Young adults from across the Diocese gathered at High Leigh Conference Centre this past weekend to begin their year on The Alban Way.
The opening residential brought together this year’s cohort, aged 18–35, for a weekend of teaching, worship, discussion, social time and personal reflection as they began their Alban Way journey together.
Begin with listening to God
Using the biblical character of Mary of Bethany as a guiding theme, the weekend focused on Jesus’ invitation to sit at His feet and listen. Through talks and guided reflection, participants were encouraged to slow down, create space to hear God, and consider His call on their lives for the year ahead.
Worship was led in part by former participants, offering the new cohort a model of the prayerful leadership and participation that The Alban Way seeks to nurture. Seeing peers lead worship helped demonstrate how young adults can grow in confidence in prayer, worship and serving others throughout the year.
One of the new cohort reflected on the sense of community that quickly formed:
“Despite coming from different places and not knowing each other, I was surprised with how comfortable I felt and how quickly with everyone. One talk in particular really stuck with me — how we can be close to Jesus but also distracted, and how important it is to take time to be near Him and pay attention to what He is saying.”
Another participant spoke about the weekend’s impact on their faith:
“The weekend added to my faith journey and gave me useful resources to help discern and strengthen my walk with Christ.”
Another of the group highlighted the value of bringing young Christians together:
“The Alban Way residential was a great experience, bringing young people from different Christian traditions together in friendship and faith. Sharing time, stories, and prayer helped us grow in understanding and see how much we have in common as followers of Christ.”
Developing a rhythm of spiritual practices
The group also had the opportunity to explore some of the spiritual practices that will shape the year, including The Examen and Lectio Divina, both ancient practices designed to help Christians listen to God through reflection and engagement with Scripture.
Programme leaders spoke of the encouragement they felt seeing the group begin their journey. One leader commented:
“The residential weekend was incredible — a great balance between bonding time, rest and meaningful moments. The initial emphasis on Matthew 11:28 really resonated throughout all the activities, talks and seminars, encouraging everyone to turn to God as the starting point for the journey ahead.
I really felt God moving in every room amongst the young adults and leaders and I am excited to see where 2026 takes us all on together.”
Another leader shared:
“The Alban Way residential weekend provided me with an experience of real joy. As both a new leader and a first-time participant on The Alban Way, watching young adults come together and respond to God by seeking Him in prayer, worship, and community has been an absolute privilege.
As we considered together what it means to come before Jesus with humility and trust, I felt the weight of God’s love poured out for each person there. My prayer for the year ahead is that each of the young adults would continue to draw close to God, seek His face, and come to know on a deeper level the transformative power of a life filled with prayer.”
The Alban Way year continues with monthly gatherings and a pilgrimage to look forward to later in the year. For more information, visit The Alban Way website and follow on Instagram. Please join us in praying for the group and their leaders throughout the year.
