In cooperation with the churches of the city, the Taizé Community will be facilitating a young adult gathering in Birmingham next year, over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, 28/04-1/05, 2017. Brother Alois, prior of the community, will take part.

16-35 year-olds are invited for the full weekend. 16-18 year-olds may alternatively come for a one day programme, just on the Saturday. The prayer gatherings will be open to people of all ages.

Main events over the weekend will take place in city-centre churches: St Chad’s Cathedral (Catholic), St Philip’s Cathedral (Anglican), The Church at Carrs Lane (Methodist and URC), and St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham’s ancient parish church.

The meeting is being held with the blessing of the presidents of Birmingham Churches Together, Archbishop Bernard Longley, Bishop David Urquhart and Reverend Ian Howarth, and support has been expressed by other Church leaders.

As with all gatherings led by the brothers of Taizé,  regular community prayer will be at the heart of the weekend. Brother Alois, prior of the international and ecumenical monastic community, will speak at some of the evening prayers. Birmingham Church leaders are being invited particularly to the Saturday evening prayer.

In 8 host neighbourhoods of the city, local people of different churches will be working in teams during the coming year to prepare accommodation and a programme for the young participants.

Afternoon workshops in the city-centre will celebrate the myriad ways in which people of faith in Birmingham and beyond are striving to make the world a better place: interfaith relations, the welcome of refugees and asylum seekers, engaging with the sick and with prisoners, living more ecologically, becoming aware of the problems of human trafficking, the arms trade and inequalities in financial systems. Afternoon activities will also include music and the arts, and questions of faith, vocation and Christian community life. A church will be set aside for those seeking a time of quiet reflection and prayer.
See the website for more details on the programme. Follow @TaizeBirmingham on Twitter to keep up to date with arrangements.