Gracefest rocks the Cathedral

Youth and Children's team commissioned during weekend youth festival at Ripon

The music was loud, the Cathedral rocked, and Gracefest, a Christian festival in Ripon for young people, saw  the commissioning of a youth and children’s team for the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds.

Youth groups from the four corners of the diocese camped in the grounds of Ripon Cathedral and enjoyed activities and fun, words from author and speaker, Adrian Plass and a Saturday night rave in the nave from “thebandwithnoname”.  Gracefest even invaded Sunday morning worship. “Sounds of Salvation”, described as a ‘ten piece, high octane, Christian ska band’ provided  the music during a radical contemporary service.

The festival was the peak of over a year’s worth of planning backed by several denominations. The event was headed up by twenty-year-old students Jason Lowe and Grace Sinclair who were supported by a fifteen strong team.

In the middle of the Sunday morning youth service, a recently expanded Diocesan Children and Youth team was commissioned. Team leader and Youth Work Advisor, Nic Sheppard, and Children and Young People's Development Workers, Graham Richards and Anne Carter have already started working across the diocese, but Gracefest was the first opportunity for young people themselves to join in prayers for the whole team.

All three are available to visit churches, speak to groups and lead training sessions. Contact:

Nic Sheppard – nics@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk  (01937) 585 440

Graham Richards (North) – grahamr@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk (01423) 507 783

Anne Carter (Leeds) – annecleeds@aol.com (01423) 509 859