Our minister The Reverend Ruth Maxey (she/her)
Ministers Letter 23rd August 2025
I spent Friday last week taking a group of to the Christian Arts Festival, Greenbelt. It is held in the grounds of Boughton House near Kettering. The weather was lovely and the young people had a great day soaking up the festival ‘vibe’.
There was a marquee for only 12 to 17 year olds (trained youth workers there too). The adults like us hung around outside while they went to ‘Cake and Debate’ a session run by URC Youth… the Friday debate was: “Is something ever so serious that war is needed? Should western countries be fuelling conflict in other countries by providing arms?”. One of our young people ran out halfway through with a big grin saying: “I don’t understand any of it!! My head is too full!” And dashed back in. While the group we took were quite young (13/14 year olds) I think even the idea of debating such questions opened their minds.
As I wandered with them, I bumped into more people than I could count from so many parts of my life: an ex-student from my days as a Chaplain from Keele, numerous URC ministers and even members of NPURC! We went to some very rude comedy which they were delighted with (and I kept reminding them not to tell their parents about). Some went to a ‘Laughter Yoga’ workshop where they spent an hour being very silly and laughing lots. I sat in the Tiny Tea Tent with the other leaders while they explored the site on their own enjoying a rare sense of freedom.
We ended the day at Taize worship in a big, beautiful marquee where there were so many people we were spread out on the grass outside. If I closed my eyes I could at moments imagine I was back in France and ‘actual’ Taize where I had been the week before. As we sat with the seven young people, I also realised that two of them had been to Taize when they were young when I had taken families there in 2018 and 2019, and here they were as teenagers at Greenbelt. Still connected with the church and maybe beginning to explore faith for themselves.
As we meandered our way back to the car there was talk of returning, of coming for the weekend, of URC youth weekend in October. Seeds were sown, and relationships built and the madness of a day at Greenbelt suddenly seemed worth it.
Ruth