I have a big announcement!

It’s big for me, because it became a big part of my GYMN life. As I was thinking on how to announce it, I couldn’t help but remember the excitement I felt when I first received the Youth Connection newsletter in the postal mail. I felt special and felt somebody cares to help me in my ministry with the young people. Two years later I understood why God gave me that sentiment. It was for me to understand the importance of sending to those who undergone the training. It was not just a piece of paper; GYMN had invested its resources so that the YC could reach every youth worker.

The big announcement is:

We will no longer be sending Youth Connection through postal mail.

Our desire to equip and provide tools for you has not been diminished.  We will still be providing and looking for additional resources in youth ministry for you. But for the YC, it has become more strategic to send this out in a different way. For the GYMN-Asia blog, we will continue to post the article online. Also, we will provide a PDF copy that you can print out and make copies of for other youth leaders.

Here is our February YC in PDF Form that you can download: click here.

We will also send out copies through e-mail (just send us your e-mail address by commenting below or by sending to asia[at]global-youth.com).

Metro Manila, also known as the National Capital Region or NCR, is the most densely populated region of the Philippines (having a population of 11,553,427 in a 2007 census). It is also a bunch of cities within a city, having no provinces, instead being subdivided into 16 cities and one municipality as seen below:

Metro Manila is also a place of economic extremes. The extremely wealthy and the very poor can be found within kilometers of each other. Beside big malls and well-built subdivisions are slum areas and sprawling ghettoes. People from all walks of life can be encountered in the region. See more info on Manila here.

At this point I’d like to ask ministers to young people especially those working within NCR: What do these things mean for youth ministry? What do you think must be done to make disciples of these horde of young teens and fill Manila with the Lord’s teaching?

The Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels is a book published in 1908 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. It is a compilation of topics discussed in the Gospels, with corresponding Hebrew and Greek interpretations. This 100-year old book found a home in the GYMN Library last December 2009 when a Pakistani friend donated it along with dozens of other titles.

The GYMN Library is open for those who are looking for supplementary lessons and ideas for their ministry. The library has a compilation of books categorized as Youth Culture and Structure, Evangelism and Discipleship, Ministry Tools, Missions, Church and Leadership, Teaching Aids, Real-life Stories, Fiction, Bible Study Materials, Bible Translations and Bible Guides. For a minimum membership fee of PhP100.00 per year, you can borrow our books and audio-video materials here in the Philippines.

A new commandment I give to you, that you agapē one another…

In the gospels, Jesus gave the commandment “Agapē one another” to his disciples only toward the end of his earthly ministry and in as simple a sentence as possible. One reason is that it was better shown in his actions, how he treated and engaged his disciples in love, than in his words. He demonstrated it more than talked about it. To build the fellowship in our ministry, we would do well to follow this example, showing love more than speaking of it and later on simply saying “Follow my example as I follow Christ.” For many committed Christians, it was the actions of their leaders more than their words that had the most profound impact in their lives.

“Just as I have agapēd you, you also are to agapē one another.”

Our greatest example is our Lord. After giving those words, he went on to demonstrate agapē for us in the most poignant way possible, dying on an instrument of shame and humiliation so that we would be redeemed. May his example draw you on to agapē your youth group in that same way.

Agapē has an onward focus.

One of the dangers of fellowship that leaders fear is that the youth within the group might get to like each other so much that they become unwelcoming of newcomers and make it hard for new youth to fit in. Growing groups into agapē does involve the danger of becoming an exclusive group.

Also as the fellowship becomes like family, like families there may be bickering and fights. Growing up I had a love-hate relationship with my brother. There were times when we would be the best of friends. But quite often our differences in temperament and perspective would rub against each other and we would end up disagreeing on everything and fighting. Youth groups also tend to follow this trend. Minor differences turn into major disagreements.

In the Bible there was such a group who had their differences. There was one person who believed he could eat anything, while another who only ate vegetables. Another person felt a special day should be set to honor the Lord, while to someone else all days were the same. Each one it seemed was fully convinced of his case. Apostle Paul gave this prescription for that group:

The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ~Romans 14:5-7

He then turned the focus to Jesus concluding with: “Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Romans 14:18-19

The same prescription can be applied to us. The way for our group to not become combative with one another as it grows is that each person must continue to look onward to Jesus. As we look toward him we begin to see that we can work together even in our differences. We begin to live for him and not for ourselves.

Living for Jesus would also prevent us from being exclusive as the quality of His love for us is such that we would also want others to know and share in it.  You can begin to lead this onward focus in many ways: By showing your passion for Jesus in your service to him. In speaking about him not just during group meetings but even in casual conversations. And including him in every aspect of your life.

There is an element that can make or break your youth ministry. I have seen it draw many a seeking youth into the group, and I know of two personally who left the youth group because this vital element was missing. Indeed it is this very quality in my youth group that made Christianity attractive to me again and started me on a path of deeper fellowship with Jesus.

It can be found in the words of Jesus in John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The word “love” today has many meanings so for these series of posts let me use its synonym “agapē” instead. C. S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves, defines agapē as “A love that is passionately committed to the well-being of the other.” I will use that definition as we take a closer look at agapē and why it should become a mark of your youth group.

Agapē has an inward focus.

Often times we take the fellowship of our youth group for granted. We pour out our attention and effort toward those who we want to come into our ministry and take less time and energy in building relationships between those who are already in the group. And it is important.

Without a strong fellowship no strategy for evangelism will be effective in the long run. We might share the message of the God who is love and draw the youth into our group but if they don’t see that love of Jesus working in our group, the young people will be dismayed and eventually leave, perhaps in no better a condition than when they came. This is where agapē for those in our group comes in.

Agapē was Jesus focus too. A look at the gospels would show that Jesus spent most of his ministry with his disciples instead of with the crowds. Shouldn’t we also spend the same proportion of our ministry doing the same?

Lastly, agapē was a distinctive characteristic that Jesus wanted us to show. He didn’t say they would know that we are His disciples by the number of our group, or the status of each individual in it. Rather he said: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have agapē for one another.”

So take a moment and reflect:

Have you become so focused on reaching those outside to the neglect of those inside your youth group?

Or (if you have already begun to build on the fellowship):

Are there areas where we can improve on building agapē within our group?

The great thing about agapē is that it is actually one of the easiest things to begin in a group. It requires little if any planning or programs. It is as simple as taking time to listen to one of your young people. Saying words of appreciation to someone.  A pat on the back. Or helping someone out in what he is doing. And it can begin with any one person for agapē is not dependent on one teacher.

God had given us favor to see Singapore first. We enjoyed an overnight stay in the beautiful and expensive house of Kuya Jeff and Ate Daisy. They are Filipinos working in Singapore. We had an opportunity to hear their stories of how God became real and personal to them. Once again I was amazed at the work of God’s hands by their testimonies. Hearing their stories, God reminded me that He has purpose for everything and He gives us faith to believe and challenges us to accomplish it with Him. While on the way to Nepal, I kept remembering these three words – purpose, faith and challenge. I believe God was preparing me for His purpose that He wanted to accomplish in Nepal. He has a purpose and He will accomplish it!

After a quick lunch at Jomesh’s house, we had to rush for an eight hour travel to Pokhara, where the training was held. Every evening we had to walk in the darkness from the venue through the fields to the place where we’re staying. I never felt tired but rather enjoyed the cool weather. There were 54 faithful youth leaders in Level 1 and 16 in Level 2. Some have traveled 2 to 4 hours just to get to the venue of the seminar. Ghie gave a powerful challenge in the first session. God is at work, and He never stops. It amazed me to personally witness how God is moving, working and calling people to work with Him on the other side of the world. 98% committed their lives to be the influencer of their faith where God had placed them to be.

Tears of the Saints video was shown on the graduation day. Once again God stirred my heart in missions. He reminded me of His great commission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

He desires to see disciples in all the nations, for that He will be most glorified. He’s going to make this happen. He’s accomplishing it right now together with His chosen people. God will not stop revealing His purpose, giving faith and challenging us to go and work with Him.

How amazing to be able to know and see that, in just one training event, God is accomplishing His purpose in me, in Ghie, Ptr. Jik and Jomesh, in each of the youth leaders who attended the seminar, in the country of Nepal and in the whole world! What a big God we have, telling a big story beyond my comprehension!