The URC National Synod of Scotland

We would firstly like to thank you for the interest you have shown in this important part of the process of helping children to be heard in the United Reformed Church.  We feel that the forums provide all of us in the church with an exciting and innovative way of listening to, and hopefully acting on, the views of the children that are involved in our faith communities.

The Children’s Forum Pack can be downloaded now and will assist you in setting up the forum in your place.  It will not provide all the answers, but we are happy to speak to you about any queries you have.  It is important to remember that there is no one formula for how the forums will best work.  You are encouraged to enable the children to decide what works best for them, and don’t be afraid to try something different.

The heart of the forums is hearing what the children think and understanding how they feel about their church and faith.  This may mean that as you record the information they give you, you may not agree with what they say, or you feel the answer is not what we are looking for.  With the forums, there is no such thing.  Every response from the children is worth hearing, and we would discourage any form of editing or altering of what the children say.  We want to get to know what the children think and feel and we can only do that if we hear their views.

So the journey begins.  It is with a great sense of excitement and we wish you all the best with your forum.  We look forward to getting to know you and more about your church over the months ahead.

With every blessing,

Stewart Cutler

Children and Youth Development Officer

Mark Taylor

Convenor, Children & Youth Ministry Committee

Downloads

Childrens Forum Pack containing Agenda 1

National Agenda 2

National Agenda 3