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Katie Demery

Wide agenda in Cardiff

by KATIE DEMERY

Reproduced from the Methodist Recorder
by kind permission of the Editor

FOR a weekend Cardiff was the focal point for Methodist young people from all over Great Britain to meet. The reason? Cardiff hosted the annual Methodist Youth Conference in the new Urdd Centre in Cardiff Bay. The Methodist Youth Conference is an annual conference that gives an opportunity for young people aged 13-25 from all over Britain to meet and discuss important issues involving the Methodist Church.  It is aimed at young people who are connected or wish to be connected with the Methodist Church.

     The weekend was a great success. About 150 young people from all over Britain attended and had a chance to meet many new people. There were four business meetings during the weekend, in which many different topics were discussed and decisions were made on how to approach these issues. The topics included Burma. Hope 08, support for the Youth Participation Strategy, Recycling, Worship, and many others in between, all written by passionate young people. In the evenings, hustings took place to introduce the candidates for   next year's youth executive.  

      President of the Conference the Rev Dr Martyn Atkins and Vice-President of the Conference Ruby Beech attended the event. They took part in a service held at the Wales Millennium Centres

where an induction ceremony was held for the new youth president, Brian Cavcney, and the new youth executive, whose chair for 2007-2008 is now Sarah Tomes. Ms    Beech    described    the Weekend  as  a   "really   worth-while experience". She said, "It was good to be present as Youth Conference discussed everything from the environment to ecumenical relationships., as well as hearing reports from a lot of different bodies and working on the Youth Participation Strategy. The worship was lively and inspiring and the musicians wonderful. The local planning team, Connexional Team staff and a range of volunteers had done a  fantastic job." 

Relaxation

Their was time for relaxation and a chance to explore all that Cardiff Bay has to offer, such as the "Doctor Who" exhibition, the Welsh Assembly Building and the Wales Millennium Centre. There was also a drumming workshop and a prayer workshop available. Each year the conference has a specific theme and this year the young people chose to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the bill for the abolition of the slave trade and the freedom found in faith today. The theme was "Let my people go!" or "Gadawch fy mhobl yn rhydd!" in Welsh. There was a showing of the film

"Amazing Grace" which is based upon the life of William Wilberforce and his  struggle against slavery. There was also an exhibition about slavery that the attendees were able to view.

 Facilities

At the weekend all attendees had beds at the new Urdd Centre behind the Wales Millennium Centre, in dormitories with en suite facilities. This made the youth conference even more enjoyable for everyone.

            When the conference ended, many new friends were exchanging e-mail addresses and planning to keep in contact with one another. Whether making friends for life or merely living a new experience, nearly everyone who attended the conference had a. weekend they wont forget.

            One of the attendees of the youth conference said: "The Methodist Youth Conference was great. Thanks to everyone for making such a wonderful atmosphere with God at the centre."

 

• Sixteen-year-old Katie Demery from Cardiff was a member of the Methodist Youth Conference organising committee.