By Yong Soo Li

While evaluating 2023 and planning for this year, our ministry leaders raised these questions:

• Are we still relevant to today’s youth?
• Are we addressing their pain points?
• Are we discovering our blindspots and overcoming them?
• How can we effectively reach youth of today’s world over the
  next three years?

In the first two months of 2024, ministries have started to reach new types of young people, go deeper with one group and attempt new ways of engaging youth.

New Types

Over the years, ITE (Institute of Education) Ministry reaches students who enjoy fun activities and making friends. This year, the team started reaching academically-stronger students. At first, they were uncertain if these studious ones, aspiring for tertiary studies, will be too busy. Thank God for a good start in January when 14 came to ‘Welcome to LITE’*.

* LITE (Life in ITE)
A platform to meet ITE youth in small settings on weekday afternoons to talk about life issues and have fun together.

Over the years, as Preteens Ministry (PTM) reaches nine- to 12-year-olds from different backgrounds, they encounter preteens with special needs. Hence, coordinators Wang Qiu Yue and Jennifer Pang decided that students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without intellectual impairment will be a group PTM will also seek to reach in the coming years.

Training and gathering of resources (like card and board games) is underway to start a drop-In programme. Individuals with a heart for these preteens are coming alongside. Eventually, Qiu Yue hopes to tweak our Bible study materials for them.

EDGE (Evolving & Digital Generation Evangelism) Ministry Coordinator Tee Ee Han coaches basketball at an international school and got to know a student who is willing to meet him outside coaching hours. God willing, this can be a small step perhaps towards contacting a new type of foreign youth.

Keeping At It

In 2023, Poly Ministry team encountered ‘new’ groups – youth who want to expand their social circles, love to solve puzzles, and make friends on social media.

Coordinator Reggie Ng observes polytechnic youth are “used to building relationships by vibes instead of what they know about you.” However, vibing with students is not easy especially for older volunteers who are working or disconnected from tertiary life for a while. Poly Ministry’s challenge is to go beyond vibes and build trust that in turn opens up opportunities to invite individuals to evangelistic events and discovery Bible studies or to mobilise them for outreach.

Secondary School and Junior College Ministry (SJM) started a community for 13- to 18-year-olds who are into sports and gaming. Staff and volunteers put themselves through basic training and know-how.

Thank God for small progresses. Rachel Lee, a volunteer, befriended some girls at a basketball court and managed to exchange contact numbers with one of them. During a basketball free throw challenge on TikTok, one out of four enthusiastic boys gave his contact details. At a Valentine’s Day segment, gamers behind black screens shared what is the best gift they have ever received and what is the nicest thing someone did for them. When students taught our staff the ropes of the games, we could interact with them further.

Soh Wei Ern, a staff who is connecting with youth through basketball, feels the need to “be friendly yet being too friendly might end up scaring away the students.” Reaching gamers online is just as challenging as fellow SJM staff, Ho Jia Hui shares: “For gaming outreach, the game itself is the students’ focus, not conversing. Many subscribers on SJM’s Discord channel, an online voice chat for gamers’ interaction, are also inactive.”

Going Deeper

Twelve disadvantaged youths who came to faith through Youth Guidance (YG) Ministry are being equipped and encouraged to go beyond themselves to serve the Lord, and not be served only. Maybe among them will be future YG interns or staff. Though their attendance is encouraging so far, getting these youths for school holidays service-learning opportunities is tough as a number of them want to travel or work part-time.

We look to God to grow these humble efforts. Like strengthening a muscle, we stretch past our present limits. We surge forward, overcoming our fears. We go the extra mile when it is hard. We stay the course when it is discouraging. We need your prayers.