A week ago, I posted some thoughts on the Christmas Institute of the UMYFP in my Pinoy Youth Blog. There is a need for rethinking the concept and execution of the Christmas Institute. It needs to be integrated into the overall ministries of the local churches in the district and annual conferences so that the passion of the youth who get involved there would have a channel for such passion.

Here are further suggestions to the leaders and organizers of Christmas Institutes. If you don’t have a Christmas Institute, then these suggestions could also apply to your youth camps (Christmas, summer, or any other time of the year).

Bible Study Material. The leadership of the National United Methodist Youth Fellowship in the Philippines (NUMYFP) annually prepares a Bible Study material for use in the Christmas Institutes. This Bible Study Material is usually written by an experienced pastor or a bishop of the United Methodist Church. If you want to have an access to the Bible Study material for this week, contact your Annual Conference UMYFP leaderse and they can give you a copy. If your AC officers are not very active, then send me an email at penstalker(at)gmail.com and I will get a copy for you.

Involve the District Superintendent, the Pastors, Deaconesses and concerned Lay People in your District or Annual Conference. As Methodist youth, we are proud to proclaim that the Christmas Institute is a youth-led and youth-driven activity. But let us not forget that the C.I. is essentially a ministry of the church. So it would be better for all of us if we involved the district superintendents and the pastors in our districts and annual conferences. That way, we will get their support and they can also help us think about the effectiveness of our programs and the consistency of these events with our doctrines and traditions.

Give specific assignments to Church Workers. Church workers often do not attend UMYFP and UMYAFP activities because they do not have specific roles to do. They do not want to be simply spectators in the event. They also want to share with you their experiences and their knowledge. If you don’t do it, you might find opposition from them the next time you sponsor an event.

Give enough time for rest during the C.I. The most common temptation for C.I. planners and for the program committee is to use every possible hour for lectures, praise and worship, bible study, etc. While it may be true that idleness is the breeding ground of evil, the youth delegates also need some white space to process the lessons they are learning and interact with others. Without that “white space,” the delegates may just move from activity to activity without deeply understanding the lessons being taught.

Use Pinoy Christian Worship Music! A lot of youth groups are fascinated by the music of Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Matt Redman and United Live among others. It’s not wrong to use their music in worship. But I say, let us also use Pinoy Christian Worship Music to edify the name of God. After all, every knee, every tongue and every nation will give praise to God. So if we’re not using our own tongue in worshiping God, we may not be able to represent our nation in the banquet of God.

Think Long-Term. One of the most important questions you will have to answer is: “After Christmas Institute, what?” Think about the youth delegates when they go back to their homes and to their local churches? How can you ensure that they will live out meaningful lives for Christ? How can you ensure that they keep growing in the faith?

Not thinking for the long term is usually a fault of C.I. programs. A number of local churches are not just prepared to deal with the long term process of discipleship in the lives of young people. As you plan for the program of your Christmas Institute, think about how the CI can help the overall life of the youth delegates who will attend.

And lastly, never ever forget this: Pray Hard!!