Main YWAM Page, or to YWAM CommunicationsALTHOUGH MOST NEW Christians in Eastern Europe are teenagers and children there is a desperate shortage of trained workers to help them grow in their faith, according to organizers of a training program attempting to improve the situation.
Youth leaders from across the region have gathered in Budapest to learn how to disciple their youngsters from a youth ministry that has impacted thousands of young lives over the past 22 years.
Students from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Hungary are taking part in the six-month Principles in Child and Youth Ministry school being run by Youth With A Mission's King's Kids movement.
After three months of classroom studies - covering topics such as child development, counseling victims of abuse, and leadership development - the students will put what they have learned into practice in three-month field assignments before returning home to develop their own programs.
"Christians leaders working among young people in Eastern Europe are facing a huge challenge," said school leader Peter Hinge, King's Kids' regional coordinator. "It's estimated that as many as 80 per cent of all new Christians are under the age of 18, but many churches are just not equipped to serve them well."
Without skilled helpers, churches see young people failing to connect with the rest of the members, and drifting away from their faith "They are at a loss how to reach or keep their young people. Everywhere we go people are begging us to send them workers, and help with training. The need is so great."
Many of the PCYM students have made big sacrifices to be part of the bi-lingual Russian-English program, being run for the second year. "The fees barely cover our expenses, but for many of them it equals a year's salary," said Hinge. "The need for training is so great, though, that it doesn't stop them from coming to invest their time, money and effort."
When the lecture phase finishes next month, the 20-strong group will head out to work in a Romanian orphanage, help run church camps in Ukraine, and work with King's Kids teams traveling through Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Founded in 1976, King's Kids focuses on evangelism and discipleship among ten- to 18-year-olds. In Europe alone since 1988 the movement has held 616 seminars with 25,000 participants, 258 camps for 30,000 people, and sent out 375 outreach teams comprising 14,000 participants.
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