A coalition of churches and Christian groups have banded together in an effort to guard young people from violence, specifically knife crime, through the summer months.
The Synergy Network has called upon churches throughout Britain to carry events on “Standing Together Saturday and Sunday”, going down on 19 and 20 July, which marks the top of the college yr.
The network said that the summer holidays often see an increase in knife violence amongst young people, and asked churches to maintain their doors open through the summer to supply a secure place for young people.
Bishop Lenford Rowe, Chair of the Synergy Network, said, “This is the third yr in a row that we have now been running our Standing Together events, and we’re still encouraging churches to each pray and take motion on VAYP [Violence Against Young People].
“We need to use the summer break to not only draw attention to the proven fact that this is usually not a secure time for our young people, but in addition that Christian congregations can do something tangible to maintain them secure.”
The bishop added that many young people may gain advantage greatly from the “wisdom and guidance” provided by church volunteers and that churches will be secure spaces for young people to loosen up.
The Synergy Network has produced quite a few resources which it believes will help churches to hope concerning the issue and take concrete actions.
At St Mark’s Church in Kennington the Network will likely be running quite a few activities on 19 and 20 July, including testimonies from those previously involved in violence, workshops and poetry and drama activities.
Bishop Rowe said, “Although we wish churches to interact with our Standing Together Weekend on the 19 and 20 July 2025, they should be cognizant that this work must proceed all year long if we’re to see any transformation on this tragic situation.
“We cannot sit on our hands and hope for the most effective. If we truly care about our young people, we’d like to get entangled and be the change that we wish to see.”
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