Exactly 1 year ago today, I started my journey with YMT, it began on the year 6 feeder days, 22 June  2009, my 18^th birthday, as a matter of fact. The first day of adulthood for me was spent working with year 6’s from all across our diocese an experience I thoroughly enjoyed, but in a very real sense it began my journey as part of the Youth Ministry Team. So here I am on my 19^th birthday, and here I am again working with year 6’s from across the diocese. One year on it feels the same, but different; The similarities are obvious, same tent, same field, same age group, some of the team are even the same, Fran, Phillip, Mel, Tony, Robert, Sarah; Similar weather (so far), same hay fever.

The differences are also clear, different young people, new team members, Howard, Joy, Morena; Different me. I am year older now and I have a year’s worth of experience under my belt. A year of working with the fantastic young people of the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle, Every group bringing new stories, new experience, new challenges, new memorable moments, funny moments, new people to admire. And the more I work with these young people I see how lucky they are.

YMT has taught me a great many things, from how to operate sound equipment, to how to bring the fundamentals of faith to young people. But there is one thing which has been running through everything I have done this year without me really noticing it, an undercurrent which is obvious to those who know it and live by it. Faith is the truth which YMT shares with young people across the world. Faith is the profound intangible, which, like the Holy Spirit we cannot see or perceive, we only see faith through action. We see faith through its results and affects. We are called to be faithful and to be faithful requires, and demands action and when we act in faith that is when and only when we can pass it on to others. Only when we live in faith, act in faith, can we truly witness to someone.

Faith is the true Shibboleth, a wise man once said, and I am the first to admit it wasn’t me. Shibboleth is a word which is used in the book of judges by the Gileadites, to distinguish themselves from their enemies, who were unable to pronounce the `sh` sound. So it became known as a means of establishing whether a person was truly of God. What Jesus did in the new testament was to shake up the idea of faith, to demonstrate faith was not about words, rules or regulations but about actions and responsibility to act in love. Jesus made faith the true Shibboleth, the true identification for anyone of God. YMT has taught me and continues to teach the people of the diocese, and the world, that we have a responsibility to live our lives in faith and live them to the full. Thank you YMT.

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