A social media push to connect with younger people has been launched by the Church of Scotland's youth branch as figures show one in five congregations has no children attending.
The National Youth Assembly, the body that echoes the Kirk's General Assembly making decisions that affect young people in the Church, is using Facebook and Instagram to reach out to a younger generation of worshippers.
Hannah Mary Goodlad, Moderator of the National Youth Assembly, below, said one front it was pushing was visiting communities and schools around Scotland to let young people know of the work it does and opportunities it provides across its 1,400 congregations.
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But this is being done hand in hand with a campaign highlighting events the NYA stages or in which it becomes involved.
The NYA meets to establish its stance on issues that affect young people, campaigns on topics such as child exploitation and each year provides the voice of youth at the annual gathering of senior Kirk figures, attended by 730 delegates, or commissioners, this year.
The report to the assembly stated: "It is not enough to depend on traditional methods of advertising such as church newsletters alone to promote our work within the Church of Scotland as people engage in different ways in today’s world.
"With this in mind we decided to invest in the creation of some short videos promoting the life and work of the NYA, why it exists and what difference we make with and
out with the Kirk.
"These videos have been designed to be used in a variety of settings, from school assemblies, to Sunday services, to youth groups, to Guild groups, to across social media.
"We have also added a Facebook page and Instagram account to our social media presence.
"We aim to regularly update all our channels with interesting and engaging items showing that the NYA is more than just a weekend event."
The assembly also earlier heard from Rev Colin Sinclair, the convener of the Mission and Discipleship Council, above said: "It is a cause for concern that according to our records 20 per cent (one in five) of our congregations today have no children or young people attending."
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The council's report to the assembly said: "Over the next three years we are shaping our work with children and young people around the Year of Young People, the theme for 2018 set by the Scottish Government.
"We have carried out a number of consultations with key stakeholders, including other councils and committees, children and young people and representatives from the Scottish Government, so as to develop a collaborative and cohesive approach.
"This will enable the Kirk to have significant focus on children and young people in 2018.
"A number of resources, events and online provision are being planned.
"At the beginning of 2016, three community of faith day events were run in Glasgow, Dumfries and Inverness for those involved in ministry with children and young people, particularly in churches with few or no children.
Rev Catherine Collins, Dundee Broughty Ferry New Kirk, told the assembly in Edinburgh the Church should work more closely with young people in the youth organisations the BoysBrigade and Girls Brigade.
She said it was earlier quoted that young people are "not the church of the future, they are the church of now".
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