”Reach Peace-meeting” – Youth Festival
Are you between 18-30 years old and want to meet other young adults from different church traditions? Pray, worship and socialize with people you wouldn’t otherwise meet in your own context?
Do you also want to discuss, deepen, and broaden your understanding of what the Christian faith represents? Welcome to the Reach Peace meeting, August 22–24, 2025 – an event for young adults during the Ecumenical Week in Stockholm. Please note that registration is required!
The Reach Peace meeting is organized 100 years after the Ecumenical Conference in Stockholm 1925. The horrors of the First World War were still fresh in the minds of the people, so the theme of peace was central to the discussions. The Conference was arranged with the idea that it was time for the churches to take initiative as peacemakers in the world – both through active peace initiatives and as a reminder of the peace we already have through Jesus Christ. This is still of greatest importance today. Every time is time for God’s peace, even more so when war and other conflicts are ravaging the world. God’s peace is active even when there is no peace. What can we Christians do to contribute to a more peaceful world? Come and join us, together we Reach for peace!
Participation
The Reach Peace-meeting welcomes 18–30-year-olds from different church traditions.
The program will be held in Swedish but possibility of translation of all sessions will be offered to welcome participants that does not speak Swedish.
Accommodation
We will stay in shared rooms at a hostel, located a 15-minute walk from Filadelfiakyrkan and a 20-minute walk from Kungsträdgården.
Meals
The price includes evening snacks on Friday, two breakfasts at the hostel, a lunch wrap in Kungsträdgården on Saturday, and a festive dinner on Saturday evening.
Registration and Cost
The event is organized in collaboration with the Study Association Bilda. Registration opens on March 10, 2025, via Bilda’s website. The cost for food, accommodation, and all activities is only 400 SEK! We have a limited number of spots and will work to ensure ecumenical diversity in participation, so register early if you want to secure a place.
Program
DAY 1 – FRIDAY
Worship Service in Storkyrkan from 18:00 to 19:00
The Reach Peace-meeting begins with an ecumenical worship service where the goal is for everyone to feel at home and take something new with them. Josefina Gniste from the Pentecostal Church leads the worship. Cardinal Anders Arborelius from the Catholic Church and youth representative Elin Katto from the Church of Sweden’s share reflections. An Orthodox choir sings, and we sing hymns mixed with worship songs. There will be opportunities for prayer and confession with priests, pastors, and deacons from all churches. The Swedish television will record the worship service, which will be broadcasted later.
Evening gathering at Filadelfiakyrkan from 19:30 to 22:00
Check-in, have some evening snacks, meet someone new, and reconnect with friends. Discussion forums, speed seminars, music, hangout time, and evening prayer. At Filadelfiakyrkan,
DAY 2 – SATURDAY
Pilgrimage Walk from Vasastan to Kungsträdgården from 09:30 to 11:00
We join the larger pilgrimage walk, which is taking place from four directions, and will meet in Kungsträdgården.
<3 Stockholm – Peace Festival in Kungsträdgården from 11:00 to 16:00
Get ready for a day filled with events and a festive atmosphere in Kungsträdgården, including sing-alongs, a gospel concert, a mega coffee gathering, and various activities. Meet and mingle with different organizations united in their commitment to peace.
There will also be a live podcast, food trucks, bouncy castles, and live bands. There’s something for everyone!
⚠️Warning for joy, community, and engagement⚠️
Service in Storkyrkan from 17:00 to 18:15
An ecumenical service in Storkyrkan which is recorded by the Swedish Television. As a participant in the Reach Peace meeting, you are guaranteed a spot at this historic service, where, among others, his Majesty the King of Sweden and Her Majesty the Queen of Sweden will participate.
Celebratory Dinner at Filadelfiakyrkan from 19:00 to 20:30
After a day spent with everyone celebrating the ecumenical year, we gather the participants of the Reach Peace-meeting for a festive dinner. We will get to know each other better and share a wonderful meal.
Festive Evening at Filadelfiakyrkan from 21:00 to 22:30
We will join with the Church of Sweden’s youth gathering called the Bishops’ Youth Meeting, and together with 1,500 people, we will celebrate ecumenism.
DAY 3 – SUNDAY
After breakfast at the hostel, we will attend a service or mass at one of four different churches in Stockholm of different church traditions, choosing the one that interests you as the conclusion for the weekend:
- Norrmalmskyrkan – The Uniting Church in Sweden
- St. Erik’s Catholic Cathedral – Catholic Church
- Adolf Fredrik’s Church – Evangelical Lutheran tradition
- Church of the Transfiguration – Orthodox Church