Our vision is of a diocese where young people are crucial to the building of the Kingdom of God.

Mission
Through promoting partnerships and seeking to influence attitudes, we will work to empower and facilitate the participation of young people in the life and mission of our faith community.

Core Values
...Prophetic
Informed by faith we challenge ourselves and our young people to be agents for change in the Kingdom of God.
...Independence
Working to build partnerships which will nurture the giftedness of all young people.
...Equity
Treating young people with dignity and respect regardless of their social status, ability/disability, political outlook, sexual orientation, religious affiliation etc.
...Diversity
Recognising and celebrating the unique gift of the individual and their differences.

It is very easy to buy into a negative picture of young people today. The media and society are quick to highlight the bad news concerning young people, and yet, rather than being the perpetrators of a lot of what is wrong in our society, young people are often the first victims of the society that adults have created. Maybe it is time for society to get off the backs of young people and begin to put our faith in them. If we first have faith in young people, then we may just gain the credibility to enable us to invite them to faith.

Youthcom, the Down and Connor Youth Commission aims to both build upon the giftedness and faith already within young people, and to put in place structures which will help to build up that faith.

Youthcom supports parishes in their outreach to young people providing an umbrella under which existing youth groups in the diocese can share resources and skills. This provides young people with a fuller picture of possibilities for personal, social and spiritual growth and development and participation in the life of the church.

Youthcom plays an active role in inter-church initiatives through partnership with Youth Link:NI, and in the wider youth service through involvement with the Youth Council NI, Youthnet, Education and Library Boards, the Department of Education and various other civic and political organisations

What is the challenge facing us in presenting the gospel vision as a source of hope to young people?

We are challenged as a Church to not only speak about the priority of youth ministry, but also to resource it; to recognise that falling church attendances may not be so much about young people lacking faith, but about us lacking faith in young people; to have a firm belief that as a Church we have a message of hope for our young people, but also an honest acknowledgement that often the way we do Church can lead to that message remaining silent to their ears; and to have a solid commitment to genuine listening to, and the involvement of, young people in our faith communities.