I’ve written about the opportunities for youth ministry training in Latin America before, and it seems like more and more people are becoming interested in youth ministry training.
I just got another email from a graduate of ours who recently went to the Dominican Republic, and of course he talked about youth ministry training while he was there. He writes to me, saying, “The people in the Dominican Republic are very interested in taking the experience we had here to their country, and I think it would be a great place to invest in because they have very little ministry to young people. It’s almost zero.”
There are at least 4 countries on the horizon for us in Latin America. We need to know where to go. We need to know what to do. Things in Mexico are picking up. We have a certificate program planned to start in January, and we are working with our Seminary to start a Master’s program as well.
So, where do we go from here? That’s a good question. Please keep praying with us about these things. Pray for wisdom. Pray for resources (both human resources and financial resources).
These are exciting times.
(Photos by: oui c’est moi! on flickr)
This weekend, I helped at a concert that our local church and two other churches put on with one of the primary purposes being to raise money for an evangelistic concert on October 19.
Basically, the idea was that if you attended the concert on Sunday, you could get in to the other concert as a VIP. I’m not sure exactly what it means to be a VIP at the other concert, but it’s going to be a huge concert, so I’m thinking preferential area, etc.
The cool part was to see how the youth pastors interacted with each other and worked together. I just met 2 of them, and they seem like great guys. I’m looking forward to seeing how all of this works for the future.
It’s great to see different churches from different denominations come together to reach young people for the Kingdom of God. This is something that I’ve noticed is not very popular here in Mexico, but things are changing, and this concert was a good start.
Today is the first day of classes at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. The Center for Youth Ministry has the largest incoming freshman class that we’ve had in the five years of our existence. There are (at least) five new youth ministry students entering this year out of a freshman class of 13.
I’m excited because we really worked hard the last year to promote the youth ministry training program at various events throughout the country. Our students are spreading the word about one of the only bachelor’s degree programs for youth ministry in Latin America (link to Spanish website).
Below you’ll find the list of names of the freshmen youth ministry students. Please pray for them by name.
2008 Youth Ministry Freshmen Class
- Victoria Castro Vázquez from Teziutlan, Puebla
- Gerson Hernandez Vázquez from Teziutlan, Puebla
- Josue Misael Lara Vázquez from Monterrey
- Kareni Sadai Méndez Galván from Monterrey
- Débora Osobampo Martinez from Sinaloa
Also be praying for the other youth ministry students who are beginning classes this week at the seminary. I’ll post more about each of them in the future. It’s going to be a great year of ministry.
Series: Global Youth Ministry
This post is part of a series on Global Youth Ministry. Be sure to check out part 1 – Why Global Youth Ministry is Important and part 2 – What’s a Global Youth Worker?
Some say that apart from church planting efforts, Global youth ministry training should be the top priority in global missions. I believe it’s a ministry that every youth worker should personally be involved in.
Obviously, I believe strongly in the mission statement of Youth Ministry International, which is “To train national youth workers for existing local churches within the people groups of the world.”
Every youth worker in the United States should be involved somehow in the training of youth workers internationally. Here are some benefits of being a global youth worker:
Five Benefits of Being a Global Youth Worker
- Personal obedience – everyone should be involved in world missions because God has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. Your participation in global youth ministry will strengthen your personal relationship with God.
- An example for your students. If you expect your young people to have a heart for missions, they need to see that you have a heart for missions. Being a global youth worker will allow them to see your burden for the nations.
- An example for your church. I always hope that my youth ministry can be an example to the church. If I am interested and involved in global missions, my students will be an example for the church through their support for global missions.
- Fulfillment using your gifts in global ministry. You may not believe me when I say this, but you have something to offer. You can pray more specifically by getting to know other youth workers overseas. You can come for a week. You can mentor long-distance. You could even go long term to train others. There are too many opportunities, and there are many different ways you can use your gifts.
- You can use your experience. Someone once told me that everything that happens to us is just part of the training for what God has for us in the future. You have experience and training that others do not, and this experience and training that you have had in your life should be put to use in the training of others.
If you’re interested in training youth workers internationally, please leave me a comment or contact me. Youth Ministry International is constantly looking for international trainers, and I’d love to talk to you more about the opportunities there are all over the world.
View the entire photo album on Facebook
“Hello, friend. I just finished a mission trip with 60 students that was stupendous, thank God. It was explosive, dynamic, and was very cool. Thank you for teaching us. I’m sending you the link so you can see the photos and download them if you want so you can have them. A hug…your brother.”..Giancarlos.
I received that email from one of the students in Cuba. He’s the middle school pastor of a local church who has seen incredible things happen in the last three years.
His group went on a summer mission trip that he planned using the principles we taught in Contemporary Youth Missions.
I’m extremely proud of him and the work he’s doing.
You can see a video interview with Giancarlos here.
