YCYC - Run the Race 2012

The 10th Anniversary of YCYC
Run the Race 2012
‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.’ 2 Timothy 4:7

Picture this… 130 children aged 10-13 from all across the UK, gathering together for healthy fellowship over the course of a weekend. What does that bring to mind? …Noise! And lots of it. But there’s no doubt that the 10th anniversary of the Young Coptic Youth Conference (YCYC) at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre was one to remember, filled with spiritual nourishment, Koinonia and sheer joy. But don’t take our word for it, Angela from St Mary and St Abu Sufein church in Wales, who attended the conference, had a thing or two to share about her experience.


The theme Run the Race 2012 was a great idea, I loved the fact it was relevant to the Olympics, and I found all the talks really interesting. I would have liked one more talk to be honest, so maybe next year we can have more.

I felt welcomed on the first day even though I was late and could only attend the workshop. People were really interactive during the talks, but not all of us responded immediately to the adults when asked to do things. All the servants were welcoming and made everything interesting.

There were great activities such as the bungee run, bouncy castle, and jenga etc. I think next year it would be nice if we had less time though for activities and more spiritual time. I loved the songs, I wish there were more, but the ones that were sung were beautiful. I really enjoyed the song ‘Happy Face’ sung by one of the servants.

The t-shirts we were given had an amazing design compared to last year, and there were loads more gifts, I really enjoyed the sweets and bracelets. The food this year was also very very nice and most people thought it was great. I personally loved the sausages for breakfast, and the lasagne and barbequed chicken.

I really enjoyed Vespers and the Liturgy especially was very nice and organised.
Overall, the conference was very fun and had a lot of activities as well helping us learn more about spiritual life.

Article by Angela from St Mary and St Abu Sufein church in Wales.

A big thank you to all the servants who made Run the Race 2012 a conference to remember, and it goes without saying that without HG Bishop Angaelos none of this would be possible, so thank you Sayedna for the vision and for your constant faithful service. See you at YCYC 2013!