2015 National Youth Sunday
26th April 2015
Theme: Development
of the Youth Division of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New
Guinea.
Grace,
Mercy, and Peace from God our Father, from Christ Jesus our Lord, and from the
Holy Spirit our Comforter.
“Young people, enjoy your youth. Be
happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your
heart’s desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you
do. Don’t let anything worry you or cause you pain. You aren't going to be
young very long.” Ecclesiastes 11[9-10].
Today
marks another anniversary of the National Youth Division of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea. It determines a picture of the Division
and how it has been maneuvered over the past years. The young people of ELCPNG
and the country as a whole have not been seriously considered with
prefabricated procedures or process for their transition from adolescence into
adulthood. This apply mainly on those who left school early in grade six back
in the sixties and recently for those coming out in grade eight. There is
nothing formidable to catch them and prepare them to meet the challenges posed
by the outside world.
The
current trend is being left to develop at its free will and not many have
considered the seriousness and visualize the detrimental outcome it will have
on the future. It is not surprising to hear of types of tactics and techniques
manifested by youths in their daily activities. It is the end result of our
leaders’ ignorance and carelessness.
The
ELCPNG National Youth Division realizes that no one will benefit from our young
people if we allow them to keep staying silent. It is here today that we’ll
start tell a story so that the generation unborn will never forget. The story
of our young people being leaders creating the future today were key issues
affecting them such as unemployment, poor education, and social problems
(criminality, drug and alcohol abuse and prostitution) are address.
Today
marks another new day on how we have fabricated a net to capture and sustain
the vast young human resource; firstly to harness the potential of their minds.
Shaping and removing the dross of self-pity and revenge mechanism which is
built into their minds through daily brushing with the environment they grew up
in as well as sifting their mindset off warrior culture as we reflect on the
development we have made within this great ministry of Jesus Christ.
1.0
The Youth Division
The Youth, from the very beginning have
been an important part of the ministry of the church. As we saw in the early
church history, it was the youth who were the first evangelists.
At the BilIbil Synod in 1964, five
resolutions were passed concerning the church program for the youth:
64-40 Each district is to start a
district youth program;
64-41 Each district is to appoint a
district youth advisor as well as an overseas missionary to see the
program started;
64-43 The books available are to be put
in the hands of the youth and missionaries are to develop more
materials;
64-44 The district are to put the youth
programs on their budgets; and
64-45 The Mission is to find a director
for the youth in all districts.
Reverend
Jack Reents
was appointed Youth Director following the 1964 Synod. His major emphasis was
on writing studies for the youth that were introduced at courses for youth
leaders. The Youth program is called ‘5-Star Program’; it was adapted from an
African Program. This program emphasizes study, mission, worship, service and
sport.
Mr.
Peyandi Lepi
becomes the first National Youth Coordinator in the mid 1970s. When Mr. Lepi
left the national office, the office of National Youth Coordinator was left
vacant for some years. The Youth Program of the church was left in the hands of
the districts.
It became apparent to the church leaders
that if the church wanted the program to be a united program, than there need
to be a national Office.
Mr.
Albert Tokave
was appointed National Youth Director in 1984. The program changed to one that
emphasized development and project for fund-raising. The Christian Life Office
still encouraged the 5 Star Programs. The development program not become
effective as it relied on financial support from overseas donors.
Mr.
Sobu Saroa
was elected youth director at the 1994 Youth Conference and the emphasis
returned to the 5 – Star Program.
Mr.
Faen Mileng
was appointed for the National Director’s position in 1999. Mr. Mileng
continues emphases on the Youth 5-Star Program however; the program seems to
not having any impacts to the lives of the youths of ELCPNG. It is than that a
reviewed is being carried to the effectiveness of the youth 5-Star Program,
hence was confirm to be a failed programs on its part of coordination and
implementation. Mr Mileng also works on
the National Youth Policy for the ELCPNG Youths which aims to be completed in
2013.
Mr.
Reuben Mete
was appointed to the position of National Youth Director in November 2013
National Church Council. Mete aims at implementing the recommendations of the
review conducted and to address the four cross cutting issues identified during
the review which include; (1) Improve and Implement 5 Star Program – Christian
Faith Building, Evangelism, Stewardship, Capacity Building and Christian Social
Activities; (2) Improve Finance Management System; (3) Establish Partnership
and Networking and (4) Establish Youth Development Center.
The National Youth Division is a division within the Evangelism
Department of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) and
serves over 500 000 Christian Lutheran youths throughout seventeen (17) church
districts of Papua New Guinea twenty two (22) provinces.
The head office is headed by the Director of the National Youth Desk
who oversees the office and its operations throughout the districts of ELCPNG.
He or She reports directly to the secretary of the Evangelism Department who in
turn reports to the Church Council - which is the highest authority in ELCPNG.
The Youth Division is also represented by a spokes person in the National Church
Council.
The ELCPNG Youth comprise of seventeen districts, namely: 1) Jabem 2)
Kotec 3) Ukata 4) Boana 5) Memeng 6) Kainantu 7) Goroka 8) East Chimbu 9)
Chimbu 10) Hagen 11) Emmanuel 12) Papua 13) New Guinea Island 14) Madang 15)
Karkar 16) Jiwaka 17) Siassi.
Each district of ELCPNG has a District Youth Coordinator who oversees
the general operations of youths in their respective district. The District
Youth Coordinator collaborates with the Director of the National Youth Desk
from the main office to coordinate the youth program. District Youth
Coordinators have their executives at the district levels and directly involve
with Circuit Coordinators and its executives.
The Circuit Youth Coordinators work directly with the Parish Youth
Coordinators/ Chairman who with its executives deliver to the congregation
Youth Coordinator/ Chairman. The Congregation Youth Coordinator/Chairman is
normally the person closes to the youths in the community and involves much
with them than any other Youth Coordinators/ Chairmen. This sequence of
hierarchy is different in respective districts and continues to change
depending on the districts set up. The Youth Coordinators may sometimes be
referred to as President and or Chairman depending on the district
constitution.
The ELCPNG National Youth Division helps to develop youths through its
program called the five star. The program has five domains and each is referred
to as a star. The program is geared to developing a youth integrally with each
star focusing on certain areas of life; it covers the spirit, soul or mental
and the body.
2.0
The Five Star Strategies;
2.1 Christian Faith Building:
Help build and strengthen the Christian
Faith that our forefathers have walked with the Lord and have seen wonders of
His love. We still maintain the same faith but it is only some physical
conducts and rituals in worship that are conflicting to the youths of ELC PNG.
Activities include Bible Study, Youth Fellowship, Youth Prayer Hour, others.
2.2 Evangelism:
Evangelism aims at empowering youths to
do other church work. Whilst helping out and they will learn duty such as
Evangelize, preach, drama, conduct liturgy, lead song, congregation
administration, church elder, women’s fellowship, etc
2.3 Stewardship:
The Stewardship aims at helping youths
being self reliant. They must take ownership of their church and must be
committed in their respective duties as a youth, brother, sister, daughter or
son in the Christian Family. They must take ownership of all the creation of
God that they will identify themselves as someone special in the creation of
the Lord.
2.4 Capacity Building
The Capacity building aims at building
up the capacity in terms of skilled profession, literacy, administration work.
2.5 Christian Social Activities
Social activities aim at helping the
youths with Christian oriented social activities such as sports, music,
tradition and cultural exhibition, dance and drama, coffee night, film show,
others.
The National Youth Desk faces a lot of
challenge working with cross sections of youths throughout Papua New Guinea.
The cross section includes rural to urban, literacy to illiterate, males and
females, as well as able and those with disabilities.
3.0
Our Calendar Programs
The Divisions activity programs include:
·
Biannual
National Youth Conference;
·
Annual
Christ in Culture Festival;
·
Annual
National Youth Sunday;
·
Youth
Resource Center Development;
·
Youth
Projects;
·
Parish
Youth Easter Bible Camp;
·
Outreaches;
and
·
Diakonie
Services.
4.0 Our Values
The ELCPNG National Youth Division is committed to ensuring that its
operations and programs are based on the belief of God the Father, Son and the
Holy Spirit; honest leadership in the directorship and district leadership; Co
operations and collaboration amongst Divisions and Departments of ELCPNG and
with other stakeholders. The Youth Division values knowledge and information as
important assets to fair and effective management decisions; humility and
obedience to the calling of God and obedience to His voice and managing the
affairs of the division in a transparent and accountable manner. In the heart
of it, the division treasures the importance of gender equality and working
together with people living with disability and HIV AIDS, encourage youth
participation and promote eco-justice for all.
5.0 Our Vision
Our
Vision is to see that “ELCPNG youths are strengthen in their faith
in God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, and are effective in their own
working and with others in raising young strong leaders for tomorrow”.
The
vision has three folds. First fold recognizes the spiritual domain of a youth
as essential and indispensable part of holistic growth. It focuses on the faith
youths have in God. Second fold encourages effectively in work performances and
good cooperation amongst actors dealing with youth, like community development,
sports and other spectral areas. The third fold acknowledges the youths of
today as leaders of tomorrow and supports the vision of leadership building for
tomorrow. It encompasses the leadership spirit of mentorship, transparency and
accountability where elders of such caliber set bench mark for the young to
ensue.
6.0 Our Mission
Our Mission is; “To
raise and build the youths of Evangelical Lutheran church to be mature in
spirit, soul and body”.
The
ELCPNG National Youth Division believes in integral human development and
targets the youths in the Lutheran church. Until we have youths who are
holistically developed we will be able to see great change in this nation. The
Youth Division is taking on this challenge through family units upholding
Christian values in Christian homes.
The
mission takes on right from the household unit and scales right up to the
national level. Base on the Church Vision 2020, Youth Division acknowledges the
household or family as a threshold to shaping the future of Papua New Guinea.
The
ELCPNG Youth Division aspires to contribute toward holistic human development
of the country through its ‘FIVE STAR’ program. A program that approaches an
individual youth from five different perspectives. The five perspectives
includes; Christian Faith building, Evangelism, Stewardship, Capacity building
and Christian Social activities all cover the three spheres of human
development (spirit, soul/mental, body).
7.0 Our Goal
Our goal for this next three years;
Youth Division is able to implement its program effectively and efficiently.
It is our
immediate expectation to reach this goal by end of 2017. Five Star programs and
its administration will have improved then. Districts will pick up the programs
with clear understanding and be able to implement it. The administration and
leadership have clear knowledge and understanding on the program and support
its implementation to reach the youths at congregational level.
8.0 Finance
Finance is a very sensitive area in the division and in these three
years we want to maintain correct and efficient records of all finances,
establish means of raising more funds to support the Division. The Five Star
program is a very strong effective model to help built young people of this
nation and has great potential to attract donors and stakeholders.
All of these programs are to this date self sustainable. Which means
all money generated within the youth programs such as the National Youth Sunday
Offer and some proceedings from the Bi-annual National Youth Conference
supports the implementation of the programs?
The National Youth Division currently operates one bank account with
the Bank of South Pacific - ELCPNG National Youth Office (1001173954).
Money is a tool from God to be used in the most respectable, honorable
and appropriate way for the glorifying of God and as in the abundance of the
resources that is available on earth as it was created in the beginning.
The objective of the Bank Account is to assist the youth volunteers and
program advisors working within the youth in all levels of the church structure
and to implement its Five Star Program. It also helps the Division to be
transparent in all dealings and be accountable in all transactions made, for
the moral growth to the maturing of the young person.
The Division collected all youth Sunday offering each year. All districts deposit the offerings directly
into the National Youth Office Cheque account # 1001173954. Given the name of
congregation and district on the deposit slip, the National Youth Desk later
collected bank statements and reimburse 70% of the District Contribution by the
end of June every year back to the respective District Youth Office. In
addition, the National Youth Desk also gets its share of K10.00 per delegates
during the Bi annual National Youth Conference from the Conference fee of
K30.00 charge per delegates. K20.00 is retaining by the host districts to cover
the cost of hosting the National Youth Conference as well assisting in running
its Administration.
9.0 Curriculum Development
The Five Star program is a unique program that ELCPNG National Youth
Division has but are not been taught in church colleges and seminary. This
Development Plan realizes the importance of the program and supports the idea
of curriculum development on the program. The curriculum should be taught in
seminaries, church colleges and girls’ school to equip students to go back into
the community and run the programs with their people or youth members.
10.0 Measuring
Performance
A comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Log Frame and a set of Annual
Performance Targets drive are a new performance-oriented organizational culture
within the Youth Division. Which means that all our
activities and programs will now be measured and reported annually using our
new approved reporting format.
11.0 Implementing
Policy
The division draws its strength from several policies and the Youth
Commission Act 1999: this act provides the legal framework and basis for
recognition and implementation of the youth programs throughout Papua New
Guinea.
The division implements the policy objectives set out in the ELCPNG
National Youth Policy 2011, and contributes to the policy objectives of the
Integrated Community Development Policy 2007 and the Papua New Guinea Development
Strategic Plan 2010 - 2030.
The division interprets the goals and objectives of Vision 2020 of the
ELCPNG and strives to materialize it. It provides a critical path way to
realize the Vision 2020 of ELCPNG by ‘creating a healthy church by sharing the
faith and building the church and re-visioning and revitalizing the church to
be missional’ through the youth programs.
It also embrace the Government of Papua New Guinea Vision 2050 that ‘we
will be Smart, Wise, Fair and Healthy and Happy Society by 2050’ and
the implementation of the Colombo Declaration on Youth ‘Mainstreaming Youth in the
Post-2015 Development Agenda’ on World Conference on Youth 2014.
12.0 Wide range on benefits
Successful
program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea Youth Division
have wide range of benefits from the Governments, private Companies, Citizens
and Civil Society and the nation’s Social Security.
13: Upcoming 2015 Events
The 2015
National Youth Events includes;
I.
13th
-17th March 2015: 01st District Youth Coordinators
Meeting (Goroka);
II.
26th
April 2015: National Youth Sunday (Congregations);
III.
12th
July 2015: ELCPNG Day (Districts);
IV.
16th
September 2015: PNG 40TH Independence Day Anniversary
V.
20th
-25th September 2015: 17th National Youth Conference
(Kabwum, ELC Ukata District);
VI.
16th
– 20th October 2015: 02nd District Youth Coordinators
Meeting (Salamoa);
VII.
31st
October 2015: Reformation Day (Parishes);
VIII.
10th
0 13th December 2015: Christ in Culture Festival
14.0 Conclusion
We thank
our faithful members and partners who have continue to hold consultation with
the National Youth Division to provide a way forward and showing us direction.
We also thank our good Lord Jesus Christ for sustaining our lives and to bless
us each day and for the Holy Spirit for being our Helper, Comforter and
Councilor as we reflect on this day Sunday 26th April 2015 as the
ELCPNG National Youth Sunday.
“We are the salt of the earth. But if the salt
loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the
world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and
put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and give light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before the men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Mathew
5: [13-16]
With
that, let me on behalf of my family wishing all Lutheran Faithful's a happy
Youth Sunday celebration in every congregations and parishes nationwide.
May God
bless you all,
Reuben Mete (Mr.)
Director, National Youth
Division
Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Papua New Guinea
