Diocesan News
Hundreds Attend Connor Youth Event in Lisburn Cathedral
Hundreds of young people from Connor Diocese danced the night away in the cathedral hall in Lisburn on Sunday September 27.
They had come from all parts of the diocese to spend an evening with Fusion, the hugely successful youth outreach project based in the city centre.
Youth leaders in discussion following the seminar in the café
The evening, hosted by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, was aimed at encouraging young people, youth leaders and clergy to explore youth work ‘outside the box.’
Fusion has more than 2,000 members registered with the project, and up to 300 young people attend its night club style activities in the cathedral halls every week.
The evening with Fusion on Sunday September 27 was a follow up to the successful Energize evening of youth worship which took place in St Brigid’s, Mallusk, in September last year. Both events were organised by the Energize committee.
Every week Fusion is open for dance music, video games and pool and offers chill out space, pampering space and prayer space. On Sunday night there was also worship through dance.
While young people had a rave in the hall, clergy and youth leaders retired to the relative peace of the café where Bishop Alan and youth workers Keith Neill (Lisburn Cathedral); Alan Wright from Greenisland and Stuart Moles talked about their experiences of youth work, and the challenges they face.
Welcoming the young people at the start of the evening in a very atmospheric dance hall, Bishop Alan said the event was aimed at engaging with youth culture. Keith Neill, a Fusion leader, told the visiting teenagers it was time to ‘have a rave and go mental.’
He said: “The whole idea is for you to move around, to be here with your friends and just enjoy yourselves. This is just one way we do youth work here on a Saturday night, it draws huge crowds and the wonderful thing is that God is here. We are getting to God’s people.”
For further information please contact:
Connor Diocesan Communications Officer
Contact Details
Karen Bushby
028 4066 0798
07766103880
[email protected]