Equipping Course: Presbyterian Distinctives

Synod Staff 2007

20070619_SynodStaff 1
Originally uploaded by silverthorn11

Front Row - Eld Richard Chong (Synod Executive Secretary), Rt. Rev Tan Cheng Huat (Moderator), Rev May Tan (Synod Development Executive Secretary), Pr. Kim Tan (CP Executive Secretary)

Back Row - Pr Wilson Tan (Synod Youth Executive), Ms See Siew Kee (Synod Finance & Admin Manager), Pr. Lim Chye Peng (Synod Education Executive), Miss June Phoon (Synod Development Admin Asst), Ms Lau Jen Sin (Synod Communication Executive), Ms Goh Huey Huey (Synod Admin Asst), Ms Hao Bao Hui (CP Secretary), Mr Eddy Leo Kasman (Care-taker)

Not in picture - Rev Timothy See (EP Executive Secretary)

The Impact of the Digital World on our Youths Today!

Report on the Youth Mentors' Get Together
Speaker: Dr. Liu Yi Jiang (Asia Theological Centre), in Mandarin
Date: 7th Apr 2007
Time: 7:00-9:00pm (snacks provided)
Venue: Glory PC

This year, the Synod Youth Ministry specially prepared for two sessions of Youth Mentors' Get Together (one in Apr for CP churches and another one in November for EP churches). The first one conducted on 7th Apr 2007 at Glory Presbyterian Church and it was largely attended youth leaders and some youth mentors from 4-5 CP churches. Many churches received news of this event late because there was a email communication failure which I only knew about about a week before the event. And also the date clashed with many churches' celebration of the Easter event and so many mentors were not able to come.

Nonetheless, about 30 odd people came and Dr. Liu Yi Jiang spoke passionately on, "The Impact of the Digital World on our Youths Today." Intermingled with his own life stories and interesting anecdotes, Dr. Liu shared that as mentors' or teachers in youth ministry today, there is an urgent need to engage our youths in their digital world if we want to minister to them. We also need to re-assess our old methods of doing ministry. Take for example, encouraging our youths to read the Bible during quiet time has always been a difficult task for many churches and mentors, but maybe by first encouraging them to build up a personal relationship with God through prayer might be more suitable. And when they form this closeness with God, they would eventually want to read what God says in the Bible in their quiet time.

Dr. Liu offered many practical and insightful suggestions into how we mentor our youths in the digital world. For example, firstly learning what their world is all about through enagaging in their "plugged in" activites, the iPod generation, blogging, MSN chat, online gaming. The need to stay relevant in our ever-changing culture is much stronger today but the core of our identity stays unchanged. That is, we are still called to be a disciple of Christ, even in the digital world. We must stay true to our calling and help our youths to find this identity.

In designing a game (Part 1a)

I know I have promised to submit Part 2 of my installment soon, but it will take a while more.

Meanwhile I chanced upon a website that is exactly what I endeavor to do when I design a puzzle hunt, just like the one I did for the games in Youth Leadership Camp 2006.

Enjoy, but please keep the methods to yourself so that I can get to use them when the need arises.

Synod Youth Ministry - Adventure Race