Letter from the youth

Letter from the youth of the conference to the churches

To all clerical and lay members of the Church: The youth gathered at the International Conference of Interchurch Families held in Edmonton, august 2001, have discussed the division we see between our denominations. Throughout our discussions it has become clear that despite many different traditions and styles of worship, they are all focussed on the one Jesus Christ. Our goal within the Association is to promote Christian unity internationally. This is not exclusively our goal, but is clearly what Jesus wants for his people. He said: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that all may be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they be one in us so that the world will believe that you sent me." (Jn 17:20-23) To realize this vision, we appreciate that there are many steps which need to be taken. Some of the steps we feel will help to fulfil our goal are: Prayer for fellowship in the churches Prayer for reconciliation Prayer for acceptance Prayer for constant focus on God and only God As you can see, we are building our foundation on prayer. We need to let God move within our churches to bring them together. We remember that all our denominations are based on Jesus Christ. We must break down the barriers that have been formed and live on the foundation of God's love. We leave you with this: "Love one another warmly as Christian brothers and be eager to show respect for one another" (Rom 12:10) Thank you, The youth of Canada 2001