Cassy Eccleston is the Emerging Gen Team Leader for Georges River Presbytery, a role funded by the Synod Growth Fund. Ms Eccleston told Insights that the role is one of being a change agent.
“The role of Emerging Gen Team Leader for Georges River Presbytery is part of our Mission, Vision, and Strategic plan, and focusses on driving one of Synod’s key future direction of ‘Growing Young,’” she said.
“It is about not only training and leading a group of Emerging Gen Workers in various congregations, but also about creating and facilitating a NextGen Movement across the whole Presbytery.”
‘This is a new position, supported by Synod’s Growth Fund. In consultation with my colleagues in the Presbytery, I have shaped the role over the past year and will continue to see it evolve into the future. It involves strategic thinking in how to make the Growing Young vision come to life – identifying, encouraging and training key leaders, supporting collaboration between the congregations, and modelling possibilities.”
“There has definitely been some trial and error as I have come to learn more about the culture of the Uniting Church and this Presbytery, and above all else, it has been essential to keep God and His mission at the centre of it all.’
“My passion is to see young people used by God for His Kingdom. I have enjoyed meeting many young people in Georges River Presbytery and seeing how God is already growing the and using them. I’m looking forward to being part of their continued journey of faith.”
“I am a person who loves working with teams, yet sometimes in struggling congregations we forget that we are not alone. We are the body of Christ (with our diversity and our unity), and I have loved bringing the NextGen Advocacy Team together to help set direction for GRP to Grow Young. They keep me real, and they encourage me.”
Ms Eccleston told Insights the challenging part of her role was related to change.
“Change is hard, we like what we are familiar with,” she said.
“ While the message of Jesus should never change, the way we present it to our community, and especially our young people, needs to change if we are to connect Jesus to the world we live in now,” she said.
“Young people live in a world that is run by technology, and where connection is more often than not, through a screen.”
“We need to be real about this (to take a deep breath and embrace it) and also provide alternate ways of bringing our diversity of young people together: young people who are created to be relational.”
“Our services, our ministries, our faith communities need change… but being a change agent is a challenge. I am sometimes looked at as the person with wild, crazy ideas, and as the person who can make people feel uncomfortable because I’ve facilitated change.”
Ms Eccleston said Insights’ readers could pray for her ministry, “For wisdom, energy, vision and love – may God give us all we need to reach young people in GRP and across our Synod.”
“Be bold in your context – it is easier when we are bold together.”
“Let’s be bold as we break through barriers created by traditions and safety, that we may speak into the lives of young people and grow God’s Kingdom young.”
You can follow Georges River Presbytery Next Gen on Instagram here.
