Youth: an offer you can't refuse!

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches is seeking to recruit 55 young people (18-30 years old) to serve as stewards for the 24th general council. Of these stewards, 22 will be selected from our Ghanaian churches, 5 from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo and 28 from other member churches worldwide. These young people will come together to make friends, gain global ecumenical experience and help to ensure that the general council runs smoothly.

The general council is the Alliance's highest governing body. It meets every seven years to seek a common response to the challenges facing Reformed Christians. The 24th general council will be held in Accra, Ghana from July 30 to August 13 2004. It will be a celebration of life and faith at the start of a new century. Guided by the theme "That All may have Life in Fullness" (John 10.10), the more than 1,000 participants will reflect on the threats and challenges to life while seeking God's will for our response.

The work of the stewards is essential. Without stewards making sure that rooms are set-up, papers are distributed, mail is delivered, people are counted, etc., there would be no general council at all! Therefore, being a steward means first of all a lot of hard work. Often this work is exhausting, intense and done under the pressure of time. The main tasks will be:

Reception: receive participants as they arrive, make sure they know where they are staying, assist people with directions, etc.

Administration: help to prepare, sort and deliver documents, etc.

Communication: assist in the press room, sort mail, deliver messages, answer telephones, post messages, etc.

Plenary sessions/section meetings: assist with distribution of documents, translation equipment, microphones, etc.

Worship: assist worship leaders, distribute worship materials, etc.

However, being a steward is not just work. Stewards will encounter the global family of Reformed churches at a time when they will be discussing important issues and making significant decisions. The three weeks in Ghana will be a time to learn, share, worship and celebrate. In a community of young people from different churches, countries, cultures and languages, stewards will form friendships and acquire enough memories to last a lifetime. You never know! Being a steward may change your life. It will surely change the way you look at the world.

Stewards should be between 18 and 30 years of age when the general council takes place. They must be able to work well in a culturally diverse environment. They must be fluent in English, which is the official working language of the stewards' programme. Knowledge of other languages such as French, German, and Spanish will be appreciated. Applicants need to be in good health and able to work long and often irregular hours. Patience and the ability to work with others as a team member are essential.

Room and board will be free of charge for stewards. Stewards will also receive some pocket money. Travel expenses to and from Ghana are the responsibility of the steward and/or her/his church. WARC may be able to arrange for less expensive travel arrangements depending on the itinerary.

The stewards' programme will take place from July 23 to August 15, 2004. It will begin with an orientation, followed by the Reformed Youth Forum (RYF) and Women's Pre-Conference and finally the general council itself. Stewards will participate in RYF and Women's Pre-Conference as their schedules allow.

An application form can be obtained by writing to Giulia Ramagnano, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 150 route de Ferney, PO Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, or sending an email to youth@warc.ch. It can also be downloaded from our website: www.warc.ch/24gc/.

Read the form carefully, then take a pen or find a computer and answer all questions. Send the completed application to the head of your national church to request an official endorsement. The office of your national church should send the endorsed application to WARC.

The deadline for receiving applications is May 31 2003.