It’s official. For high school students wanting to meet the opposite sex, Friday afternoon is the new Saturday night.
That’s the consensus from those involved in a new city-based youth gathering pitched at inner Sydney teenagers.
But the initiative will also please Christian teachers and Christian parents, as the young people will also hear Bible talks from evangelical speakers.
‘Platform Seven’ is being likened to a younger version of the popular City Bible Forums. It is held at St Andrew’s Cathedral every Friday from 4pm to 5pm for students in years 10 to 12.
The organisers, Anglican Youthworks and chaplains at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, chose the timeslot so it would not clash with Friday night parish youth groups. It was timed to be convenient for students attending straight after school, who can then be linked into youth groups. The initiative is the only one of its kind in Sydney.
The aim is also to help Christian group leaders who feel isolated. “Potentially it has real value for Christian work in schools ... a lot of small groups are struggling,” said Cathedral School chaplain, Tim Bowden. “It’s not a dating service but we’ll take advantage of that.”