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Getting youths to change their world

Getting youths to change their world

It has been over-said that today's youths will determine tomorrow's future. From the pulpit to the pew, the message has been bandied about with much fervour. But are our youths rising to the challenge? More importantly, how are they being nurtured for the future?

"The millennial generation is most equipped with knowledge, power and creativity and if they are channeled right at this young age, they will be great leaders." This quote was succinctly pointed out in a promotional write-up for "Change Your World" (CYW), a movement initiated to mobilise youths to take ownership of their future in the country.

Initiated by 1a.m., the worship ministry of Eaglepoint Covenant Fellowship, CYW targets youths aged 15 to 25 years to help change the world around them. This is a huge mission to fulfill and thankfully, CYW has the partnership of churches and three NGOs - Community at Heart, Tenaganita and World Vision - to help effect the change.

Change comes through achieving two broad goals - ownership and awareness.

 

1) Ownership

Firstly, the youths are challenged to take ownership of their towns/cities through serving the needs of their community. For example, in the "I Love Kluang" event held last August, the young participants mobilised the collection and distribution of food parcels to the poor in the southern (Johor) town.

Since then, the event has evolved into a mini-movement "I Love Kluang" has brought over 200 youths from various races and faiths to meet the challenge of consistently visiting, feeding and caring for more than 60 poor families on a long-term basis.

The youths also managed to help the stateless children in their town to obtain identity cards and raised some RM20,000 to buy school uniforms for 248 children.

Meanwhile, the "I Love Penang" group, formed last November, painted the abodes of poor families at the Rifle Range flats, mobilised collection and distribution food parcels to the needy and even organised an appreciation ceremony for their local police.

On the larger scale, there is the "I Love Malaysia" movement, launched last November, which has been raising funds for Tenaganita to fight human trafficking.

The next city launch is in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 4 when the city youths will be challenged to take up the "I Love Kuala Lumpur" call. (Check out www.changeyourworld.com.my for more details.)

 

2) Awareness

The second goal of CYW is to heighten youths' awareness of social injustice - human trafficking, inhumane treatment of refugees, poverty or corruption, etc. - so as to rouse them to join the fight against societal abuses. CYW has adopted the battle against human trafficking with its partnership with Tenaganita.

CYW opines that this generation of youths is the most ignorant about national and world current affairs but at the same time, the conscious ones are the most passionate in desiring change. Hence, they are the ones getting involved in causes for betterment and therefore, there must be outlets for them to express their idealism.

By heightening the youths' awareness of social injustice and also pointing them to causes they can get involved with, CYW is helping to raise future leaders with passion for transformation.

 

A journey, not an event

1a.m. Director Kelvin Lim pointed out that CYW is not a one-off event but a journey that would help transform not just the recipients, but also the participants into passionate, socially-conscious and proactive youths.

The journey comprises three phases of a pre-event, main event and post-event, all meticulously and strategically planned to inspire long-lasting, sustainable passion.

The pre-event, called "Change Your World Quest 1 & 2", comprises one-hour sessions that include ice breakers, multi-media presentations and discussions organised in a fun, non-threatening environment. The program is even scripted to spare facilitators the hassles of planning what to say.

Then comes the main event, called "Change Your World Tour" - a four-hour event of high-energy music, media and sharing of the Word when youths are challenged on the mission of city ownership, and nation and world crisis awareness.

With the youths charged up from the pre- and main event, they then move on to the third phase, "Change Your World Venture", where their passion is channeled into charitable works. Earlier at the main event, the youths would have been challenged to run a cause for their town which had been pre-selected by their churches.

At the CYW Venture, the youths will take the lead in mobilising other youths from all races and faiths to take part in the cause.

"Change Your World Venture is big enough for every young person and is not just catered for Christians, though the aim is for Christians to be the salt and light of their city.

The Christian youths are therefore called to lead and champion the causes of the social needs and welfare of their city," explained Kelvin.

Social and welfare awareness is just the beginning of what CYW is about, for the heartbeat of CYW is to bring the millennial generation to crave for justice, mercy and faithfulness.

"We want Christians to lead through in all the pre-, main and post-events. We call it Watch & Pray, Act & Build, Follow & Lead. In summary, Christians are to be the example by loving their neighbours so that they can lead their friends to know Christ through practical ways. It's Friendship Evangelism," enthused Kelvin.

Transformed Christian youths leading and rallying other youths to change communities for the better. With such a mission, the future looks brighter.



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