The Provincial Youth Conference is under way this week in Jordan, with young people from the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf and the Diocese of Jerusalem gathered at the Theodore Schneller School in Amman. Participants from the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf have come from Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, reflecting the remarkable geographical and cultural diversity of the Diocese.

“The conference theme—Called to Serve: Empowering the Church—offers an opportunity to explore what it means to serve and participate in the life of the Church, with participants joining in worship, Scripture readings and to share experiences,” says the Reverend George Vidiakin, one of the conference leaders.

This year’s conference is based on the ‘Difference’ course, created and facilitated by the Reconciling Leaders Network. Using short videos, personal stories, discussion and Bible study, the course invites participants to develop three habits: being present, being curious and re-imagining.

“At the heart of the course lies the question of peace and reconciliation, a matter of particular significance in the Middle East,” says Revd George. “Participants are encouraged to look beyond reconciliation as simply the absence of conflict, with Bible studies and group discussions providing approaches through Scripture while learning from one another’s experiences.”

The group has also visited some of Jordan’s most important Christian sites: the Baptismal Site on the River Jordan, traditionally associated with the baptism of Jesus; Mount Nebo, where Moses is remembered to have viewed the Promised Land; and the historic city of Madaba, with its famous Byzantine church containing the sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land—one of the earliest surviving examples of its type.

“For the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, the conference has been an opportunity to see the breadth of its young people’s presence across the region,” says Revd George. “And the message clearly conveyed is that young people are already part of the life and mission of the Diocese.”