Upham youth group rules!
by Ana Watts
A 12-member youth contingent from the Parish of Upham was the largest from any parish at the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island annual youth conference in Dartmouth Nov. 12-14. “It is the first time young people from the Diocese of Fredericton were invited, and we were “it,” says the Rev. Marian Lucas, rector of Upham. 
“They set aside a whole section for us and we were a presence among the 120 participants from their 70-plus parishes. We could have brought more young people if we had had more vehicle space!”
This year’s conference agenda focused on the national theatre troupe Roots Among the Rocks. It describes its show as one written for the whole church and confronts issues of identity, community, trust, and forgiveness — without “violence, swearing, nudity, smoke effects, reality TV hosts, strobe lighting, an obligatory kiss scene, or robots.” It does, however, contain confession, dance, poetry, drug addiction, humour, cancer, biblical stories, St. Augustine, an irreverent tribute to Sunday morning worship, human sexuality, rocks, prayers, hopes, dreams and rap.
The troupe performed segments of its production throughout the weekend – often focused on ways church is meaningful to young people and used 1 Corinthians 12, being parts of the body, as its foundation.
“The actors taught the conference participants to rap,” says Marian. “They performed their own rap with the Roots people during the Sunday morning service at Christ Church in Dartmouth, and it will probably be coming to a computer near you soon via YouTube. They also sang for the Silent Night project late on Saturday night. It too will appear on YouTube.”
The waterslides at the sportsplex, making cookies for the homeless, crafts, exercise, peer ministry, visioning and a workshop with Carl Wagoner, a young priest who did his student internship in South Africa, were among the other weekend events. But the one the Upham young people enjoyed the most was a walk with Bishop Ron (Suffragan Bishop Ron Cutler).
“The young people had activity choices and virtually all of ours chose to walk with him,” says Marian. “They walked all around downtown Dartmouth, he even took them to the market and bought them a treat. They all just loved him.”
In addition to the Sunday morning service at Christ Church, the young people participated in a Taize service with 21st century chants and candles.
When the group debriefed recently they told Marian they wanted to invite members of other youth groups in this diocese to come for a sleepover. Then she asked Tanner Pollock, who had a wonderful time at the conference, if there was a down side to the event. He replied “Yes, I have to wait a whole year to go back and see my new friends.” He shouldn’t be too lonely for them though, he has them all on Facebook.
“We didn’t have specific objectives in mind when we took these young people to a large gathering in a different diocese,” says Marian. “They met new people, made new friends and took a few more steps along their faith journey. I think it was a meaningful experience for them and I believe the Spirit was present in a way that made sense to them.”
