By Yong Soo Li
In the past two years, the Lord brought us through two carnival-style gaming events – This Connected Carnival (TCC). TCC Respawned in June 2024 saw 250 youths enjoying online gaming and team-bonding activities. To reach a new group of teens this year, the committee also invited Human and Animal Bond in Ministry (HIM) to run a pet care session with rabbits and guinea pigs. Participants experienced animal-assisted therapy and made friends.
Alvin Lim led both TCC editions and learnt, “A young person’s reason to attend an event may not always be how good the event is.” Some young people signed up for TCC simply because “my friends are coming” and “holiday don’t know go where, so just hang out at the carnival.” Some who could not afford to travel or attend costlier events signed up because of the fun TCC could offer them at a low cost. Alvin is glad TCC could promote social inclusion for the less privileged in this way.
“In this day and age when people hide who they really are using filters (on photos) and achievements, young people cherish authenticity and hope to hear our real struggles in order for them to be comfortable to share their deepest thoughts,” adds Alvin. He likens TCC to a huge living room where teens accompanied by Christian adults, enjoy games, build bonds, exchange life stories and hear how the gospel changes lives. And guest speakers Charlie Goh and David Gil’s personal stories of change and the gospel’s relevance to their lives resonated with participants on issues such as social rejection, disappointment or a sense of emptiness. This is where “we cannot cut the young person off but listen actively, and then angle the gospel relevantly to him,” urges Alvin.For youth who would not attend our events, Alvin is resolved that “as long as they are still open for a conversation with me, I will pray and keep a sincere friendship with them going.”
In Poly Ministry, Reggie Ng and his team are shaping a personally engaging and conversational approach in gospel sharing by also creating a “place for non-believers to be heard, accepted and loved.” Majority are open to listen but perceive Christianity as just another religion while the Christians often do not have the setting to converse deeper with them. The answer – a café with free food, drinks, and a conversation card game.
Reggie, Poly Ministry Coordinator, observes that “an older youth’s perception of a café is organic and unrushed conversation over a drink. People talk about life, relationships and family. Trust can be built over deeper conversations, and the gospel is introduced from a life’s, and not a religion’s, perspective.”
In 2025, poly Christian students can invite friends to two rounds of “Unfiltered Conversation Card Play Session @ Living Room Café.” In this café of life, they will listen to their friends’ stories and struggles, and share how they have found hope, faith and love in Jesus.
To scale up, Reggie will look for more Christian café owners and improve their promotions. For TCC 3, Alvin hopes to develop characters from popular e-games and movies, and attract the adventurous, entrepreneurial and body-building enthusiasts.
While they keep tabs on changing interests, Titus Wong is adding to Project Serve an internship for Christian teens to support our key events and projects in the first quarter of 2025 in social media management, marketing and event organisation. Titus adds, “We will guide them to apply these aspects in a real-world ministry context. They can then reflect the skills, experiences and lessons acquired in their student portfolios to bolster their applications for further studies.”
