THE next SPARCS evening with Archbishop John Bathersby will be held at All Hallows’ School, Brisbane, on April 27.
SPARCS is a series of four evenings held over four months, which aim to provide an opportunity for young adults and the archbishop to reflect on the Scriptures and share their journeys.
At last month’s session, the archbishop gathered with about 40 young people for an evening of faith sharing.
SPARCS organising committee member Virginia van der Meer said the evenings have been a huge success.
“SPARCS was borne out of two converging experiences. The first was a group of dedicated people trying to find a forum for young people to come together, to share their faith in a common place,” she said.
“The second was the archbishop’s desire to have more direct contact with young people after his experience on the World Youth Day pilgrimage last year. SPARCS brings together some of the key elements relevant to our faith journey – spirituality, prayer, action, response, community and social interaction.”
SPARCS focuses on the gospel of the following Sunday. Last month an impressive multimedia presentation was put together to portray modern images of the story of the Prodigal Son which was followed by the archbishop’s reflections on the Scripture passage.
Donna McDade from Grovely parish said the gospel presented some very strong messages. “I was really moved by the way the gospel was presented, and I was glad we had the opportunity to share our own experiences in small groups.”
Joe Kelly from Camp Hill parish was impressed with the archbishop’s reflections and dedication. “I’ve never experienced the archbishop like that. It was great that he shared his own story and his own struggles. He put the Prodigal Son story into his own life. I loved listening to him and I was pleased that he wanted to listen to us as young people.”
The next SPARCS will be on April 27 from 7.30pm-9pm at St Ann’s Room, All Hallows’ School. Refreshments will be served afterwards to provide the opportunity to mingle and make new friends.
