Youth President reflection

Daud Irfan, Methodist Youth President, shares this reflection on the year past and the year to come.

Another memorable year is coming to a close and this chapter in all of our lives will definitely be one to remember. A year of recovery yet uncertainty intertwined together. For me, 2021 was a year full of so many amazing adventures, experiences and new beginnings. Not only was I elected as the Youth President for the Methodist Church but along with this role I was fortunate enough to understand the Methodist Church and the Methodist people through a whole new focus as I travelled to churches across Britain.

God’s Church – A Home for All. Many of you who may have been following my journey in this role would have previously read or heard about the theme which I had chosen for my year as Youth President. My passion for being an inclusive and welcoming Church, not only on Sundays but every single day of the year as we live and participate in our local communities and society is something which I have seen come into fruition, will continue to form my role and engagements as we head into 2022.

I’m sure one of the most memorable moments for the Methodist Church this year would have been the Children and Youth Assembly, 3Generate. After two years apart, we finally were able to hold 3Generate in person at the NEC in Birmingham and what an experience it was. The weekend was filled with fun, laughter and joy within a welcoming, inclusive and faith-centred environment. The theme for 3Generate was ‘In Tune’ and through all the activities within the multiple venues, the children and young people dived deeper into how we can stay in tune with God by listening to God’s voice and taking action on that within our lives. The experiences of children and young people and their opinions were discussed in great detail over the course 3Generate weekend as we all shared together in fellowship and worship. For many this was a life changing experience, being able to gather with friends and making new friends to learn about different cultures, different forms of seeking God and discovering worship styles unique to us.

When we talk about God’s Church, that does not just mean our physical church building but our church family, our community, those who are around us and God’s entire creation. COP26 held in Glasgow this year was another strong reminder for us all that we are stewards of this planet and we need to take it upon ourselves to be responsible for our actions and how we will affect the future of the world for people across the globe. I was fortunate enough to attend an Ecumenical Church service held in Glasgow at the time of COP26 which was attended by young people and church leaders from all around the world, which highlighted how serious we need to be in our responsibility of looking after God’s beautiful creation. I was proud to be able to see all of the work the Methodist Church is doing to tackle these issues both in the present and future.

My hopes and wishes for the next year are that as we are still living within times of uncertainty and doubt, that no matter what we do or where we are, in all times we look out for God’s spectacular wonder and remember to be God’s people in this world, whose faithful reasonability is to be Godlike people that others around us can look towards as a beacon of light through difficult situations. In Psalm 106 verse 1 it says ‘Praise the Lord. Give thanks to

the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.’ As we turn over the chapter in 2021 and head into 2022, we need to remember in all situations, circumstances and uncertainties that life holds for us, we are all loved and appreciated by God in our own individual ways as we reflect on God’s love for us and for the World that we are living in.

Daud Irfan,
Methodist Youth President