Church Army's Chief Executive has challenged 700 young people to make a difference for God at this year's Easter Monday Youth Pilgrimage at Canterbury Cathedral.

|PIC1|The event, also attended by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishops of the Canterbury Diocese, focused on how young people could make a difference in their lives, their homes, their schools, their churches, and the wider world.

Mark Russell, Church Army's CEO and a member of Archbishops' Council, was personally invited by the Canterbury Diocese to give the main talk at the event. He focused on the fact that anyone can be used by God.

Commenting on the event, Russell said: "It was so awesome to stand at the front and see such an excited crowd of young people.

"I told them that if they felt they were too small to make their presence felt, they evidently had never shared a bed with a mosquito. If they felt God only picked perfect people, then they hadn't read their Bibles properly.

"Throughout the Bible, we see God uses people who are far from perfect, whether David, Noah, Moses, Peter, Paul, or Solomon....and that means he can use us too. One person cannot change the world, but they can change the world for another person. A Norwegian tourist, visiting the cathedral yesterday said to me, 'I thought the Church of England was dead and I see all these young people!'"

He added: "Seeing young people give up their Easter bank holiday to make a difference is really encouraging; I came away thinking, Jesus turned a world upside down with 11 disciples sold out for him, determined to keep company with Jesus, and make a difference with their lives.

"Just what could God do with 700 young people excited about Jesus and wanting to change the world? I, for one, am going to pray that they do."

Church Army's new global gap year initiative Xplore was launched by Russell at the event. The initiative aims to give young people the opportunity to serve God and their community both in the UK and abroad for a year.

Russell adds: "I am very excited about Xplore. As a youth leader I was always looking for exciting gap year programmes that would transform young people for mission. Xplore is one such programme, and I can't wait to see how it grows under Phil's leadership."

More information about the Global Gap Year can be found at:
www.xploreglobal.org.uk

[Source: Church Army]