This past weekend was Autumn Soul, the Irish Methodist event for teenagers that Kathryn and I were involved with at the very beginning (including dodging the name, “October Breakaway”!). It’s thirty years since the first one in 1996, held in the Epworth Hall of Wesley Centenary Methodist Church, Bangor. It has grown and moved over time, including going online for Covid and moving to Belfast and, this year, Dublin. For the 30th event, last year, we were invited to begin by praying a blessing over the young people of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Three of our boys, including Timothy as a band member, were present. I thought I’d share the prayer here, now, with Kathryn’s permission as she wrote most of it 🙂
Psalm 100v5 says, “the LORD is good and his love endures for ever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Our generation has experienced that faithfulness over the last thirty years, and we can testify that God is good all the time, and that his love goes on and on, despite challenging circumstances and making mistakes.
Often in those first years of Autumn Soul, when we were leading worship or bringing our youth group, or involved in prayer ministry, we became especially aware of God’s goodness and love. And so this evening, we would like to bless you – from one generation to another – for the glory of Jesus.
If you would like to receive this blessing, please open your hands as a sign to show your openness… If you are here as an older person, we invite you to join us in stretching out your hands, your arms of love and protection, over this gathering. Let’s start as we mean to go on – this is a Holy moment.
May you meet Jesus. As you encounter the one who gave his all for you, and who knows the number of hairs on your head, may you know you are deeply loved.
May you have fun. May first timers feel at home and included. May new friendships be made. May leaders and volunteers be full of energy and joy.
May you have freedom to worship with all your heart, where your voice and body and mind and soul combine to lift the name of Jesus high, and you draw near to God, as God draws near to you.
May you hear God speak in ways that change your life. May you say “yes” to God. May you go for prayer, have freedom to cry or to laugh, dance or be still, to speak or to be silent.
May your brokenness be made new as you fall into the arms of the one who puts the broken pieces back together and calls you beautiful.
May you be filled and go on being filled with the Spirit, filled with passion and a fire that revives your heart and spills out of here into churches, homes, schools and youth groups.
May you go from this place ready to follow Jesus with all that you are, walking with Jesus every day and learning to hear his voice. May you know the comfort of his presence on difficult days.
May you leave bursting to share the love of the Father, leading the lost to Jesus and joining with the Spirit to be bringers of justice, healing and hope.
May you be light in a dark world – not afraid of the darkness but trusting that God will not let you stumble and fall – knowing God’s protection from the evil one.
May you show us how to be God’s family, the church. May you teach us by your example of leadership, inspire us with your imagination and encourage us by your steady, joy-filled presence in this world.
May you have bold faith and be fearless and courageous. May you have courage to take more risks for the Kingdom than your parents.
May we go together into this weekend and the years to come with the God of the “immeasurably more” who will do more than we can ask or imagine according to his great power at work within us, giving all the glory to Him.
“Come, Holy Spirit. Help us to know your presence and power with us now, as we spend this time together with you. Amen.”
Friday 24 October 2025
East Belfast Mission