Youth & Children Update

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May 2025

Welcome to the latest Youth & Children Update!

Events for Children and Young People

Church Bagging - Sunday 18 May - Taize-style worship at St James-the-Less, Penicuik.

Meet us there: the service starts at 5pm (23 Broomhill Road, EH26 9EE, ///wound.escaping.novelists). OR

Join Fee on the bus: #47 leaving Queensferry Street [QC] at 3:27pm or Surgeon's Hall at 3:44pm.

End of Exam Picnic - Saturday 31 May

Join us at Portobello beach for a few hours relaxing, chatting with friends, and sharing a 'chippie' together!

Meet outside St Mark's Church (287 Portobello High Street, ///dragon.forms.fish) at 4pm and we'll finish-up at 7pm. Registration and consent form here.

On 21 June, St Michael and All Saints, Tollcross, is holding an afternoon of Youth Prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, to give young people 12-18 the chance to try a way of praying that's been part of Christian life for centuries. There will also be games, conversation, and food.

More info and free registration via Eventbrite link.

Booking is now open for this summer's Provincial Youth Week ('Yeek'), which is taking place 27 July until 2 August. All information at yeek.scot.

Ring Out is a youth-initiated event for all aged 11–16 concerned about the impact of the climate crisis. On the 4th Saturday of each month, 11:30am–2pm, there is the chance to come together for discussion and creative action, with the bells being rung between 12 noon and 12:20pm.

Next running 24 May. For more information contact A+E.

Other Events – for all ages!

On 18 May, Revd Dr John Bell is presenting at Christ Church, Morningside, on 'A World Fit for Our Children?' as part of the Journeys in Faith programme.

Ascension to Pentecost: Thy Kingdom Come!

This year's Thy Kingdom Come runs from 29 May to 8 June. Youth resources this year include a Digital Detox Journal, which is designed to support a phone-free period of Bible reading and prayer in the 11 days from Ascension to Pentecost.

Young Adults 18+

New WhatsApp group for young adults

The Pisky 18+ WhatsApp Community is a new PYC initiative to help Yeek graduates and other 18–25s keep in touch with each other and with key Youth leaders. There will be announcements of opportunities such as pilgrimages, and the chance to join different groups in the Community (e.g. your Diocese, Yeek 24 leavers). To join, fill in this short form.

Enhance your Skills and Build your Toolkit

Mental Health Awareness Week: 12–18 May

The theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) is 'community', and how being in community benefits mental health. Resources, including posters and tip sheets, are available on the MHAW website. They've also gathered their best mental health tips onto one web page, here.

Head Strong Mental Health Resource Hub from Youthscape contains a wealth of information for young people and those who support them. There are resources from videos to worksheets on all aspects of mental health, and a contact form if you need to ask the team a question. Resources are refreshed each month, so keep checking back.

There is now a Youth version of the Sanctuary Mental Health course. Over 8 sessions, young people are guided through questions about faith and mental health, with space to engage these questions. Start important conversations in young faith communities: link to more information, including a trailer video.

Try this! 'Prayer in Motion – Anxiety' is part fidget toy and part grounding tool, designed to help young people reframe anxieties and remind themselves that God is with them in their worries. Find out more at the Youthscape online store.

The Diocese is a subscription ‘hub’ for ROOTS on the Web, enabling congregations to sign-up for access to Lectionary-based digital resources (including the 20year back catalogue) for the subsidised cost of £20 for the year. Interested congregations should register via this form. One-month free trial here.

OutoftheBox uses stories and play as a way into contemplation and dialogue. It gets us in touch with our feelings, deepening our connection with ourselves, with each other, and with God. If you are curious about what OutoftheBox is like, you can join an online Taster Session. There is online training available in September and October. Both events can be booked online.

If you would like an 'in-person' taster event (evenings and weekends only), please contact Fee.

The next session of Safeguarding Training to be delivered by Rachel Cooney, Children's Director at Ps&Gs, will be on Zoom on Thursday 5 June from 8–9pm. This is for those who work with children and young people. Sign up here. The next in-person training session will be in September.

Rachel Cooney, Children's Director at Ps&Gs, warmly invites you to a Youth & Children’s Ministry Training Day @ Ps & Gs Church on Saturday 27 September from 9.00am to 1.00pm. There will be tea/coffee and pastries to start, followed by training on topics such as Play, Mossy Church, Neurodiversity, and worship with Beth Croft. Save the date and be ready to register soon!

Grants

The Diocesan Grants Committee next meets on 9 June. If you wish to make an application for funding from the Youth & Children's Grant in time for this meeting, please send your completed application form to the DMMC Team by 2 June. The following meeting will be at the start of September. More information, and forms, can be found on the Diocesan website.

The Provincial Enable Grant can be used to access up to £5000 in any one year. It aims to enable SEC congregations to develop new projects, or to support existing projects with an SEC connection, address increasing poverty amongst families in their community. More details are on the SEC website.

Adventures in Faith

REMINDER: You can find lots of information under the Adventures in Faith headline on our website, including a list of Awareness Days until the end of 2025, as well as courses/events you might find helpful. Links to the Adventures in Faith pages can be found via the gold-coloured menu items below.