After attending the United Reformed Church’s (URC) Children’s and Youth Work department’s Big Speak Out event in Nottingham in 2018, Heidi Grogan, a member of URC Youth, has grown in faith and confidence and is now ready to respond to the call to become a nurse. She shares more of her story…
I was brought up in the URC until I was seven, but my family drifted away from church. Encourage by my mum, at 16 I found myself back at church and began to form my own sense of faith.
In July 2018, I attended the Big Speak Out (BSO) event for under-18s taking place alongside the URC’s General Assembly in Nottingham. I found myself surrounded by people who didn’t yet know each other but who seemed to feel like a close-knit family in no time at all.
At the BSO we were given the chance to get to know each other, learn more about the URC, its life and structure, think about issues that mattered to us and, very importantly, to speak out to the General Assembly and wider society about our views as young people.
My fellow participants embraced me, and by the end of the weekend I felt inspired! During the event I had a number of conversations about my faith, future and myself. Looking back, I feel like the weekend was a real turning point in my life and my faith.
I participated in leading worship for the very first time at the event and, while scared, I was delighted that I had been brave enough to take part. As a result of this, in August I went on to lead worship alongside other young people from my church in our own congregation. I was encouraged by my church friends and from there I made the decision to commit to membership of the URC through the life of my local church.
The whole event helped me to get a different perspective on my life. We had stayed in the University halls of residence in Nottingham during the BSO and since that time, I’ve found the courage to apply for university and now have five conditional offers! I am going to study nursing.
If I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone and been encouraged to attend the event last year, I would not be where I find myself now. I’ve grown in faith, in confidence and in my self-belief, making me excited for the future!
The URC’s Children’s and Youth Work Office has much to offer in terms of supporting children, young people, their families and those who work with them in Walking the Way of Jesus today, including resources, events, funding and regional support through Synod Children’s and Youth Work Development Officers and equivalents. Visit their webpages here to find out more.
