14 July 2009

"Uprising" challenges Vic teens to lead

Howqua, Victoria
Nathan Brown

A group of 45 teens from Adventist churches and schools in Victoria have been challenged to take leadership in the church and use their passion to make a difference. The young people, aged between 14 and 16, were delegates at the "Uprising" Teen Convention at Camp Howqua from July 5 to 9.

"We usually wait until people are older to train them as leaders but the energy and enthusiasm of teens provides a great opportunity for us to begin investing in them now," explains Moe Ioane, director of youth ministries for the Adventist Church in Victoria. "We can encourage and empower their passion at this stage, and help them fulfil the potential they have."

"Uprising" follows on from last year's "Chosen" Australia-wide teen leadership convention, conducted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia's youth department. "I saw the enthusiasm at ‘Chosen' last year and I wanted the Victorian kids to also be able to benefit from this kind of experience," says Ms Ioane.
"‘Uprising' has been born with the same goals as ‘Chosen' but it allows the Adventist Church in Victoria to have five times the number of young people they had at ‘Chosen,'" says Pastor Tony Knight, director of youth ministries for the Adventist Church in Australia, who presented daily on topics of leadership and evangelism at "Uprising."

"The growth, bonding and increasing awareness of their potential is really obvious," he adds. "In a few days of inspiration, spiritual nurture, leadership, healthful living and being challenged, you can see the lights coming on. These young people are using their school holidays here to prepare to serve the church and reach out to their friends."

The "Uprising" program included physical challenges,
and inspiration to lead a healthful and balanced life.
(Photo credit: Fred Zinggl)

The "Uprising" convention also included 12 young adults as trainee mentors, as well as a number of chaplains and youth pastors. "I hope the mentors can go back and start creating a culture within their church of people who look out for young people, pray for them and bring out the best in them," says Ms Ioane. "We also hope to get the teens together again toward the end of the year, with their parents, leaders, pastors and teachers, which will be an opportunity to extend the influence of these few days back into their homes, churches and schools."

Ms Ioane says the convention program allowed teens to interact with a variety of quality presenters and leaders, and to explore a range of perspectives and options as to where they can channel their energy and passion. "I want the teens to head home knowing that nothing is impossible-that they have been challenged to step up and believe they can make a difference," she says. "It's almost like they have been given permission to be the young men and women God has designed them to be. There are so many things they can do without necessarily being given an official title."

"Young people today are no longer prepared to be spectators," Pastor Knight adds. "They want to be active and involved, and we need to find them opportunities to do that. I'm absolutely enthusiastic about the potential for these young people to take the church into the future. We can have confidence in them and in God working in their lives."

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