Plans were made and restructured several times to make sure everything and everyone was prepared for the training that would take place in Palawan, the island west of Manila. We conferred with each other and prayed earnestly for God’s guidance and blessing on everything we felt the Lord wanted on this particular training. The team was set and eager to serve.

This particular training was unique in the sense that the Lord allowed all the GYMN Asia staff and two volunteers to join together our talents and passion to be shared in Puerto Princesa’s Youth Discipleship Revival Congress. The personalities and gifts we had was complementing our lives and work, it was not just beneficial for us but was also for the delegates. We were blessing each other and were united in ministering to the young people of Palawan that God had entrusted to us.

It never seizes to amaze me when I see young people being so attentive to what we share to them and how they try their best to work on the tasks we present to them. I’m blessed to encounter teens truly hungry for the Word of God and the principles imbedded in it. The youth that attended our sessions tell us of how the Level 1 training is essential to their call and responsibilities and plans as youth leaders in their respective areas of ministry. They were eager to listen and eager to put into practice what God had given to them during the training.

We are definitely thankful for the results of the guidance, empowerment, and victory that God has brought into every part of the training. I may be of the opinion that a successful seminar is not about the numbers (participants), although we had a large crowd. Our triumph in this congress is in the testimonies of those who have attended. They truly participated and declared that they have gained from the Lord through the sessions. The real victory for me is not in the presentations given but is in the rekindling of the fire in the hearts of those who came. The young leaders came, they worshipped, and went back to their respective areas of ministry eager to serve God through the reaching out and the discipling of other young people. Now that’s what triumphant ministry is all about, “You will take my place and do greater things.”

Level 1 graduates

February 26, 2011 marked the end of a process that begun 7 months ago. This was a project that begun with the thought that we have long been giving youth leaders and church workers tools for their youth ministry. But a question came up—

“Are the leaders strong enough to use the tools they get?”

Because we could give people a ton of information to help them in the ministry but it would not help them if their hearts where not in the right place–it would just consume them. That question asked by Chris Davis, our director, birthed an experience named “Heart of the Leader” wherein the focus was not on the tools of ministry but on strengthening the heart of the minister. Not just giving people information but provide a way for transformation.

I went through the process as a participant along with other youth leaders, pastors and church workers who had been in ministry for more than 5 years. The start of the Heart of the Leader was a retreat held in July 2010 and the end was another retreat we held last month, more than half a year from the first one.

Why so long a seminar? Built into the design was the need to address deep issues and destructive patterns in the life of the individual. That needed a community of fellow believers who had learned to trust each other over time. So it took 7 months to build that kind of fellowship.

You can read how others found it here, here and here.

For me, personally, this video captures best what I bring home from the event:

In the community created by Christ, your deepest questions can be safely answered, your deepest hurts can be more than healed.

Ethel and I went to Bethel Bible College in Valenzuela City, Philippines last Thursday where Rey is holding a class that incorporates the GYMN Level 1 Strategy Seminar. This was the day I guest-lectured on the principles of growth in the Christian life as well as youth ministry.

When we reached the part on the “Disciples (according to the New Testament),” I told the class to not only discuss what the verses meant but to also to design a shirt, with a message on it based on the verses (This idea, by the way, was inspired by Rey who loves to wear statement shirts).

Here they are at work:

And with the few minutes I gave them here are the final results:

So, do you think the class have a future as shirt designers?

The GYMN Level 1 training in Baguio City was a blessing indeed. One post I wrote, describing the seminar we had, went this way, “I have been blessed with cool weather, cool people and cool inspiring moments.”

I have been teaching the Level 1 material of GYMN for several years now and the participants would always say that they have been blessed and equipped by the truths presented to them for their ministry to the youth. Another usual statement would be, “Our youth group will surely benefit from what we have received from this seminar.” As a trainer, to hear such feedback brings joy to my heart and that my efforts have paid off. But in this particular gathering, I was drawn to the response of the majority of the participants when they gave their thoughts on ministering to their family. The realization that they have a lot of goals for the youth and their fellowship but very little is planned for the youth to do ministry to their family.

Bennette Peña and I divided the 13 sessions between us and session 10, “Role of Family,” was one of the topics that I handled during the Baguio training. During the session, I presented an illustration to the participants about a paper with two columns. One column has the title “Plans for Our Youth Fellowship” and the opposite column, “Plans for Our Family.” During this time I presented a fact to my young audience by asking the question, “Why is it that we have so many activities listed under the column of Plans for Our Youth Fellowship and very little, or if not, nothing listed under Plans for Our Family?” This question struck my audience, someone even shouted,” TAMA! [correct].” “That’s where we fail,” another suggested.

After the lecture and goal setting was at hand in small groups, God was moving in the hearts of young people and everyone was seeing the need to increase their efforts in reaching out to their families. I even saw some of the youth leaders being teary-eyed in admitting how they have ignored their family and concentrated only in their youth ministry. This is what we always hope for during our trainings, to see youth leaders learn and be convicted by the biblical principles that are presented to them.

I, Pastor Santillana, the staff and Bennette thank God in the way that He has moved and inspired the youth leaders during this training in Baguio. Some participants said that they attended the training because it would be held in Baguio but as God would have it, they appreciated not only the cool weather and cool companions, but most of all, youth leaders and trainers alike enjoyed the blessing of cool inspiring moments with the Lord.

Pictures courtesy of Wheng Carrasco

How did you become involved in the training?

Way back in 2008, I attended the Level 3 GYMN seminar, that training was intended for trainers… and since I have been involved in youth ministry, I had the desire to share what I had learned throughout my youth ministry in my church. Also I would like to share my experiences, what I learned from GYMN because GYMN has had a great impact in my life (It was through a GYMN training seminar where I started to have the conviction to serve in the youth ministry full-time and study in BTC).

It’s been my desire also and my passion to train someone. Also, I wanted to meet new people where me, myself will be encouraged also by their lives and ministry. These were the reasons that pushed me to join the training.

At first there was the GYMN training in Palawan but I was not able to raise a fund though I was willing to go there. I asked Kuya Alvan, if there are more trainings to come maybe I could come for them, so, then Kuya Alvan told me that GYMN will be handling a training in Mindanao. When I heard about a training there, I did not think twice. I took the opportunity to go to Malaybalay and train. So that’s how I got involved.

What was your role for the training?

My role was to first share some topics regarding the content of GYMN, there’s a level 1 training and there’s also a level 2 training. I was tasked to share topics in Level 1. The first one was about evangelism, the second one was about growth and the third one was on leadership team development

What were the highlights of the training?

One was for the GYMN students to create a fellowship program where it was kind of different because instead of the Level 1 students and trainers to act as participants we were just observing. What they did was they invited some youth in Malaybalay to join the activity. So I had the chance to see these guys and also have the chance to interview them and get to know more about their ministry.

The place was great and people there were so accommodating. The host welcomed us warmly and the food was great. Our venue was at a café so we had a pizza fellowship every day after training.
But the highlight was meeting new people, new friends, knowing their experiences, their ministry.

I was blessed by one of the pastors there whose ministry was ministering to the gangs of Malaybalay. He shared his story, his life, what compelled him to minister to these young people who were members of gangs considering that it’s risky for him.

Did you get personal insights from it?

I learned a lot of things from the training, especially from the life of the people who attended. I did not expect the participants to be older than me, yet I was blessed by their passion and that they want to know more about youth ministry regardless. Like, there’s one participant there who was already 40 yet he joined the youth ministry training.

I really saw they had this heart for the kids. I really saw that they were happy to get insights for the youth ministry.

What do you want to say to others who want to be involved as trainers?

We are taught to teach others just like what Paul told Timothy “what you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” And Jesus Christ in his Great Commission to us said “teach everything that I have commanded you,” to teach his life, to teach his Word, and to make disciples. So this is one way that we can share our lives, share our passion and encourage young leaders and this is a good avenue to share not just the curriculum of GYMN but at the same time share our experiences in relation with how GYMN taught us as well.

Also, there is nothing greater than to share your life with someone else, to encourage them and to be encouraged by them as well. For me, it’s not just the travelling that will excite me but to be in a place to know how God is working in the youth ministry there. So for those who want to be trainers, and want to join a training: I encourage you to apply what you learned in GYMN together with what you experienced in your ministry right now and I think that would be the best teaching material you could share with other leaders.

Ethel teaches on the GYMN pyramid, the structure we use for our youth leaders strategy seminar. We had a team of 4 trainers for this event.

The place above was where we also held a Level 1 training a year ago, 12 students from that training came back and some of their testimonies were very inspiring.

Here, a couple of students discuss their plans for the ministry.

Students and trainers on the last day of the seminar.

GYMN Trainer Eric in prayer during a worship session.

Students listening to the trainer and writing down notes during a teaching session.

GYMN trainer Jomesh explaining the principles of youth ministry from the life of Christ.

A group shot of participants of the training.