"Raising generations of Filipino youth for cross-cultural missions…”

Being part of the “think-tank” meeting last June was a learning experience for me. I simply couldn't resist sharing what I want the forum to accomplish and hopefully, be established in the youth missions movement. Like what Ate Bibien has said, God is reviving the movement in his own way and I couldn't agree more.

The “think tank” meeting and previous discussions led to the Youth Forum this July 2011 wherein the goal is to revive the movement that focuses on youth and missions. After the meeting, I strongly believe that the Lord wants us to focus on areas that we should establish and strengthen to become better on what we do and plan to do for NYMM.

So, how should the movement move forward? What are the things that we need to pursue and not to pursue? These are questions that I believe can be answered through the Youth Forum scheduled this July 2011.

I personally envision the movement to have the following qualities:

A Strong Team comprising of young and old alike

Although the movement is focused on developing the younger generation, I strongly believe that the movement should be led by a young team of leaders. Like any other youth ministry, the backbone of the movement is to have people on the top like “one of them”.  I personally came from a ministry that’s being led by servant-leaders who were students just like me.

Although these leaders must know how to stand on their own, we can never deny the need of the “wiser generation”. My personal belief is that the older generation plays an important role for the movement to flourish. They do have the wisdom, training and expertise on the challenges up ahead.

The “wiser generation” should be part of the movement as mentors, advisers and friends. They should not imply or push their own (or their agencies) agenda but must fully support whom the Lord has placed in the movement as leaders.

A Steady line of Activities Focusing on Youth Discipleship and Missions

The role of the movement in the body of Christ is not just to promote missions but to raise and train missionaries. Partnerships with mission agencies are vital for the movement but the movement itself should become the very training ground.

Although this will take time, money and effort, we need to develop a strategy wherein the involvement of the youth doesn't just end after a missions’ camp, congress or the like. We should have a solid follow-up system that directly involves them to missions work whether it’s prayer, supporting missionaries abroad or going to short-term missions.

Planting the “seed” for missions is just the first step; we must cultivate and develop it to become a reality.

A Solid Marketing and Fundraising Campaign

As Tita Ramona has said, our major setback in doing mobilization is the availability of funds. The movement should be sustained with a solid financial plan for it to accomplish its goal. Let’s face it, the movement is young and will be led by leaders who probably uses their own allowances.  In order for us to avoid this particular setback, the movement should have a fundraising team solely focusing on raising our finances.

Although donations seem to be the only solution, there are still a lot of ways that can support the movement and in a way, lessen the financial burden of mission agencies and youth ministries involved.

A Commitment to the NYMM Vision

It is my prayer that whoever the Lord will place in the leadership position will capture the vision of NYMM and will have the commitment to pursue it no matter what.

Having a strong team, a steady line of activities and a solid fundraising campaign can work but will not be enough. Unless the people behind the movement capture the real purpose of why such a movement was born, everything that we do for the Lord’s work will be in vain.

I strongly agree with Kuya Bob's statement that we should focus on building the movement that will result in a biennial congress and not the other way around.

We also need to develop our leadership style. The "baton" must be passed to the next in line, equipped with the right training and perspective of the movement's work. The movement’s mandate is to raise missionaries, if we divert to another cause or focus on another ministry other than what the Lord has established for NYMM, then the vision has died down and our goals will be affected.

The new leaders may do it differently but its end result must be consistent to the entire vision of the movement as a whole.

Conclusion

My prayer is that we all learn from our previous experiences and hopefully, in doing so, strengthen the movement and fulfill the mandate given to us. I strongly believe and envision that whatever the Lord has done and will do in the movement; it will be for His glory alone and not for any system or person.

Disclaimer:

The things I've shared come from my own personal views and thoughts and not of the movement.