Covenant News

Asian Consultation Focuses on 'Reaching Youth'

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (October 6, 2005) - Covenant World Mission Executive Minister Curt Peterson will present the closing message on Friday for the Fourth Asia Covenant Churches Consultation that began Wednesday morning.

Approximately 80 delegates are participating in this year's conference, representing Asian Covenant churches and ministries in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, India, China, South Korea and New Zealand. Previous consultations were held in Udon Thani, Thailand, in 1999; Toyko, Japan, in 2001; and Bangalore, India, in 2003.

The theme of this year's consultation is "Reaching Youth." Other special representatives attending the consultation include Asia regional coordinators Dave and Ronna Husby, China ministry coordinators Dave and Judy Dolan, and Evangelical Covenant Church missionaries to Japan, Tim Johnson and Jim Peterson.

Activities began Wednesday morning with a worship service led by the delegation from the Thailand Covenant Church. Representatives of the Taiwan Covenant Church opened the consultation gathering with aboriginal dancers performing a dance of welcome, with welcoming remarks delivered by Rev. Vernon Wu, chair of the Taiwan Covenant Church and chair of the Asia Covenant Churches Missions Committee. Wu stressed the importance of ministries that reach out to youth, declaring such efforts to be "the most important ministry of the church."

An opening address was presented by Dave Husby with reports on youth ministry shared by representatives of Covenant ministries in Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. The day's activities included a visit to a large urban church in Taipei that focuses on reaching youth, concluding with an evening of dance and music presentations from each of the cultures represented.

(Editor's note: to see additional photos of Wednesday's welcoming activities, please see Asia Consultation.)

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