Aussie youth pastor on re-thinking youth ministry of today.
Really very refreshing and a reminder that I still have the heart more
for the teenagers (even though I admit that there's some kind of
generation gap now) than the young adults. God has opened my eyes
during my period of service in YZ to see the immense potential of a
youth and what he/she can do for God. It's quite unlike a young adult
whose thoughts and ways have already been very fixated in a certain
way that it's hard for them to even change for God.
While teenagers could be thought to be brash and wilful, it's also
this very strong passion for things that make or break. Spur them onto
the right path with God and it is likely that these life principles
carry them through life.
Yes, there is the issue of how strongly do young adults cling onto
these life principles they learnt during their teens when they star
facing a whole slew of new decisions, circumstances and temptations. I
won't profess to be good at it as a young adult myself. In fact, we're
all on the same path of self discovery and lifelong learning and
experincing God. But what I know was that I can look back and say with
more confidence that it was no mistake serving Christ actively. Even
if it meant a lot of hard work juggling school work, CCA and church
ministry/ activities, I never forget how dearly I clung onto God for
everything in my life. To learn from Amy Chan about discipleship, to
learn from Pei Fern that crying for the lost is not a sign of personal
weakness, to learn from Zhiqiang and Dav the passion that drives them
to sacrifice much personal time to build relationships with us in the
journey of disciple making etc. The list goes on..
What I am saying is that we do not lose focus of why we serve and what
is our ministry is. To be Christ like, both in thought, word and deed..