Vision 2020CTD- ASDECSBy Boyet OngkikoOctober 18, 2014

“… your young men will see vision.” Joel 2:28d

“We need to get the youth out of the church-buildings so they can be the church – body of Christ – significantly engaging the community.” JACO

Rationale

The youth are the leaders of today. Their energy seems inexhaustible, their sense of adventure is boundless and their idealism is admirable. Allow them to discover a “worthy goal” and they will be relentless in pursuing and making sure the goal is achieved. They are passionate in what they believe to be significant.

Sadly, most of our youth have been confined to an institution; relegated to keeping themselves busy with its programs and activities – perpetuating a tradition of myopic idealism that centers on what the institution should be. They are being nurtured into a feel-good mold where the primacy of an ethnocentric organization must be propagated and defended if threatened. This is where their energy is diverted; their sense of adventure bridled; and their idealism altered. Here they lost the opportunity – the essence of being a youth – to be the leader that they are called to be; to make a difference to a community and nation; to usher “His kingdom on earth.”

But this need not be the case.

We need to restore the youth to their rightful place and release them to fulfill their calling. We must redirect their energy from restrictive institutional concerns to nurturing identity with the community. The youth must regain their sense of adventure as they journey with the community towards transformational development and genuine peace. And more importantly, we need to give them space to dream – to see visions – for and with the community where “God’s kingdom on earth” is realized.

Overview: A Youth Movement for Community Transformation (YMCT)

The program envisions 21 pastors coaching 42 youth overseers to coordinate with 84 youth leaders to significantly engage 42 communities in various social entrepreneurship undertakings. The same group will also be mobilized to meaningfully participate in the local Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Management (CBDRRM).

A 5-year program (January 2015 to January 2020) where 7 pre-selected pastors (graduates of ASDECS) will choose 2 youth leaders from their respective churches to join the Intensive Training on Transformational Development (ITTD) for 7 days. These 14 youth leaders will run the first 5-day Youth Camp on Community Transformation (YCCT) where 28 youths will serve as participants. These 28 youths are coming from 14 churches where each church is represented by 2 participants. The primary objective of the camp is to heighten the youth engagement in their community.

On the 2nd year of the program, the whole process will be initiated for a 2nd batch of participants. However, the 1st batch of youth leaders will attend another YCCT this time focused on Social Entrepreneurship. The primary objective of this 1st batch for year 2 is to establish a social enterprise with the community. On the 3rd year of the program, a 3rd batch of participants will go through the same process as in the 1st year, with the 2nd batch also going through a YCCT on Social Entrepreneurship. On this year, the 1st batch will attend a 3rd YCCT that is focusing on Disaster Risk Reduction Management. The objective is to integrate with and significantly engaged the Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Management (CBDRRM).

Mentoring will be done primarily through their pastors. Clusters will have quarterly gatherings for mutual encouragement and celebration. A Cluster will be composed of 2 Youth Coordinators and 4 Youth Leaders. Youth leaders will be invited as guests at “Istoryahang Banyuhay” where a segment (10 min) will be allotted for the Youth Movement for Community Transformation.

By the 5th year, a 4-day conference will be organized to showcase the learning, best practices and outcomes of the program. Thanksgiving and celebration will be the highlight of this event. The conference will be open to the public.

Program Components

A. Three batches each:1. 7 Pastors who are graduates of ASDECS

a. Orientation of the programb. Role of the pastor in the programc. Mentoring and monitoring

2. 14 Youth leaders (2/church) coming from 7 churchesa. Selection of participantsb. Seven day intensive training on TD (ITTD)c. Curriculum Development for CT Youth Campd. Mentoring and monitoring

3. 28 youth participants from 14 churchesa. Selection of Pastors and Churchesb. Organizing pastoral support group (PSG) coming from 14 churchesc. 5 day Youth Camp on Community Transformation (YCCT)

4. Youth Camp on Social Entrepreneurship (YCSE) 5. Youth Camp on Disaster Risk Reduction Management (YCDRRM)

B. Advocacy, monitoring and celebration1. Web-based2. Istoryahang Banyuhay3. Quarterly Gathering

C. Program-end Conference1. Promotion/ fund raising/conference program planning2. Actual 4 day conference