The following article was written by Svetlana Yukhnovets, a young woman from our congregation.
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On March 16-17th a seminar dedicated to mission work among youth in our deanery was held for the first time. Pastors and youth from Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and, of course, Krasnoyarsk were in attendance. As was fitting for the context of youth ministry, the seminar had an English language title -“For YOUth;” this could be interpreted in two ways, either as “for you” or “for youth.” The seminar had a well thought-out structure and was directed to practical ministry.
The introductory part of the course was given to the question of the purpose and the tasks of the formation of youth ministry in local congregations. After that we thought about ways to get in touch with contemporary youth using their own interests – the internet, music, movies, sports, etc. Then we had discussion time, during which participants shared their ideas about the practical application of this approach. We found that such as activities as participating in sports together in public places, studying foreign languages, playing musical instruments and even various volunteer programs for helping the needy can be used as a means for becoming acquainted and then, eventually, for Christian fellowship.
We thought about the ways that these interest groups could be formed into ministry teams made up of “assistant ministers.” During the seminar the term “assistant ministers” was used to speak about those engaged in any specialized ministry among youth based on a common interest. The goal of these ministries is to serve as a bridge between relationships based on a common interest and those that involve an acquaintance them with the Christian faith.
At the end of the seminar it was proposed that the participants work up and lead a youth worship service. It was held in the evening of the 17th of March. During the preparatory process participants were given the opportunity to use the wealth of talents and skills given to them from above. The youth were divided into 3 groups, each of which was responsible for a certain task. The first group was responsible for the hymns and musical accompaniment, the second group took care of all the questions around organizing the liturgy, while the third group was responsible for the sermon. The worship service was the highlight of the seminar and its logical conclusion, insofar as it reflects the heart of youth ministry.
The seminar allowed us not only to note the tasks and possible solutions to problems in working with youth, but also encouraged us to exchange our experiences and the strengthened contact between local congregations.
I would like to express the hope that this seminar will provide the necessary impact and new ideas for the development of a youth group in the congregation in Novosibirsk where, unfortunately, there is no such group at present.
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On March 16-17th a seminar dedicated to mission work among youth in our deanery was held for the first time. Pastors and youth from Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and, of course, Krasnoyarsk were in attendance. As was fitting for the context of youth ministry, the seminar had an English language title -“For YOUth;” this could be interpreted in two ways, either as “for you” or “for youth.” The seminar had a well thought-out structure and was directed to practical ministry.
We thought about the ways that these interest groups could be formed into ministry teams made up of “assistant ministers.” During the seminar the term “assistant ministers” was used to speak about those engaged in any specialized ministry among youth based on a common interest. The goal of these ministries is to serve as a bridge between relationships based on a common interest and those that involve an acquaintance them with the Christian faith.
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| Pastors Gleb Pivovaro and Vladimir Vinogradov |
The seminar allowed us not only to note the tasks and possible solutions to problems in working with youth, but also encouraged us to exchange our experiences and the strengthened contact between local congregations.
I would like to express the hope that this seminar will provide the necessary impact and new ideas for the development of a youth group in the congregation in Novosibirsk where, unfortunately, there is no such group at present.
