The Church of Scotland has been forced to rethink its role in society as it adapts to life in the “Post-Christendom age”, documents seen by The Herald show.

A new national strategy unveiled later this week will call on Kirk leaders to help vulnerable youths in the country’s poorest areas, whether or not they are Church members, as part of a wider engagement with Scottish communities.

The organisation has had to reassess its position in the face of changing attitudes towards religion and a Church membership in rapid decline.

In a new strategy document to be launched in Glasgow on Wednesday, Church leaders write: “The ongoing debate is whether the Church in the so-called ‘Post-Christendom’ age now occupies a place on the fringes of society along with other organisations in the third sector. Does this leave the church in a position of irrelevance, which is ‘out of touch’ with the people around it?

“Or is this a good thing because of the fluid and flexible response the Church can then make to be a force for good, transforming from and with the margins of society?”

Whichever position is accepted, the document notes, “a firm and necessary grasp of the sociological and spiritual realities will always be a starting point for Christian ministry”.

In this spirit, the Kirk will renew efforts to engage with troubled young people in 58 “priority areas” across the country – of which 38 are in Glasgow.

Church leaders have stressed the new focus is not a “recruitment exercise” intended to convert children and teens but rather a programme to “promote personal and social

development” and give youths a voice in society.

Projects in the pipeline include a Scottish youth team playing in an international football tournament running in parallel with the South Africa World Cup, and the development of a youth radio station in Glasgow’s Provanmill estate, titled Bolt FM.

Noel Mathias, a ministry support officer working with troubled young people, is one of the organisers of the World Cup scheme, which will see nine young Scots travel to South Africa for three weeks. He said it was essential the Church does all it can to help the most vulnerable people, regardless of their beliefs. “It’s about congregations looking outwith the four walls they call a church,” he said.

The new Church of Scotland strategy, titled An Option for the Young, will be launched on Wednesday at Pollokshaws Parish Church, Glasgow.

Bolt for freedom

Life nearly turned out very badly for 19-year-old youth worker Nicola Boland.

She freely admits that in her younger days she was “involved in a good few bits of gang violence” around Blackhill, the north Glasgow scheme where she grew up, but now her life is back on track and she’s able to pass on her wisdom to others.

Three years ago one of her best friends was murdered after failing to escape the territorial fighting that marrs the local area. Nicola was given a “wake-up call” that spurred her to change her life.

She managed to pull herself away from the dangerous elements she knew from her school and the neighbourhood streets. Now she is training to be a youth worker.

“You can really see the difference that Bolt FM [a radio station and church youth project] has made with people in the area,” she said.

“It stopped people from gang fighting, even people’s manners have improved.”

Although she has no personal involvement in the Church of Scotland – in fact she considers herself Catholic, if anything – she has nothing but praise for the Kirk youth leaders who mentored her at the station.

“[My religion] was never an issue,” she said.