The main aim of our Youth Ministry is to support churches in serving and encouraging young people. It achieves this by organizing events for young individuals from various churches through hosting regional meetings, joint conferences and much more. Additionally, the ministry works towards the formation and development of young leaders of our different churches.
A series of one-day events are held throughout the year. These events are strategically hosted in different churches to inspire and engage their young members specifically, or alternatively, they also may take the form of field trips to holy sites or even sports days, demonstrating a commitment to address the evolving needs of this age group.
The regional meetings are planned so that one church’s youth group is given the opportunity to host and serve the other churches’ youth. The aim of the regional meeting is to revive the youth groups from the different churches by giving them something different than only their regular meeting, striving to create a time of fellowship for them, a spiritual aspect where a relevant lesson is learnt, and a time of fellowship over food – which is of huge significance in our community. This is a vital part of our Youth Ministry; the youth come together in solidarity and many relationships are made through these programs, building bridges and coming together in prayer. The importance of ABC’s Youth Ministry extends beyond addressing immediate needs. For some, it marks the beginning of the formation of a Christian home, while for others from smaller churches, it serves as a platform for making lifelong friendships, as previously highlighted.
Conferences hosted by our Youth Ministry are one of the most significant and impactful events we do. During these conferences, the youth get to experience life away from home, being free in their faith and honed in on the Word of God together. The conference is usually a one-night or two-night somewhere usually far from home, which is exciting for the youth as it is something new and adventurous in a way. During these conferences, the Word of God is preached, with so much time of worship and fellowship together, and being in an environment of prayer and solitude. These conferences bring so many of the youth closer to Christ.
A key part of the ministry is constant communication with youth leaders and keeping up with changes and challenges. There are constant meetings during the year to keep up with any developments or needs that the leaders have, and this is a vital part of the ministry where new youth leaders are created, going on to inspire other youth members to walk in their footsteps in the future.
There are many challenges that face our youth today, especially in our country. As it says in the bible, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37), which automatically creates a challenge for our young people. A part of ABC’s ministry is to provide the resources and the help for our young people to continue the work of God in our region.
The video below explains some of the challenges faced by our youth:
Overall, the ministry strives for the continuation and expansion of the current work we are doing, with God’s blessing and grace. Ms. Luna Matar, the ABC’s Youth Coordinator from Cana of Galilee Baptist Church, says, “God is preparing a strong generation that He will use to shape the future of the Holy Land by their prayers and their contribution to the community.”