Rev. Gary Hartke, Director Nazarene Youth International
For seven years now we in NYI have been on a journey to truly internationalize our youth ministry. Part of that journey has been to create a strategy to communicate with NYI leaders worldwide recognizing that this desire is inherent with major challenges such as language barriers and limited internet access. However we have made progress as first an English web site was created in 2001. Then a Spanish website in 2004. Finally a Portuguese website in 2005. We are making some changes these days in our web strategy to continue that commitment to communicate worldwide. Plans for the future include Korean and French websites in additionl to the English, Spanish, and Portuguese websites. So in these days we are working on our web strategy . . . . you will see some changes very soon that will usher us into the next phase of our web ministry. . . . and, hopefully, even more effective communication.
Now that the annual General Board meetings are over it is time to focus in on the future. I have come to realize during my 7 years as NYI Director that many of us in youth ministry lead with programs rather than with strategy. For me this is a good time to stop and ask "why" do we do the things we do. I don\'t want to simply manage programs; however, I do want to lead with strategy. . . that is to incorporate our three NYI strategies as the driving force for what we do. These three strategies being evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development. I think NYI at every level should be leading the same way. Let us not simply run a program but lead with these three critical strategies in mind. I hope you take time in the near future to evaluate each of these three areas and consider ways of being more effective in realizing them. I will be doing the same in the Global NYI office.
The Global NYI Council meets this week here in Kansas City. Among the many agenda items is planning for the 2009 Global NYI Convention. This will be a history making week as we select the sites that will serve as "satellite sites" for delegates along with Orlando, Florida USA which is the central convention site. Our dream is that as many delegates that can attend Orlando will, but that the satellite sites will serve as extension locations to Orlando allowing duly elected delegates to participate fully in the \'09 convention. Careful attention is going into the planning as we investigate ways to connect these sites with video and audio. This is a huge move for NYI - very exciting, yet quite challenging. Stay tuned to news in the upcoming months about all of this. The dates of the 2009 Global NYI Convention are 24-26 June. Hope to see you there!
I am in Pilar Argentina today . . about 1 hour from Buenos Aires and where the Regional Office is for South America. Tomorrow about 1000 people will gather for the inauguration of the Bruno Radi Center . . . a beautfiul new convention center that will seat 3500 and house 1000. It is the culmination of many years of work . . . . and the involvement of hundreds of volunteers. On Monday I am flying to Chiclayo, Peru for a youth congress called EJUNAP where approximately 500 young people from across Peru will gather for four days of worship, inspiration, and training. This is a great week leading up to Fuel/Youth Week which begins on Sunday. NYI has created and translated resources to help young people all over the world participate in this annual week which focuses on youth. I hope you are planning to be a part.
Japheth Opondo, East Africa Field NYI Coordinator, has identified 25 January as a day of prayer for Kenya. Please join NYI members worldwide to pray for Kenya on this day that peace would come to this land that has experienced difficult days.
I am in the San Diego USA airport waiting for my flight back to Kansas City. These past two days I was on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University with the USA/CAN NYI Council. What a great two days . . . . was able to enjoy the beauty of PLNU and talk about youth ministry with leaders from the United States of America and Canada. I am returning home encouraged by both.
Welcome to 2008! We now have 15,000 more young people in NYI as a result of our youth ministries around the world in 2007 as our membership grew from 381,173 to 396,723. We are blessed with a global team of youth leaders committed to impacting this generation of young people for Christ. I am looking forward to another great year in 2008!
Merry Christmas! Joseph, the father of Christ Jesus, has been on my mind this Christmas season. He is such an important figure in the Christmas story, yet seems to get little attention from God when you think about all of the other spectacular drama. Mary has an angel speak to her, the wise men have the star lighting up the galaxy, the shepherds have an angel army appear and speak to them! All Joseph had was a dream. No stars in the galaxy, no angel army, simply a dream. There was so much at stake for Joseph, yet God only gives him a few dreams. This seems like such a small thing compared to all of the rest. On the other hand perhaps it was a tribute to the kind of person Joseph was. All God needed to do was speak to Joseph through dreams and he listened and obeyed. What does it take for God to get our attention. . . and obedience? Let us learn from Joseph this Christmas season.
On 24 November I left for Malawi Africa with a new evangelism tool . . . a soccer ball with gold, black, red, white, and green colored panels designed to share about Jesus Christ. It is called the "Evangeball" and is produced by the same people who designed the "Evangecube." I used the evangeball in two camps during my time in Malawi to share my own conversion story and invited others to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior as well. Many young people responded to the life transforming message of Jesus Christ. I believe this will be a wonderful tool for youth and recreation ministries around the world. You can learn more about the evangeball at the Jesus Film Harvest Partner website.
"To make Christlike disciples in the nations" has been designated the new mission statement for the Church of the Nazarene. It reflects our desire to see each one of us be discipled and to disciple others. It reflects our belief that discipleship is a life long process . . . a life long journey of being shaped into the image of Christ. Two questions are being asked around the Nazarene Headquarters these days. Question #1: Who is discipling you? Question #2: Who are you discipling? I invite you to embrace and embody this new mission statement into your life as I do in mine.
I write this from Lilongwe, Malawi in the southeastern part of Africa as I am with Kenneth Phiri, Africa Regional President, at the Central District NYI camp. We are here this week with about 200 young people who have gathered for this special time. I am loving the music of Africa - our young people here know how to sing!! Pray for our young people here in Malawi as they seek to live their lives out for Christ in an environment of great economic challenge. God is at work here this week, and I am thankful for this time together. We are here another day and then depart for Bylantire in southern Malawi for another district youth camp.
Monte Cyr, Global NYI President, and I spent three days together last week working on NYI.. Much time was spent on issues related to the 2009 Global NYI Convention. If you have been around NYI at all these past two years you know that we are expanding the convention worldwide by adding satellite sites on the Africa, Asia-Pacific, Caribbean, Eurasia, Mexico & Central America, and South America regions. June 24-26 2009 is the date of this Global NYI Convention with Orlando, Florida USA serving as the central site. We are looking forward to a transformational time together . . . I hope that you can be a part.
I am now a Facebook user. In the short time I have used this technology I have connected with friends who live all over the world. . . . I am new to this but looking forward to staying in touch with Nazarene youth workers through this tool.
NYI is a "global" ministry . . . I am thinking about the use of the word "global" these days. Up until 2001 we used the word "general" rather than "global." The change in name from general to global reflected our commitment to become an intentional resource to our youth ministry efforts world wide. We are working in the Global NYI Office to resource, network, and faciliate youth ministry . . . everywhere the Church of the Nazarene exists. We are committed to global youth ministry!
Welcome to the NYI website. You have discovered a connecting point for Nazarene Youth Leaders representing over 381,000 NYI members in 151 countries.
It is our desire to serve your needs through this website. We want to provide resources that will support your Youth Ministry and commitment to \'call this generation to a dynamic life in Christ\'.
Thank you for being a part of our global Youth Ministry Team.
Gary
