Friday - Training Day

Yesterday, the whole staff, board of trustees, and ministry leaders of Jesus King of Kings Community Church went to Rizal Re-Creation Center for an overnight planning retreat.  All of us were hoping that there will be WiFi at the retreat center, just like the many previous times we were there, but the opposite was true.  For some reason, we can detect the WiFi signal but we couldn't connect to the Internet.  Anyway, that's the reason why there was no post yesterday.  Supposed to be, Friday is when you will be able to read about the Training Department of the Youth Mobilization (YM) team.  So as the saying goes, it is better late than never.

For the year 2011, the Training Department faces a big challenge.  Just like the past three years, YM was able to train more than 100 youth leaders in 2010.  An estimated 140 youth and youth leaders underwent the Overnight Modular Training (OMT) which focuses on youth ministry organization, leadership and missions.  A total of 22 churches participated last year.

But as we looked further, we found out that of the 140 youth, only 70 participated in actual ministry outreach, whether through YM's Touch Trips in Tiaong and Cambodia, or BK's DVBS in Kanawan Tribe (Morong, Bataan)  and IT Tender's Drop-in Center.  It is a measly 50 percent.  The rate is even lower when we tried to track down how many of those youth went back to their church either to pursue ministry to the poor or as someone on fire to serve and lead.

So for the year 2011, the whole YM team agreed, of course with the Training Department on the forefront, to really pursue the vision we received many years ago.  That is not just to train youth and youth leaders, but also to bring those youth to missions and to make sure that they return to their churches, on fire and ready to serve their church and community.  In doing so, we are truly empowering churches to reach the poor.

It is indeed a big challenge, but everyone is excited.  Just imagine if we can really mobilize all of those youth we are training.  Not only that we can bless the street children and their poor families, but churches as well will be able to fulfill its call to bring the Gospel and reach out to the poor.

(The pictures above were taken last August 13-14, 2010 during the Overnight Modular Training (OMT) held in Dagupan City, Pangasinan)