Children and young people
The Scottish Episcopal Church welcomes people of all ages. If you are a baby, a toddler, a child at primary school, a teenager or a young adult, our churches are delighted to welcome you, just as you are. Teenagers and young adults can join in Diocesan and Provincial activities that connect young people across Scotland. The annual highlight of youth ministry in the Scottish Episcopal Church is YEEK, our ever-popular Youth Week for teenagers.
Contact the Provincial Youth Ministry Team:
Youth Ministry Lead, Claire Benton-Evans ClaireBE@scotland.anglican.org
Youth Ministry Co-ordinator, Tom Klafkowski thomas.klafkowski@scotland.anglican.org
News
Facebook page: Scottish Episcopal Church – Provincial Youth Committee.
Instagram: @piskyyouth
Mailing list: sign up for Provincial Youth Ministry News here.
Youth ministry
There is much on offer for teenagers and young adults in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Some churches run youth programmes; some have a thriving ministry to students and young adults. Diocesan Youth Officers can signpost these churches and provide information about Diocesan and Provincial activities for 11-18s and 18-25s.
YEEK is the Provincial Youth Week. It is an annual residential event for young people of High School age in the Scottish Episcopal Church. It brings together teenagers from all over Scotland for an unforgettable week of fun, faith and fellowship. Find out more on the Yeek website – bookings for Yeek 26 are open until 1 July.
You can find a photobook of the 2025 youth week here.
Pilgrimages and retreats
offer regular opportunities for teenagers and young adults to join their peers for some time away with God. There have been recent pilgrimages to Iona and Taizé, and hillwalking retreats in the Angus Glens. Contact the Youth Ministry Lead for more information about upcoming opportunities.
The Provincial Youth Committee (PYC) represents all young people in the Scottish Episcopal Church. It includes Youth Officers and youth representatives (12-18 and 18-25) from each diocese: it is where young people can speak up about their faith, their experience of church and what matters to them.
Children's ministry
The Scottish Episcopal Church takes children’s faith seriously. Many churches give a particularly warm welcome to children and families, offering parent and toddler groups, after-school clubs, Messy Church, Children’s Corners in church, Sunday groups and more. Diocesan Youth Officers can signpost these churches.
Play Church is a flagship project in the Diocese of Edinburgh and the first of its kind in the UK. Play Church is a portable child-sized altarscape with everything children need to learn through play about what they see happening in church. Find out more here.
Diocesan Support
The following dioceses have a named contact for queries about children’s, youth and families’ ministry. If there is no one available in your diocese, please contact the Provincial Youth Ministry Team.
Brechin – Claire Benton-Evans, Children & Youth Officer youth@brechin.anglican.org
Edinburgh – Rev Fiona Reynolds, Advisor for Christian Life: freynolds@dioceseofedinburgh.org
Moray, Ross and Caithness – Ley-Anne Haigh-Forsyth, Youth Officer: leyanne.forsyth@gmail.com
St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane – James Gardner, Youth & Children Officer: youthandchildren@standrews.anglican.org
Safeguarding
The Scottish Episcopal Church recognises the special status of children and young people and takes their safeguarding very seriously. For more information, visit the Safeguarding page here. If you have any concerns about the safeguarding of children or young people in a Scottish Episcopal Church, please contact the Provincial Safeguarding Officer:protection@scotland.anglican.org
