What is Our Plan?

Make Discussion As A Habit of

Christian Youth of Margasakti

The first meeting and discussion on ‘what is our plan’ was still uncommon among Christian youth in Margasakti village. They tended to be listeners of speeches in meetings. The courage to express ideas and thoughts in a forum don’t appear eventhough they are supposed to do it. This is the challenge of the multiplicator of Stube-HEMAT to establish academic culture to foster critical thinking among young people. It is not an easy thing to do of course.

Some church youths were invited and asked to attend the discussion. Actually, the habit to meet and make serious discussion is not new for them. It is usually held when they want to prepare something like an independence day celebration on August 17 or when they have village competition. If there is no particular moment, a meeting is rarely held. The youth is usually asked as just technical supporters, and they are never trained to think analytically and critically.

How a discussion was introduced? The discussion took place in the church’s consistory of MT service area on Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 15:00 until 17:30 pm. Yohanes Dian Alpasa was the speaker of a topic on ‘what is our plan?’ Regarding to the background of the participants, at least there are three levels of education background covering junior high school, senior high school, even not having formal education. So, the language used during the discussion was made as easy as possible.

The story from Java island became the opening story of leaving home of Rafflesia region in 2005 and returning in 2017, telling the struggle and effort as well as obsession of a youngster for his hometown. In his brief exposure, Yohanes focused on discussion about the plan. Each person should have a good plan, a personal plan or group plan. Each youth should be dare to design her/his own plan and take the challenges.

The church youth in Margasakti should learn and add experience. Their mental and intellectual aspects still needed to be sharpened. Fortunately, when they were asked to be active, they were willing to learn and continue to have discussion activity and sharpen mental courage although they still had questions, awkward feeling and hesitant in their eyes. It doesn’t matter, the awkward feeling is common in their first gathering and discussion experience. The things needed here is willingness to keep on learning. Yohanes was determined that such discussion should be ‘down to earth’ and not be monopolized by city's college children.

In terms of preparing the discussion as ‘mainprogram’ of multiplication, there are many obstacles faced in the area. The participant target of this afternoon discussion was ten from fourteen youth who were informed and personally invited to attend this event. However, there were only five youths who attended it. Nine youths still had to work on their garden, fields and ponds.

For the upcoming plan, they will share what they have discussed before, through a performance in Global Prayer’s Day on March 5, 2017 at GKSBS Kurotidur. These youths will perform drama to convey a message to the congregation. (YDA)