Alpha Week 1 : Who Is Jesus

Today we started our Youth Alpha by hearing a video by Jamie Haith speaking about Who Is Jesus. The past two times we ran youth alpha we did live talk but this round, it was very interesting to hear this Englishman speak clearly and precisely about Who Is Jesus. The material may be the same but he is definitely more hip and modern than previous videos we have seen. I think many of us could understand the text. 

And today we had 2 newcomers brought by Sylvia. They were her classmates and one of these boys has a brother who used to join our youth many years ago. It was certainly very interesting to meet up with William and Nicholas after all these years. They are still as tight as before and it was really good to see them working and living their lives. We had a long chat about old times and what we are doing now and it was really good to see them. 

Sylvia mentioned that her friends didn't understand what the video was about, or probably didn't even pay attention. I told her it is all right. They may not understand it now, but the seed has been planted. It is God who waters that seed. Looking at William and Nicholas, I believe that totally. 

Hello

Hello hello hello! What a long time it has been since we updated this.. but we are grateful that some of you still pop in here and even urge us to update! Shows that you still read our news! Oh yeah! I was just scrolling through our links and out of the 9 friends that blog, only 3 are still active. The rest are slumbering peacefully! But, while we haven't updated, we have been busy. But let's not look back, let us tell you what we will be doing the next few months!

First up is Alpha. We are starting Student Alpha and our launch party, if we could call it that, will be next week. Our Chinese Youth started Alpha this evening and I think they had a blast! Next week will be our turn! We will be serving dinner at 6.30pm then we will have some games and singing and then we'll be watching a video. Do come and join us. Alpha will go on for 7 weeks and in between that we will have the Holy Spirit Weekend, we will have more details as we go along. 

Besides Alpha, we are also excited about the Diocesan English Youth Camp which will be held this year in... drum roll please.... CHRIST CHURCH LIKAS! Yup, you heard me right (if you don't already know by now) it is on home territory! Whooooooooooooooooooooooo... So block these dates, 6-9 June 2011! Tell your parents quick before they make travel arrangements! You gotta come! We will have so much fun, I'm telling ya!

There will be exciting times ahead and I can't wait to update more! So come back, check our blog out as we update you on the progress ok? C ya!

Blessed Christmas

I have been in the youth ministry for a while now and I was talking about this recently with a friend and he remarked that I can't possibly still be in the youth ministry when I'm 50. I must read the signs, and know when to go. So that thought has stuck in me since then, and I happened to mention this to another friend two days ago and she doesn't see it that way. One thing she told me before that I remember to this day is that when we become leaders, God gives us an extra measure of grace and wisdom that others don't have. So I will use that measure of grace and wisdom to know when to exit gracefully... but while waiting for that event to happen.... hehe, let's talk about other stuff. Besides, I am not even in my 40's yet, don't say 50 loh.. oh wait.. the guys tell me I'm forever 16 in their books and that.... IS AWESOME!

You think that when you become a youth leader you are supposed to give of yourself; your time, car, money and sanity. Tick all the boxes above, for that IS what you are supposed to do, and more. You wear many hats and sometimes it's all at the same time; become a driver, a counsellor while driving, a planner, game master, sharing the Word and if you know how to sing or play an instrument, even better! Helps also if you know how to cook and feed hungry mouths. So, anyone wants to be a youth leader? Come and see me!

But time and again, God has shown me that while giving of myself into the ministry, I also receive. The past 2 weeks have been a stressful one for me, mainly at work because it's audit time and I have to get my accounts ready. Then I have had to juggle schedule in organising parties and do Christmas shopping, the general busyness that December brings. After an especially grueling day, I was really frazzled and I looked forward to spending some time with the youths by going to drama practice. I told some of them I needed to de-stress and true enough, spending time with the youths really does the trick. We laugh at lame jokes, tease each other, try and outdo each other in some crazy stunts, welcome friends back for the holidays, go yam-cha (and hope we don't get calls from parents ordering us to go home!). By the time I got home, I was tired but relaxed, happy to be able to laugh and joke with the youths.

So thank you, to those who are youths and those who call yourselves youths, thank you for sharing your life with me, thanks for the laughter, the jokes (even the lame ones, but please, a small measure goes a long way), the creativity, the love and joy. Thanks for being in the youth, don't stop coming and continue to ask others to come and join. Some are unable to be home for Christmas so make sure you go to church for services and remember why we celebrate Christmas... Jesus! Have a blessed Christmas.