You are browsing the Blog for Spirituality.

A dream come true: The Nicaraguan Youth Camp!

February 23, 2010 in Life

Our dream of hosting a weeklong youth camp was born out of a regional meeting of youth leaders a few years back. It started with a spiritual retreat that lasted two days. As a result of our great experience with the retreat, we wanted an event that lasted longer and that brought together all the youth from our communities.

Camp is a place where we can learn from the word of God, learn to appreciate the wonderful things he gives us, and to value the world in which we live. It is a place where we can learn to express our talents, a place that opens our eyes and helps us to think differently. It is a place that helps us to live in community and share what we have, a place where we can get to know each other better and understand each other more. It is a place where we learn to love and share.
Camp helps to free us from the problems that affect us day in and day out. It is here that we can find a place and time to reflect with the light of God in order to give us strength to confront our problems.

Camp is a place where we are prepared for the difficult aspects of life that confront all of us such as HIV and Aids, global climate change, gender equity and violence, self-esteem, etc. We use our week to learn about these topics using the Bible as a tool to guide us in our understanding.

The enthusiasm that each one of us feels after our week of camp is indescribable. It is expressed through the testimonies that we give from our lives and it is because of these testimonies that more youth want to attend each year.
The right to attend camp must be earned through participation en our communities of faith and by our commitment in our youth group and in every one of the activities that we perform. In addition, many of us sacrifice our work and our studies in order to live this beautiful experience of camp.

The youth representing 12 different communities were able to attend our camp, and many of these youth arrived with enthusiasm and with a desire to find old friends, make new friends, and learn from the word of God. These youth had a desire to learn from the word of God and partake in the spirituality that frees us and renews us.
…What was once our dream has now become reality for the seventh year in a row…

Tags: , ,
1 Comment »

Climate Change and Me

September 21, 2009 in Church, Enviroment, Justice, LWF, Poverty, Poverty/Affluence, Youth, Youth Ministry, Youth participation

There are just 76 days left, it says on the website tcktcktck.org. Then the world leaders should have made a deal on climate change. A binding agreement that would limit the emission of carbondioxide and several other issues. 76 days.

I am really not a climate change expert. But it is an issue that defines our time and here are my reasons why:

  • If climate change is human-made (and most evidence points to exactly that), we have the potential to destroy the planet as we know it - or to do better. It is the choice of humanity.
  • It is also very much a justice issue. The countries and people who are responsible for climate change (mainly those in the North) are going to feel the effects the last. However, those in the south who have not contributed at all to major climate gas consumption - they suffer the most; today already with an increasing number of droughts.
  • Climate change is the direct effect of a devastating development model: To want more and more all the time.
  • At the core, climate change is a spiritual issue. How are we dealing with what the creator gave to us?

Most people agree on these points and 76 days major politicians will have a word on it. But what is my role in all of that. I’ll offer a few ideas:

  • Check your climate foot print. Especially for people in the North it is very illuminating to learn how much everybody contributes to climate change. You can do that here.
  • Raise your voice. At the very least join a major global campaign like tcktcktck.org. It is a platform bringing together many organizations like the World Council of Churches in order to unite people in demanding real change.
  • Bring people together. Last year, we had a seminar in Tanzania on climate change. The result was a toolkit that youth groups, sunday school teams and other church groups can use to discuss climate change. (Unfortunately, we have run out of print copies. But you can use the pdf here.)

How do you and your youth group respond to climate change? Tell your story in the comments section to inspire others. 76 days…

Tags: , , ,
1 Comment »