On the Sunday gathering of 21 April 2024, as Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC) reaches the halfway point of its Exodus series, the youths of CERC are equally immersed in an exciting and gripping part of the story during their Youth Church sessions.
The hunger and eagerness to hear God’s word are widely reflected among the 16 youths who hurriedly made their way to Youth Church from the Sunday Gathering. Contrary to the expectation that youths would only be intrigued by the dramatic parts of the Exodus story, such as the Ten Plagues or the parting of the Red Sea, their continued enthusiasm to learn from the whole of Exodus is striking.
As the youths opened their Bibles to Exodus 17, the youth leaders began the Youth Church with a pre-Sermon discussion question: “Who is the right man to fight for God’s people?”
Clarisse, 17, who has been attending CERC Youth for almost a year, eagerly shared her thoughts with me: “It has got to be a man who fears God.” She added that this perspective was new to her, saying, “It was only through Youth Church going through Exodus that I realised just how big God is in terms of His holiness.”
She continued to share how grateful she was to be back at church through the ministry of CERC Youth after being away for about 10 years due to circumstantial reasons: “It has been a year in CERC Youth Church and I thank God that I got to come back to Him through this ministry!”
The energy in the room continued to build as Shaun Alex Thomas, a Church Ministers’ Apprentice at CERC, eagerly entered to preach to the youths for the first time. As Shaun delved into the text, he actively engaged the youths with questions and illustrations. The youths responded with their own questions and comments, eagerly anticipating Shaun’s following points. This created an atmosphere of vibrant discussion and reflection.
Youths vibrantly interacting with Shaun Alex Thomas on the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17)
In their vibrant responses to the preacher, the youths are also intently listening, taking the preacher’s words seriously. Instead of looking at their phones, they are looking at their Bibles and taking down their sermon notes eagerly, to better remember what they have learned today in Youth Church.
14 year-old Clarence showcases how he takes notes during the sermon
The preacher himself, Shaun, notes the unique gospel culture he observed at Youth Church during his sermon. He shares frankly, “When I was a youth, the sermon part during church was the part where I would doze off. But here, the culture is quite the opposite of what I was used to. This positive culture of loving God and His word is infectious, and it’s something I hope the youths will not take for granted.”
Youth leaders also play a vital role in cultivating this good culture in youths—leading them in reflections, helping them to apply what they just heard in the sermon, and ultimately modelling to them what being a lifelong student of the Word looks like.
Youth Leaders passionately reflect on the sermon with fellow youths in their respective groups
Colin Loh, one of the youth leaders at CERC Youth, shares why he is so passionate about his role in teaching the younger generation. He reflects, “[Learning the Bible] is even more important as they are in their formative years, and these stories are vital in teaching them how to fear God and to remember how all things come from God.”
Latimer Gan, another fellow youth who is part of the Under-17 youth group, shared what he discussed with his group earlier in their post-sermon discussion time. He says, “[We have been learning that] Exodus covers many important themes of the Old Testament such as the laws, the covenant, the setting up of God’s kingdom in Israel and, of course, Moses as God’s people’s leader—which all points to Christ in the end. Learning Exodus, therefore, is a necessary tool for us to be followers of Christ as we grow in our appreciation of who Christ is!”
CERC Youth is Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC)’s Youth Ministry and welcomes all 13-17-year-old youths to be part of their youth community that is passionate about Christ’s rule! With more than 8 youth leaders committed to serving and teaching the youths, CERC Youth meets every week in their Youth Groups on Fridays from 7:30 pm to 10 pm and in Youth Church on Sundays at 10 am. For more information on how to be a part of CERC Youth, click here: https://cerc.com.my/youth
