Global Youth Ministry Network - Asia

Come with me into the GYMN training known as the Level 2.

We are currently holding one right now in partnership with the PCEC-National Youth Commission.  And it’s here in Manila at the GYMN Office even. We have spaced out the training through 3 Saturdays and Day 1 of the event started on the fine Saturday of August 8, 2009.

9:00 am- after registration we plunge into the training.

With fewer participants and with many already who have seen each other more than a few times the atmosphere is less formal, more interactive. Here there is the sense of a reunion even. Laughter bursts out in between introductions as delegates interrupt with hilarious remarks typical of a youthworker

9:21- It’s back to basics. Participants try to gather how the different elements of youth ministry fit together.

9:40- From the exercise, participants recalled what for them was most useful from the first seminar. There were varied responses: Encouragement, The Exercise of Making Specific Goals. The phrase ‘One Life to Live, One Life to Give.’ Fellowship.

Many mentioned the lesson on meeting youth where they are which led them to engage the youth beyond the church, one pastor sharing how he was able to engage not only the youth but all the different age groups of the church, from children to adults.

11:00- Here we talked about direction, particularly capturing what you want your ministry to become through a purpose statement. There was more in-depth discussions also on how to communicate the purposes of youth ministry.

1:40pm- In between concepts and discussions on youth ministry it was fitting to declare our love for God in song.

2:00- The importance of evaluation was the third subject tackled. From the obstacles that would keep youth ministries from evaluating programs toward different methods of evaluating programs and objectives (SWOT Analysis was one useful method mentioned). As output of this session, students took time to evaluate their current ministries.

3:15- next was a run-down on planning and prioritizing. The participants were asked to create big hairy audacious goals.

3:45- we ended with the students learning a Bible study method. This one taught creatively by Ptr. Eric Pantig, as he walked the participants through the story of the good Samaritan. And walk they did as they had to go to various parts of the room as Eric discussed the method.

4:30 Training for the day ends.

And with it, our short look into the level 2. More to come next Saturday.