Komisi Belia: MALAYSIAN IFFA GRADUATES CONTINUOUSLY JOURNEYING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN STS PETER AND PAUL PARISH MUKAH

By Roselinah Francis

IFFA Graduates – L-R : Ezekiel Raj, Cecilia Ong, Roselinah Francis and Nina Chan

Sts. Peter and Paul, Mukah – Once again the IFFA graduates of the Institute of Formation Fondacio Asia come together as a team for the follow up Youth Leadership Camp Program at St Peter’s And Paul’s Parish Mukah, Sarawak. Previously, on the 26^th to 28^th April 2013, IFFA graduates, Mag Chin – Batch 1, Nina Chan – Batch 3, Cecilia Ong – Batch 4 and Anna Teresa – Batch 5 together with Annie Yap, Country Coordinator for Fondacio in Malaysia and Br. Joseph Lim of the Congregation of The Disciples of the Lord (CDD) came together to run a Youth Leadership Camp for the youth in Mukah. With the theme ‘Servant Leadership in Me’, 34 youth from 5 parishes (Mukah, Dalat, Julau, Kapit and Selangau) came together and experienced God’s love through the Camp.

Held from 15^th to 16^th June 2013, the follow up Camp were meant to integrate and to recollect the experience of the youth leaders from 5 Parishes (Mukah, Dalat, Julau, Kapit and Selangau) especially their one month experienced after the Leadership Camp in April. At the same time these two days camp gave opportunity to the youth leaders to equip themselves with Leadership skills that can help them in their ministry. This follow up program was conducted by Ezekiel (Batch 2), Nina Chan (Batch 3), Cecilia Ong and Roselinah Francis (Batch 4). There were 19 youth leaders (Mukah-10, Julau – 2, Kapit – 2, and Selangau 5) participated on this Camp.

Facilitators and participants together with Fr. Michael Lee, Youth Chaplain of Sibu Diocese

Day 1, started in the afternoon, participants were lead by Nina Chan to look back their experiences after the Leadership Camp that was held in April. Through question ‘The changes in me’ and ‘The changes of my other youth leader friends’, the youth were invited to realize and to see the graces that God gave to themselves and to see the growth of their friends. Through this integration, they were also able to see their own limitations and to go forward to another step to improve their own self.

Integration of previous Youth Leadership Camp – Nina Chan

After the integration, Dialogue on Youth Ministry which was facilitated by Nina Chan gave opportunity to the Youth Leaders to understand the meaning of Youth Ministry and to see the situation of the youth on their own parish. The presence of Fr. Michael Lee, Youth Chaplain of Sibu Diocese, Ezekiel Raj, Pastoral Assistant, Campus Ministry Office and Penang Diocesan Youth Network 2008-2010, Roselinah Francis, Youth Coordinator of Keningau Diocese and Cecilia Ong, Youth Coordinator of Mukah Parish, as panel for the dialogue had opened their mind to see the reality happen in youth ministry. Through the dialogue, youth leaders learned to see and to analyze the situation happen in their own parish base on SWOT analysis. This dialogue had opened wide their mind to be more aware of the realities and situations happen to their youth ministry.

Dialogue on Youth Ministry!

Ezekiel Raj inviting participants to see that doing mission requires skills.

Ezekiel Raj started the evening by inviting leaders to see that doing a program or activities for the young people require skills. Without skills, a program will not attract young people to come. After that, participants were challenged to plan and facilitate games through Facilitation session. The session which was facilitated by Roselinah Francis was meant to equip young leader with skills and in preparing them doing their mission on the ground.

‘Facilitation Skills’ – Roselinah Francis 7 Principles in facilitating!!

Finish the Line! – Participants encouraging teammates to reach to a finish line

The Finish Line!

In this session, Roselinah Francis led the group to see the concept in facilitating a group of young people or an activity. The participants also had a chance to create a Structured Learning Experience games and implement them where facilitated by themselves.

Group Discussion – Each group were asked to conduct a game

Learn to animate in small group

Day 2 started by recap from Nina Chan and followed by Introduction to Youth Club, a Fondacio Pedagogy by Cecilia Ong. In her session, Cecilia emphasize that Club is a place where young people experience life and a place where they can feel the sense of belonging. There are four principles in creating a club: Fun, Food, Sharing Time (Input) and Spiritual Time.

Introduction of Club by Cecilia

The participants then were divided into four groups and assigned to plan and implement club to the whole group. This is really a learning process for the participants to actually apply the facilitation skills which they had learnt before. With a theme “The Power of Hand” the participants now work as one community in planning and facilitate a club for the group. It was a remarkable experienced for all leaders to work as a team and to accept ideas from each one in the team.

Finally, the Camp ends with a commissioning Mass by Fr. Michael Lee. In his homily, he invites participants to follow the example of a Sinful Woman, to be humble in the service of the Lord.

A message from Fr. Michael Lee, Youth Chaplin of Sibu Diocese

“Go down from the mountain to reach out…”

We need to understand who we are…We need to become the Salt and Light of the Church. How can you serve the youth if you are not confident with yourself?

We are God given youth. Be One. Show to others that we are different from the world because of our Faith. Sometimes we are underestimates of our life. Go, bring joy to others. You can do it wherever you are. But if we don’t have God’s love, we can do nothing.

IMPLEMENTATION OF CLUB – THE POWER OF HAND