Investing in young people

When I had the privilege of sharing with my home church, Trinity Lutheran Church Ashmore, the launch date for Encounter Youth – our church plant strategy – the response was overwhelming and filled with love, support and encouragement.

I am deeply moved by the prayers and generosity of so many church members who have contributed to the church plant. Equally, I am grateful for the steadfast aid from College Principal Dr Tsae Wong and the entire Trinity Lutheran College community, who have been gracious and unwavering in their contributions.

Also in our core church planting team are my wife, Josephine Aufai, my fellow college chaplain, Samuel Fletcher, and Samuel’s fiancée, Greta Matthias.

Encounter Youth will unfold through a staggered approach, beginning with the launch of our youth group, followed by our kids club, and, God willing, culminating with the launch of our church in October. Our youth group, Encounter Youth, is led by Samuel, who has been instrumental in championing this ministry and crafting its vision statement (‘We want our youth to encounter God’s love and discover their purpose to love’) and our mission statement (‘We intentionally create an atmosphere where what we do leads others to Christ’).

The response from students to Encounter Youth has been overwhelmingly positive, and there was even interest from students outside our school before we started! We are excited to see how God will use this ministry, as we remain intentional in discipling and mentoring our young people. We are also grateful for the positive response from our alumni, with three students who graduated last year coming on board as part of our team of volunteer leaders for Encounter Youth. Praise God!

Our goal is to nurture students who will be eager to serve God with their talents. When we launch our church in October, we hope to involve students in music, sound desk, ushering, Bible reading, prayer and many other areas.

Thanks to generous financial support, we have been able to purchase valuable resources. This is an investment in our young people. They are an untapped goldmine of fearless and passionate followers of Christ, and our hope is to see them grow into zealous and contagious disciples who inspire others in their faith.

We want events to unfold naturally, allowing space for growth and connection. While we have a plan, we submit it prayerfully to the Lord, trusting in his timing, blessing and direction. In the year ahead, we plan to host picnics and barbecues on select Sundays, creating opportunities for families to gather, share a meal and build meaningful relationships.

We have planned a worship night in May when we will invite the school community to gather in worship through song, and I will share a message. By then, we hope to see students actively involved in singing and serving. We are deeply grateful to our church council and the Church Plant Oversight Committee for their wisdom and guidance.

Our goal is not to build church buildings but to share the gospel and witness lives transformed for the glory of God. We long to see our school and local community come alive for him – becoming a people devoted to Christ, responding to his grace and love through lives of worship and surrender.

Tala Aufai is Senior College Chaplain at Trinity Lutheran College Ashmore in Queensland.

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