Teens Making Disciples Who Make Disciples
The teens in the 'Golden Youth' group at the Bayanihan Church of the Nazarene in Antipolo, Philippines, are taking seriously Jesus' command to 'go and make disciples.'
In November 2008, one of the leaders of the youth group, 17-year-old Michael, used an EvangeCube to present the gospel to a friend at San Jose National High School. The friend, Angelo, responded and prayed to receive Christ into his life.
Angelo came to the Golden Youth meetings by himself, walking as far as two miles at night to get there. Upon his arrival, he asked what he could do. The group suggested that he help minister to the children. So he did.
When Angelo was baptized as a new follower of Jesus, he decided it was time for him to start an outreach where he lived. So began the outreach at his home across the street from San Jose National High School. He soon had 14 young men meeting with him each week.
After sensing a call to preach, in June 2009 Angelo and four of the other Golden Youth moved to Cebu, Philippines, to begin studies at Nazarene Bible College. The week before he left for Bible college, Angelo organized a complete daily Vacation Bible School for his home neighborhood. Then he asked some of the young teens in the Golden Youth to carry on the work when he left.
Several of the teens leading the current ministry efforts are 14 years old. Two are in their first year of high school at San Jose.
Kharla is in her third year of high school and is one of the top students out of the 2,000 in her class. When she graduates, she wants to study to be both a pastor and an attorney so she can help people. Gerald is Michael's brother and like Angelo, was introduced to Jesus by Michael.
Kharla, Argie, and Gerald actively lead this outreach each week, as well as minister in the Bayanihan Church two nights of the week and twice on Sundays. They also help with another Golden Youth outreach on Sunday afternoons.
In the meantime, at Bible college Angelo is praying for those in his home neighborhood, ministering every weekend in two different places, and helping to start a new church plant. Angelo and one of the other Golden Youth, Mark, have also started an outreach to street kids in Cebu, the city where they are studying. They often use the EvangeCube and have found it an effective way to share Jesus with others.
'Bayanihan' is a distinct cultural trait among Filipinos, signifying communal effort to achieve a particular objective. The origin of the term comes from the tradition in the Philippines of neighbors joining together to help a family move their home to a new location. Bamboo poles are placed underneath the elevated house. Men then encircle the home and lift the framework onto their shoulders. With each carrying a portion of the load, the house is easily moved to another location.
At the Bayanihan Church of the Nazarene in Antipolo, Philippines, the youth group lives up to their name. Together, they have taken seriously the task of making Christlike disciples in the nations. Like the friends of the paralytic in Luke 5, they are carrying their friends to Jesus.
Robert Donahue is the missions professor at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Manila, Philippines. He and his missions students work with the 'Golden Youth' of the Bayanihan Church.
Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.
