Are there new or better ways of ministering to the Youth?

Currently, there are various (traditional) ways of providing ministry to the young people in our church viz. Friday Night Youth Club/Fellowship, Servers Guild, Happenings, Sunday School, Lads/Girls Brigade, Choir, Youth Alpha, participating in worship services, etc.

Whilst these organisations are providing good opportunities for young people to participate in the church, do they holistically provide sufficient spiritual development for a young person to "mature" as a Christian and to become actively involved in the Church and beyond as a life long vocation (and that does not only mean in full time ordained ministry)?

OR, must we provide additional or different activities/events/environments for greater maturity in Christ to take place? If so, what would you suggest? We are looking for ways to develop young people so that they will remain involved in the life of the church.

What would you suggest?

What are you doing on National Aids Day - 1st December?

Stand up and be counted. We challenge all young people to do something constructive on December 1st about the scourge of HIV/AIDS that has plagued us for so long. Here are some ideas:
* Wear the red ribbon as a sign of your identification and support for those infected and affected by the virus.
* Take a 15 minute break from work (or play) on the 1st December at 12:00 noon to pray for those infected and affected and mention them by name if you know them.
* Take time to reach out to someone infected with the disease. Share and pray with them and encourage them with the love of Jesus.
* Form or join an AIDS support team and offer your services to care for those affected by the disease.
* Form discussion groups on what we can do to PREVENT any further infections from taking place. This scourge must be stopped and we must do what is necessary to bring it to a halt. Start promoting sex only within marriage (the Biblical way) or practice abstinence.
* Visit web sites like www.anglicanaids.org.za, www.anglicanaids.net, www.beatit.co.za, etc. and find out more about the disease and how you can get involved in an existing ministry or organisation.
* Examine your own lifestyle and where necessary, bring your own life under the total submission of the Lordship of Christ - so that He can use you fully to His glory.

Whatever it takes, DO SOMETHING !

We are partnering with J-Life for youth ministry training

J-Life (Jesus Life) Ministries launched in January 2001 and it's primary focus has been training and coaching emerging leaders to implement the disciple-making model as taught through the Life of Jesus and His ministry. In order for this to be done effectively, potential leaders are journeyed with for as long as possible to transfer the character and priorities of Christ over to them. these leaders are trained/coached intensively and then released to multiply this training by coaching others in local church contexts.

The mission and vision of J-Life for the future:
We exist to train leaders to "mobilise disciple-making movements" across the world through the local Church.

We have appointed J-Life as one of our training service providers to help us to equip as many Youth leaders as possible around the Province.

Please contact us on anglicanyouthsa@gmail.com for full details or call J-Life direct on Office - 084-2400204 or Bronwyn on 082-8570275 or Warren on 083-4622156.

Special announcement : J-Life is hosting a Camp (near Johannesburg) in December which will include activities like paintball, go-carting, rip-line or fufi slide (over 150m), obstacle courses, and much more. See poster below.

Anglican Youth on Facebook

Yeh, we're on FACEBOOK ! Facebook helps you to connect with others and offers you the opportunity to share news, stories, photos, etc.
We have established a Facebook Group for Anglican Youth in Southern Africa and invite young people and adults to join.
Please forward this information to your entire email address book - we want as many Anglican young people to connect to our blog and Facebook Group.
Remember, you must be registered on Facebook in order to participate. It is a simple procedure and should take no longer than a few minutes. Go to www.facebook.com and Sign Up. Then search for Anglican Youth Southern Africa - and there you are!
Enjoy !

Drugs will steal your future and everything that goes with it !

A recent 3rdDegree programme on eTV literally made me throw up. Debra Patta herself could not contain her disgust and disbelief in the results of her investigation into the drug scene in South Africa. A recent report indicated:

• 1 in 3 boys and 1 in 5 girls have an alcohol or drug problem, and,
• collectively, they spend over 7 billion Rand (not Zim Dollars) on alcohol and drugs each year! Here is that number again:

R7 000 000 000.00 - OR - 7 Billion Rands !!!!!

Now, just think about what we could have done with money like that:

• Build 140000 RDP houses costing R50000.00 each,
• Pay the annual school fees of R1500.00 for 4,6 million learners,
• Pay the full university fees for three years for ALL matriculants in any one year (about 500000 of them every year)
• Pay for 700 million (700 000 000) plates of food at R10.00 per plate and effectively provide one meal a day for a full year for 1,9 million (starving) children!

Yet, we allow the money to literally GO UP IN SMOKE leaving tens of thousands of young people's lives in ruins.

Say, NO to drugs and alcohol, and fulfill the purpose that God has placed and invested in your life. Don't let an unnecessary adventure result in your future being stolen from you.

You are more precious than you think . . . . .

The Provincial Youth Ministry Commissioned

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba officially commissioned the Provincial Youth Ministry during a ceremony at the Growing the Church Launch in Johannesburg. Our Bishops fully endorse the ministry to young people and acknowledge the importance of this ministry throughout the Province.
Please continue to pray for the Liaison Bishop for Youth - +Bishop Fungi Mbhele, the Youth Chaplain - Rev Jack Kudumela, the chairperson for PYC - Ms Nonhlanhla Shezi, the Provincial Youth Co-ordinator - Tony Lawrence and the entire Provincial Youth Council.

Youth Celebration

What role will the youth play?

The ministry of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa is about to change - forever - for the better. With the Growing the Church Launch, just a few days away, we are embarking on a process of re-aligning the ministry of the Church to encapsulate a greater focus on GROWTH.

Our vision is to be: a vibrant God-Centred Church which is clearly growing spiritually, numerically and holistically

Fundimental to this noble vision is the inclusion and integration of the children, youth and young adults. My challenge to you, is the following : What role will the young people play in "Growing the Church"?
Why not post as many ideas as possible by clicking on the "Comments" button, below.

Youth at Lambeth says it all

Opportunity was given for a cross-section of young students, who had served as volunteers at the Lambeth Conference, to address the bishops and ask and answer questions.

Asked how the bishops could help the students, a young man replied:

'You can guide us so we don't make the same mistakes you have made.. We want to be part of the Church and there is nothing you can do to chase us out!'

This is the crux of mentoring - the handing down of experience and wisdom from one generation to another.

But I am more impressed with the student's determination to be part of the Church - a common expression I have heard across our Province of Southern Africa.

Would you agree with this student?

Praise God for a Blessed Conference - 2008

We praise our Lord God for a very successful Provincial Youth Conference - considered to be an unprecidented event in our Province. Over 50 participants from 21 of our 26 Diocese around the Province, attended - the broadest representation ever in the life of PYC.

The Conference focussed heavily on the ministry to the Young People and how we should equip ourselves to be able to meet this clear objective. God's vision emerged for us which will help us to focus our energies.

In a nutshell, here are some of the highlights :

1. There was a strong need for vision that will drive the ministry. Some of the vision components are listed below.

2. One of the highest priorities is for effective Youth Ministry Leadership training and development. Training programmes are already in development and the Diocesan Youth Co-ordinators and Workers and Chaplains will be the first to be trained.

3. There is a need to fully integrate the young people and Youth Ministry into ALL aspects of Church life instead of seeing them as just an add-on optional organisation. The youth is not just another organisation, they are The Church.

4. There is a need to provide a Conversation/Communication platform that will allow ANYBODY (and especially the young people), to participate in stimulating conversation interaction and learning. A more dynamic web site is being planned which will include features like this blog, Facebook, resource libraries, Youth Magazines, picture walls, information sharing bulletin boards, etc. Alongside this we will be developing an SMS and Cell Phone Ministry (what a way to reach the young people - they ALL have cell phones!!).

5. And then there was a melting pot of other initiatives : Full involvement in the Growing the Church initiative, the possibility of 2009 being declared The Year of the Young (to coincide with 2009 being the Year of the Child), the 2009 Youth Convention, Re-Commissioning the Youth Ministry in September, and lots more. Please return to this blog often as we roll out more aspects of this ministry.

Thank you for your prayer support. The Lord has certainly been very gracious to us as we experienced His blessings and guidance throughout the weekend.

Please continue to pray for all the Youth Leaders around the province and especially for the newly elected Council who has been tasked to lead the Youth to new levels of ministry effecacy.

Warm blessings to all.

Tony Lawrence
Provincial Youth Co-ordinator

PS - why not add your prayers and encouragements by clicking on "Comments" below. Thanks :)

New Provincial Youth Executive Council

Front (l to R) : Vukile Mkhize - Deputy Chairperson (Highveld); Fr Jack Kudumela - Chaplain (St Mark's); Nonhlahla Shezi - Chairperson (Natal); Nasson Paruque - Member (Lebombo);
Grant Damoes - Secretary (Cape Town)
Back (l to R) : Sandra Hendricks - Member (Mpumalanga); Bishop Fungi Mbhele - Liaison Bishop; Sello Mahlonoko - Treasurer (Christ the King); Fr Sipho Zulu - outgoing Chaplain, and
Tony Lawrence - Provincial Youth Co-ordinator.

Please pray for the new Provincial Youth Executive Council as they embark on serving the various Dioceses around the Province.

Why not click on "Comments" below and add your personal prayer encouragement for the Council. Thank you.

Youth Ministry Re-commissioning at GtC

As a recognition of the importance of the Ministry to Young People, it was agreed to re-Commission the Youth Ministry and to encourage them to greater depth of commitment and ministry delivery. The Youth ministry consists of it's mentor, Provincial Youth Council, and Youth oriented ministries such as ASF, AYF, Sunday School, all the Guilds, Hope Africa, Siyafundisa, and all other organisations that deliver a ministry of sorts to the young people of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa.
This event will happen at the Provincial launch of Growing the Church on Friday 19 September 2008 in Johannesburg. The entire Synod of Bishops will be in attendance as well as Provincial Standing Committee.
All young people are encouraged to participate in activities and events initiated locally in their respective Dioceses via their GtC Implementation Teams.
For information about this event and any other aspect of Growing the Church, could you please contact the Growing the Church office at : Phone : (021) 712 0408 or email office@growingthe church.co.za.

Diocese of the Free State hosts : Leadership of Youth 2008

The Youth Department of the Diocese of the Free State is hosting a Leadership of Youth 2008 Conference from 1 to 3 August 2008.

BRING BACK THE ARK

‘A call to Youth Leaders for total surrender and re-commitment’ 2 SAMUEL 6 ‘...so David brought back the ark...’

African Enterprise together with the Church hope to host a weekend of workshops, discussions, interaction and plenary sessions with speakers and facilitators that we trust from longstanding relationships over the years, to start this process or strengthen this process of empowering youth leaders/ Pastors for the better Africa we all want to live in.
For full details, contact Lindi Mdhluli on (051) 447 3684 or 073 780 8955 or email lindiwe@dsc.co.za.

Upward Sport is a Children’s Sports Ministry

Upward Sport focuses on boys and girls between the age of 5 and 13 using Soccer and Cricket. Their goal is to train and equip the local church to use sport as a tool for evangelism. They are hosting Vision Lunches in Cape Town and Johannesburg where they will be sharing a bit more about who Upward is and what they do.
You are welcome to contact Mike Gilmour on (021) 705 7784 or 073-914 1215 or email mgilmour@upward.org.za.

Anglican Youth Choir Mozambique

Gathering of the Saints

Diocesan Youth Co-ordinators, Workers and Chaplains will be gathering in Johannesburg from 27th to 29th June 2008. Please pray for this event. We will be dealing with :

1. God's vision for the Ministry to Young People across the Province and how we can unite the youth behind a common cause.
2. Finding ways we can be equipped and skilled to effectively deliver this ministry to God's glory.
3. Finding better ways of communication and conversation so that we can build deeper relationships and be able to support one another in Youth Ministry.

We invite you to comment and to add your own views. If there is anything you would like us to consider, please hit the "comment" button and key in your thoughts.

Thank you and God bless.

From Generation to Generation

Are we as adults doing enough to ensure that the next generation (of young people) are adequately prepared especially in the area of spirituality? Are we passing on our faith (from generation to generation - see Deut 6) ensuring a strong moral, ethical and Biblical foundation is laid?

What could we do better? What could we do more of? What should we start doing?

A church without a strong Youth component is a dying church

It is said that a church without a vibrant Youth component is a dying church. No prizes for those who agree. However, if we do not recognise the urgent need to develop and nurture the next generation of worshippers, we could be faced with a very empty church in the not-to-distant future (and some say that we already have parishes with very small numbers attending on a Sunday!).
Therefore, are our existing Church leadership equipped enough to build a younger congregation? Can an ordinary parish exist without a Youth Pastor? How important is it to have a full time Youth worker in every parish to help build the next generation of worshippers?
What should our priorities be in this regard?

WHO ARE THE YOUTH IN THE CHURCH?

If you could describe or define Youth as it pertains to Youth Ministry - who are we talking about? Are there clear criteria which defines the Youth? Do you have suggestions?
I have been amazed at the various opinions and perceptions of who the youth are and what they represent. One of the interesting observations is that some think that because you are not married, you would still qualify as "youth" (regardless of your age) and would be entitled to attend "normal" youth meetings and ministries.
Is age (or age groups) a defining criteria for describing youth or "categories" of youth? Are there any other criteria?
What do you say?