April 7th, 2020 was the start of our country’s Circuit Breaker. We were uncertain and very concerned as to how this stay-home-order would affect our ministry to young people. Thankfully, several within our team quickly brainstormed and crafted out online programmes to continue connecting online with our youth.
Just weeks into Circuit Breaker, our staff and volunteers began to notice its adverse impact on some of our youth and their families. With this in mind we engaged Jolie Tan (right), a psychologist, to conduct a series of online sessions for us on identifying and supporting youth in crisis.
Jolie found she had to be more lively and energetic, as it was harder to hold her audience’s attention and to gauge their responses and receptivity online. It was energy-sapping but what kept her going was knowing our direct outreach to young people is meaningful and precious.
Scott Johnson (left, in costume), regional director for South East Asia YFC International, is based 2,517 kilometres away in Chiang Mai, Thailand but it did not deter him from availing himself for our evangelistic activity, Global Pandemic Organisation (GPO). GPO is our online role-playing game in which participants sign up for a mission to save the world from a pandemic. For his role, Scott had to put on a hilarious-looking French beret and a fake moustache, and speak with a corny French accent!
At first, Scott was worried he might click on the wrong button in his breakout room and lose connection with his online participants. But he got used to his role and his four rounds of playing “Mr France” turned out to be a fun-filled experience.
We thank God that so far, we could run about 30 rounds of GPO digitally for 440 children and youth from local churches and family service centres, of whom 178 heard the gospel. In November 2020, 30 participants from Nepal took part in GPO online in the comfort of their homes.
As the Lord strengthened us through partners like Jolie and Scott, we did not let the closure of country borders stop us from reaching out to overseas youth during their lockdowns. We organised e-mission trips!
In April 2021, a team of 10 project servants ran an e-mission trip for Clement Rajamohan (left), Sri Lanka YFC’s public relations officer, and his group of 10 youth and volunteers. Though already exposed to online events, they found what we did unique and different. Clement was glad his young people were exposed to new and creative ideas to share the gospel. He is thinking of future online youth-related discussions, talent shows and God willing, an e-mission trip hosted by Sri Lanka YFC for SYFC! What a good way to keep going and glowing during this pandemic to grow the work of the gospel!
Our Poly Ministry project servants ran e-mission trips to two YFC chapters in Africa and two in Asia. They conducted 13 online programmes for these four countries, of which six were evangelistic. To break the ice, they ‘brought’ their overseas friends on a digital Singapore Tour, taught them to write and design good résumés, and steps to set up a LinkedIn account.
For the other seven sessions with Christian youth, they shared the lesson they have learnt in using social media for evangelism and running online events.
Looking back at this past year, we are amazed by all that the Lord has allowed us to do. I mentioned at the start that we were even wondering if we could keep connecting with our own youth.
But thank God that through different online collaborations, we were able to share the gospel beyond our shores!
What an awesome God we serve!
