The Diocese of Blackburn is hoping to see thirty new youth leaders placed across its parishes, to expand its reach amongst Gen Z and Alpha.

Under the ‘Ignite’ scheme, a panel will select parishes to get a new youth worker based on their safeguarding structures, “vision for growth,” and capacity to resource a new staff member.

The Diocese said: “employing a youth or children’s minister is the biggest common factor to seeing sustainable growth of ministry to [young people]”.

It follows a national report by Youth for Christ, which found that teenagers are more spiritually open than their parents, with 53 per cent saying they would consider going to a local church if invited by a friend. 

Rachel Gardner, Youth Innovation Lead at St Luke's Blackburn, opened the project’s launch party. In her welcome address, she spoke of how Jesus puts children at the centre of his leadership.

The scheme will recruit youth workers over the next few years. Some are already in their new posts and attended the launch. 

Ignite Project Manager, Sam Lee, said: "It was fantastic to be able to gather the first cohort together to explore the vision for growth of youth and children's work in each parish, to pray together and encourage each other. I'm excited to see where their ministries lead and how the Ignite Project grows in the coming years."