The Next Generation in Uganda: a kcc first
Thursday 17 December, 2009 · Posted by Raj Gupta
Many have been following the incredible journey culminating in NextGen Uganda this year. Though NextGen has been planted in many countries around the world, this is the first time that the conference has been planted in a place by a short term team from Sydney.
It has been an incredible journey for several reasons. God has provided the financing necessary for the initiative, in no small part through the youth of Sydney at the KYCK conference. Several others offered to be involved, resulting in a 20 strong team that ran NextGen Uganda during 7-11 December, 2009.
Even after many hours preparing and consulting with people who had been there, we did not know what to expect. There were far more uncertainties than certainties: the language barriers, the cultural barriers, the church history, our ability to cope with the physical conditions (as piddly as that may sound), and the list continues. We decided to give it a go, despite these uncertainties, feeling a compulsion to help our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world to deepen their roots in the Word of God.
The Ugandan delegates who came to the conference were all involved in youth ministry in some way. By the end of the first day, we felt a little overwhelmed, wondering if we would be able to overcome the barriers noted above, and we added a few further barriers to the list.
We persevered and by mid week, in God’s kindness, we were beginning to see promising signs. Communication was easier. Expectations were clearer and more realistic. We added in question and answer sessions as we sensed the deep hunger for the Word of God that these young Ugandan delegates had for the Word of God. We thought literacy was low and that not many people even had Bibles.
At various times through the week they said ‘we are 2,000 years behind Sydney.’ However, we experienced a great thirst to grow in knowledge, godliness, leadership and ability to serve even in the midst of relative poverty. Observing such things inevitably challenged us: has the seduction of wealth caused us to be ‘soft’? Do we make excuses where we should be bold? Why don’t we have a zeal for the gospel to reach more people that is matched with action? Maybe in some respects they are actually further ahead.
The promising signs continued through the week, and Friday was the moment of truth. Preparing Bible studies was new to them. The result almost brought tears to my eyes, as one by one my strand group read out their studies. They got it. Praise God for his kindness!
Then something else happened. We expected that we would be the ones to provide feedback and further training to help them evaluate what they had done. But they had learnt so well that they helpfully and constructively gave each other feedback. We couldn’t believe what we saw given how it all started last Monday. But that is the power of God.
They didn’t want us to leave. And, though we were missing home, part of us didn’t want to leave either. Thank you to all who have supported this venture in prayer and financially. It is true. Sydney evangelicals can have a great impact around the world, particularly in the area of theological education. Many parts of the world want it. Praise God for such an opportunity, and please pray that he who began this good work would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
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