Café” at All Saints, Nelson.
Nelson – and I’m sure other areas in the diocese will relate – often suffers from a drop in young people when teens finish highschool and head off to the big smoke for university. It can at times be a bittersweet send-off, especially for the young adults who are sticking around.
We also wanted to create a space for both Christians and those exploring faith to grow through facilitated conversations around a variety of topics.
Our first night seemed to go pretty well! I saw both familiar and unfamiliar people come through the doors and immediately connect with each other. We served barista coffee (all decaf) that they enjoyed sipping over conversation. As a bit of an ice-breaker, we played a game similar to speed dating where everyone asked their partner a specific question before swapping to talk to someone else each round.
Our first topic was around culture – what it means, the ways we engage with it and how we create it – and there was some pretty lively conversation around tables. I’m planning to invite guest speakers to facilitate different topics in the future. I think it’s important we engage with relevant issues in a faith-based context, and creating a space for that is something I really enjoy.
The next night will be on 4 August, the first Sunday of the month. I’m looking forward to seeing how YA Café develops, and I hope it becomes somewhere that Christians can invite their non-church friends to. By providing a consistent and inviting space for these interactions, we anticipate fostering deeper connections and sparking interest in faith conversations.
We’re also very grateful for the FC Marsden Mission fund for the support we received to help run the event! Nothing draws a young adult in like free coffee!
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More articles in the
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We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Around 30 young adults from different denominations across the region came together on Sunday night for the first “YA Café” at All Saints, Nelson.
Nelson – and I’m sure other areas in the diocese will relate – often suffers from a drop in young people when teens finish highschool and head off to the big smoke for university. It can at times be a bittersweet send-off, especially for the young adults who are sticking around.
We also wanted to create a space for both Christians and those exploring faith to grow through facilitated conversations around a variety of topics.
Our first night seemed to go pretty well! I saw both familiar and unfamiliar people come through the doors and immediately connect with each other. We served barista coffee (all decaf) that they enjoyed sipping over conversation. As a bit of an ice-breaker, we played a game similar to speed dating where everyone asked their partner a specific question before swapping to talk to someone else each round.
Our first topic was around culture – what it means, the ways we engage with it and how we create it – and there was some pretty lively conversation around tables. I’m planning to invite guest speakers to facilitate different topics in the future. I think it’s important we engage with relevant issues in a faith-based context, and creating a space for that is something I really enjoy.
The next night will be on 4 August, the first Sunday of the month. I’m looking forward to seeing how YA Café develops, and I hope it becomes somewhere that Christians can invite their non-church friends to. By providing a consistent and inviting space for these interactions, we anticipate fostering deeper connections and sparking interest in faith conversations.
We’re also very grateful for the FC Marsden Mission fund for the support we received to help run the event! Nothing draws a young adult in like free coffee!
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
