I used to take the farthest seat in the auditorium.

Unless I was tricked by my cousin from the church’s choir, chances for me to attend the youth ministry were slim to none. Youth Alive sounded like an organization you have in school. When I was invited to come, I imagined that it was a non-profit group that aims to protect the youth from drugs or from things of that sort that’ll do us harm. I read from a flyer that its “ALIVE” stood for “Attract young people, Lift up God, Inspire them to be Vessels of truth and Encourage one another.” The critic thought “Wow. You squeezed that in?” I concluded that it was good but I wasn’t sure if I liked it.

The day I fell hook, line and sinker to attend YA, I was in the “Let’s get this over with” mindset. So, I sat quietly, unsmilingly at the back, praying that they do not persuade newbies to introduce themselves in front. Observing everyone, I saw the place was filled with happy people. Too happy, I didn’t understand why. I groaned a bit when a quick ice-breaker was held. I reluctantly joined in, but it was so fun, I had trouble keeping my excitement to myself. They also have this “Love si Lord!” tagline which everyone exclaimed every time “Youth Alive” is mentioned. Which I dismissed as the effect of mass media, McDonald’s “Love ko ‘to” was a hit back then.

That day was the first-ever engaging worship I’ve experienced. I’ve been in the church for years, and it is good. But this was new for me. The intimacy was unmistakable. The excitement was thick in the atmosphere. The energy was on levels I didn’t know existed. It felt as if the ground was erupting to take you up to space. My heart was pounding. I felt like I could touch God’s face. The dancing, singing, jumping, shouts and cries assured you that behind it all was sincere worship. It was a huge wave slapping on the shores that were us. And it was contagious.

The message was delivered with much humor and in terms everyone would understand. There was a very funny skit presented, laughter burst from time to time, yet the Truth pierced you as it was intended to be. The call for salvation is always done at the conclusion of the service, and a second call to pray for the challenge to take effect in every individual’s life. I went home that night excited to tell everyone about it. I had no understanding what Youth Alive was and what it stands for. All I knew was that it was the coolest place to be.

For a year, I kept on sitting at the back, and didn’t bother to remember anybody’s name if someone would introduce themselves. I was happy with my “Ate.” I wasn’t friendly and I didn’t know there was something wrong with that. I didn’t attend regularly. I made excuses from time to time, and wouldn’t come without my Ate.

Graduating from High School, It felt like I should be involved in something. It was a stirring I couldn’t ignore. I was tired of routine at school, and I felt empty. I braved one Saturday to come on my own. I was surprised how Youth Alive had grown, and yet those who shook my hand before still knew me. I felt comfortable especially when two BFFs (I kept forgetting their names before) seemed glad I was back. I kept on coming, and shortly, I was invited to join a cell group.

From there, I abandoned what used to be my favorite seat. Joining the crowd in the middle, the view was better. It was all brighter, and the backs and shadows I saw from so far away are gone. I was thirsty for something worth involving myself into. I didn’t recognize it was the impending growth coming. The group required shakes and stirs for this private-schooled brat to fit in. A major character makeover and a “heart surgery” came into place, and then I learned that Youth Alive doesn’t stop at “Attract young people”. The foundations of a Christian were laid down. A series of lessons were instilled. From Salvation, Lordship, Faith, how to pray and what is Devotion, to Spiritual Warfare and everything else in between. The “Encourage one another” part looks like it was supposed to be written at the beginning of the ministry’s mission, because it is ever-present anytime and anywhere the group meets, physically or even online. For the Basic Christian lessons, I should mention it was “basic”, but I then understood that it is as crucial as a life survival kit, when it was my turn to teach. So, “Vessels of Truth.”

The seats looked too far away each time I look behind my area. Thank God for the better seat.

The vessels were broken and molded time and again, each a transformation from glory to glory. We were kids. And it takes time for us to figure things out. But God arranged for the path to lead us to Him. The Truth wells up inside these jars, and overflows, as it is meant to be poured out to all the other jars. The reminder is constant that we are willed by Him to enjoy Him, to live in line with His purpose, and whatever our hands and feet find to do, it is to “Lift up God.”

I haven’t decoded what Youth Alive’s ALIVE entirely is. All these revelations I was introduced to seem like just a peek of what is larger than life. For quite some time I led a group of youngsters myself, yet it took me long enough to realize that what we are doing is building up leaders, and from these leaders rise another group of leaders.

Taking the seats up front is a whole different thing. Many dislike it. I don’t know why, but maybe it is because the front seats are too exposed? I thought it was daunting, looking at it from the back. But sitting here, there isn’t a reserved sign we can crown ourselves with. The way I see it, it is a better view, with a larger scope of what is happening. From here, I think it makes you understand what you are seeing, and what to do with what you witness.

Just as circles have no beginnings and no ends, I think we go through the same things. But as we run through the paths we once walked on, perhaps each time, we gain more insight of what the view is, and how to go through it. Each time we ride along its heights and dig deep into its lows, our eyes open up wider, to take it all in, the better to see things with, and we breathe it in, each breath fresher than what we breathed before.

This post was written by Abigail Felix, recounting her experiences as part of Youth Alive, the youth ministry of Word of Hope in Quezon City, Philippines. She also tells about her Father’s joy over at her blog.

It’s got to be a Big Event for our youth group every last Sunday of the month. At this time, it is the only special event existing in our youth group. From the first to the third Sunday of every month, the youth leaders are active and busy after our Sunday service, preparing for the Big Event. All of us in the youth leadership team work hand in hand for the success of this affair—to enjoy the fellowship with other young people, to learn, and above all to give God the glory that belongs to Him alone.

Last July 30, we had our first Big Event. With the theme, “Statement Shirt Day: What’s on Your Mind?”. It was fantastic!  We were overwhelmed with the number of young people who were present. There were about 150 young people who attended the event. Most of us were wearing our statement shirts and we really had a great time reading different statements written on our shirts. Some were funny, some were inspiring and some just didn’t go well with the person wearing the shirt.

The event started at exactly 4 o’clock in the afternoon and ended just in time, 6 o’clock in the evening. The youth were being registered the moment they arrived. A craft which is a paper t-shirt with a statement written on it served as our waiting activity, so that they won’t get bored while waiting for others to arrive. An award was given to the best craft before the program ended. The program formally started with a welcome address. New sets of leaders of our youth group were introduced and the old ones were also called up. The youth leaders then gave a dance presentation to officially welcome all the guests and to show how glad we were to see them all. Each guest was assigned to a respective team for the games. There were four teams: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow.

After having much fun playing and energizing, we then listened to the Word of God—the most exciting part of the program. It was the highlight of the Big Event. Sharing God’s word is our main intention of having this kind of event in our youth group. We were so blessed with the message God has given us through His servant, our very own Kuya L.M. (Louis Mark Plaza). More meaningful information was being added to our learning. We’ve heard comments from some of our visitors that they liked the message which means they’ve been blessed!  And we really praise God for that. After the message, everybody intently listened to the response song “Walk on the Water” sang by Jonah Avelina.

The Lord our God is truly a great provider—He is Jehovah Jireh. If an activity glorifies Him, He provides. We’ve been amazed by how He worked with our finances. The budget for our food was really that small. It couldn’t feed 150 young people. But the God whom we serve is the owner of everything, He is sovereign… He is great! He was the God who fed the five thousand people. He was also the God who fed us that time. And like the story, there were plenty leftovers. The fellowship we had was really awesome!

We’re all excited for our next Big Event. We’re expecting more fun, more learning, more food, more surprises and more of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is our great pleasure to meet various young people from different places with diverse personalities and lives. All youth are invited and are welcome to join the Big Event as all are invited in our Lord’s Kingdom.

It’s pretty amazing how God would use me to work with Him in Nepal in sharing the burden of strengthening the youth ministry. The passion of the youth leaders for God and their people made me realize how huge our role is in mentoring the youth and how little effort has been done and how so many ministers look past the potential of young people and demean their abilities.

Nonetheless, I still believe that God is raising up an army of young people who would work with Him in advancing His kingdom. The Bible is full of stories of how God raised young men like David, Jonathan, Josiah, Timothy, and John Mark to accomplish His purpose. This is the very reason why GYMN and other youth organizations are in the business of mobilizing the youth.

This is what I see in Nepal. The few who responded to the call are the very ones whom God will use to influence the society. God is raising up the young people towards a godly Nepal. The Nepali youths will be God’s arm for good governance in the public and private sectors. God will use them to bring glory to Nepal for the praise of His Name.

In the movie The Departed, Jack Nicolson said, “I don’t want to be a product of my society; I want my society to be a product of me.” Putting it in our context, if we want a brighter Nepal, the youth sector and all believers should work hand in hand to impact the society.

The challenge is now on the shoulders of those present at the training and to all believers who love Nepal. The baton has been passed on to you. What you make out of your life today will dictate the kind of Nepal we will have tomorrow. The choice is yours to make.

Nepal used to be the only Hindu kingdom in the world. But then two years back the Maoist-led government declared this country as a secular state which allowed every individual to practice their faith openly.

The church growth in Nepal is as rapid as in other Asian countries. God is moving so mightily in this little country to build and make His Kingdom lifestyle to each and every individual, raising and reviving His Church where there are lots of belief systems and people have many confusion about the spirit world and frustrated by their own belief systems. God is raising pastors, leaders, evangelists, bible teachers, speakers, women leaders, children ministers, youth leaders and worship leaders in this country to draw His dear children into His kingdom.

God allowed me to speak in many big youth conferences in the year 2006 and I asked the same question to the youth leaders who attended those conferences throughout the country “How is the youth ministry in your church?” Almost everybody replied. “I am a youth leader in the church not because I am trained and know how to lead youth but because there was no one…”

Those answers really caught my heart and I knew since then that most of the churches have no idea about youth ministry— this has been my passion since then to train youth leaders of the local churches to see their youth ministry become more effective in discipling young people in God’s way and their leaders to understand the value of youth ministry and trained youth leaders in the Church.

We praise God that He is raising God fearing young people in this country but then there is so much to do and to see Christian young people leading the change in the communities with Kingdom value so that the Kingdom taste will be tested by everyone in this little beautiful country. This is why there is a need for training youth leaders and the youth ministry in Nepal.

Be praying and be a part of what God is doing in this nation.

Jomesh Tamang
Youth Ministry Coordinator 
Himalayan Bible Study Academy, Nepal

Now that you have understood the three basic learning styles and have seen some specific examples of the styles, you need to be able to look at your lesson aim and find ways to connect your teaching elements to the aim. You need to think about your aim and see what elements (or method of instruction) will help you connect to all types. This will probably mean you need a variety of elements to insure you capture everyone involved. You have to realize that you do not know what learning style each person has, so you have to offer options for all and in this way everyone will connect to the aim at some point.

As you outline your lesson, beginning with the aim and working down through the actions you want to take, it is essential to include all types of learning styles as you go. For example, you may want to have pictures, videos or handouts for the visual learners. Use music, your verbal teaching and small groups for the auditory learners. For the tacitile/kinesthetic learners utilize the small groups as well as an involved project or building of objects and group movement, activities or dramas. Once you have some ideas then you have an outline for a lesson that meets. Putting these ideas into action will lead the students to that aim through teaching methods that meet them where they are (their learning style).

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All of the above is incredible and very practical to know as a teacher and it works for all kinds of teaching. But, in the ministry of Jesus Christ we have to have the power of God through His Holy Spirit as our guide. Though we end this article with this section, it should be your first thought in teaching. In fact, the Holy Spirit along with Christ are to be the center part of our teachings. If we do not keep them as front and center then all of the above is temporary earthly knowledge. Jesus promised all believers that, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper (Counselor), that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16-17a, NASB)

As you teach to groups of any size keep these elements in mind regarding the learning styles of others. You will find that God will give you creative ways to engage people into the lessons. Even as you read Scripture take note of the different ways that God taught His people and how Jesus Himself taught. Jesus Himself was the master teacher and He taught with style, now go and do likewise!

Chris Davis
Executive Director – Global Youth Ministry Network

Now that you know the target, you need to now take a close look at the students. You have to know your students in order to be able to move them to the target. One key way of knowing them is to understand that in any group there are different learning styles spread across the group. If the students have different learning styles, what does that mean for you as a teacher? What that means is that you have to offer the content and experience in all the styles that can connect the students to the truth. Let us take a look at the basic learning styles and even list some methods to engage those styles in your teaching.

Most would agree that there are three basic learning styles, we will work with those.

1. Visual – learning through seeing. These students/youth learn through sight. Visual cues help them learn. Anything from facial expressions, pictures, videos and handout sheets helps these learners.
2. Auditory – learn through sound. Verbal lectures, group discussions, tone and other audio devices help these learners     (written material does not help these learners as much as hearing material read).
3. Tactile/Kinesthetic – learn through moving, doing and touching. Hands on work, projects, object lessons and movement helps these learners.

This shows you who your students are in regards to how they learn.

We talked about first setting your teaching aim/target, then we said you need to understand the learning styles of students. Now you have to figure out how to connect the two. How do you lead the students with different learning styles to the one target? The bridge that must be crossed is called offering different learning activities and methods that are all aimed toward your target.

For example let us list the learning styles and add in some specific methods or actions you can use to capture a student of each style.

• Visual: Usage of graphs, pictures, charts, hand-outs, drawings, videos, dramas or anything that can be experienced more with the eyes is best for these learners. They are better at grasping the reading of materials than the auditory learner.

• Auditory: Anything dealing with sound. Music, voice, small groups (where they hear from others), audio recordings of teachings and other methods will be very helpful for these learning types.

• Tactile/Kinesthetic: Hands on projects, using objects that can not just be seen but passed around and touched as well as active learning using games, activities, drawing, etc… will greatly enhance the outcome of great learning for this style of learner.

Youth are always into style. They want to be “in-style”, meaning they want to be whatever they think is current so they can connect to others they may look up to. As teachers we need to be concerned about style as well. I am not talking about how we dress, but how we teach. When I say how we teach, I am not talking about putting on a show, or trying to be cool or stylish in our teaching. It is good to be funny and to be relevant but it is always important that the youth walk away impressed with God, not impressed with you the teacher/preacher.

When I mention style, I am referring to the art and science of understanding that there are different learning styles that people have. The youth you teach learn in different ways, these different ways of learning are called learning styles. Allow me to do some review from the trainings you may have received from GYMN on Teaching Methods, then we will connect that to the learning styles as well. You may recall that as teachers it is key to remember that true teaching is student focused, not teacher focused. It is not about me as a teacher, how well I did but the true measurement of teaching is what life-change occurred in the students. Therefore, true teaching is student based, not teacher based.

With that in mind, as you begin to teach or preach at any level, you need to begin with asking, “What is my target, aim or objective?” Or stated this way:

“The student will __________ ” (you fill in the end of the sentence).

They will know what? Do what? etc… note that you should list what they will know AND do (as discipleship = knowledge + experience). This statement becomes your lesson aim or its targeted outcome.