Angels Among Us: A Final Reflection from the Provincial Youth Gathering

Sunday, August 30, 2026

It has been a full, rich, and beautiful time here at Jericho House with the young people who have gathered with us this weekend.

There is so much I could say about yesterday, but one thing that stays with me is the depth and maturity of the faith I have encountered here—and the desire of the young people in our Church to participate fully in the wider councils of the Church and to lead in meaningful ways.

I believe the Church is ready to receive the gifts our young people are offering us so generously and willingly.

Yesterday morning, we spent considerable time thinking about the purpose of a potential Youth Council for the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario. We explored five purposes such a council might serve, and then we asked an all-important question: What is missing? Who is missing?

The young people identified several areas where greater inclusion would be essential. They spoke about the need for more Indigenous voices and Indigenous representation. They want representation from every diocese in our Province. And they spoke about the importance of hearing from young people who may sometimes feel they are on the outskirts of the Church.

The message was clear: we want all young people to know that they belong and that their voices matter.

In the afternoon, we began asking what the dream might look like in practical terms. How often should a Youth Council meet in person? What other ways could members remain connected throughout the year? Where would the funding come from?

These were practical questions, but important ones. We moved from dreams and visions toward the work of imagining how something sustainable might actually take shape.

So I ask the Church to pray for the leaders who have guided us through this weekend—Logan, Paige, and Adam, with the support of Sue McLeod—as they begin bringing these conversations together into a plan. My hope is that they will be able to bring something forward to Provincial Council in October so that we can discern together what the next steps might be.

Our final session yesterday afternoon was called Ask the Metropolitan Anything—and they did!

Once again, I was struck by the depth of the questions.

What nurtures my soul?

If I am leading a prayer gathering and someone asks me to pray for them, how do I really know that my words are reaching God’s ears?

How can we deepen our lives in Christ?

And then, of course, there were some wonderfully silly questions too, including my favourite silly Bible story. I mentioned Balaam’s talking donkey in Numbers 22, and that remarkable account in Acts 20 where Paul preaches for so long that a young man falls out of a window. It is perhaps a cautionary tale for all preachers!

It has been a wonderful gathering at Jericho House, and I leave with tremendous hope.

Our Church is in very good hands.

I am so proud of our young people, of everything that has happened here this weekend, and of the hospitality we have received from the people of Jericho House. They have been absolutely wonderful.

In the thank-you card I wrote to them, I said, “Who knows? You may have been entertaining angels this weekend.”

Certainly, angels have been among us. And God’s Holy Spirit has been with us throughout this gathering—calling, encouraging, challenging, and reminding us again that the young people of our Church are not simply its future.

They are an essential part of the Body of Christ today.