Last week, 39 youth leaders from across the Waikato gathered at Northgate Community Church for a training night run by Word of Life in partnership with CCCNZ churches in the region.
Leaders came from Northgate Community Church, Hillcrest Chapel, Tauwhare Gospel Chapel, Kaipaki Bible Church, Matamata Bible Church, Hukanui Bible Church, Whitiora Bible Church, and Chapel Hill Community Church. It was a night marked by shared learning, encouragement, and a deep desire to help young people share their faith in Jesus.
Northgate did a wonderful job of hosting the evening, and the food was delicious, creating a warm and welcoming space for leaders to connect.
Dave Gow, Director of Word of Life, noted: "I'm excited at the unity among CCCNZ churches, training together to mobilise young people to confidently go out and share their faith with friends. This event focused on equipping leaders, who will in turn go out to support and equip young people in youth groups.”
Stephen Shirley, Youth Pastor at Hillcrest Chapel, shared how the night was both encouraging and challenging. “My highlight was the content provided by Dave Gow and Scott Doddrell, which was really top notch… it came from a wealth of theological, pastoral and evangelical knowledge and experience.”
Two themes from the night particularly stood out:
Prayer: Leaders were reminded to dedicate their youth ministries to God in prayer and to build a culture where young people feel confident to pray for each other.
Relational evangelism: Rather than focusing only on growing faith inwardly, the challenge was to also grow hearts that reflect Christ’s love outwardly, so that young people are encouraged to share Jesus with their friends.
It was a joy to see churches in the region working together, equipping leaders to help young people share the good news of Jesus.
