Covenant News

Asian Youth Camp to Train Future Leaders

CHICAGO, IL (April 7, 2004) - A summer youth camp to be conducted August 10-15 in Taipei, Taiwan, will offer an environment of mutual encouragement and worship along with training on how to reach young people of this generation for Christ and prepare them for cross-cultural mission in the future.

"There is a new found desire to cooperate with each other in cross-cultural mission," says David Husby, Asia region coordinator for the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church. "For some it is through these relationships that they have been inspired to send out their first missionaries. The leaders of the Asia Covenant churches want the youth to be blessed as they have been. They want to better equip them for ministry in Asia in the future.

"Those who will be attending are youth who are either presently, or in the process of, becoming youth leaders in their respective national churches," Husby continued. "This will be the first time most of these youth have traveled outside of their countries. The hope is that there will be 5 delegates from the Philippines, 10 from Japan, 10 from Thailand, 10 from India, and 20-30 from Taiwan."

There also is a challenge in trying to bring in so many young leaders from such a broad geographical area, Husby notes, especially when it comes to the cost of transportation. Asia Covenant Churches last year established a joint missions fund to help underwrite camp expenses for the upcoming conference. The Taiwan Covenant Church has offered to cover all the in-country expenses, Husby said, while the Japan Covenant Church has committed to raise funds for its delegates.

Those sending youth and young adults from congregations in India, Thailand, and the Philippines are being asked to pay 20 percent of the estimated $500 airfare costs for each delegate. That group in particular needs additional financial assistance, Husby points out. Individuals desiring to assist with conference expenses, including delegate transportation, may learn more by contacting Husby by email at davronna@yhb.att.ne.jp. Those desiring to make donations can send them to the Department of World Mission, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625. Gifts should be designated for the 2004 Asia Covenant Churches Youth Camp project.

Already, youth in Asia Covenant congregations are being given opportunities to grow in their spiritual maturity and in service to others, Husby notes. "The Covenant Church of Taiwan recently sent short-term youth mission teams to both India and Thailand," Husby said. He recently led the first-ever youth mission team from the Japan Covenant Church to Thailand (March 25 through April 3) to minister in the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. (See accompanying photos). All of the mission efforts are cooperative ventures with the Covenant Churches in Asia.

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