Chosen to Follow
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A youth ministry restarts in the wake of the pandemic
A fight erupted as Ema Smith walked past the basketball court in their neighborhood of Botocan in Manila, Philippines. Josh*, a teenage boy she knew, was sweeping the court to play basketball when another boy began setting up a volleyball net. Without saying a word, Josh threw a punch. Most people in the neighborhood knew him as a troublemaker, but Ema saw something different: "Here's someone who needs Jesus."
That mindset became the vision behind Aaron and Ema Smith’s recruitment efforts to rebuild their youth ministry this year. After a historically vibrant Youth Ministry, Servant Partners in Manila has not had a youth fellowship since 2020. Manila endured one of the world’s longest COVID-19 lockdowns, spanning two years with effects lasting far beyond. The pandemic and lockdown wiped out their youth group, and many still rarely leave their homes.
Last April, the Smiths decided to host their church’s first youth camp in more than a decade. Rather than fill the camp with youth already connected to church, they were inspired by Jesus' words in Luke 5:31–32: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." They intentionally invited youth with no church background, including some labeled as rough or bad kids.
“Not long before the camp, I saw a boy punch another kid at the basketball court. At that time, I thought, ‘Here’s someone who needs Jesus,’ and I knew he should come, but our youth leaders were reluctant because he is labeled as a ‘bad kid.’”
The decision wasn't without risk. Some youth didn't want to go if certain campers came, and a few leaders were hesitant. But Aaron and Ema believed God was calling them to start again by reaching young people who didn’t know Jesus.
Over five days, the group of 42 teenagers, ages 12 to 18, gathered at a beach retreat for interactive Bible studies, worship, and swimming. The Smiths also led practical life-skills workshops, covering conflict resolution, managing emotions and stress, and making wise decisions in everyday life. Many had never experienced a church camp before or spent multiple days at the beach.
Post-camp, many youth, including Josh, reflected that the practical life skills were their biggest takeaways. Aaron and Ema still see him at the neighborhood basketball court. Instead of picking fights, he's learning to respond differently. His friends remind him to stay calm, and he now greets Aaron and Ema with warmth and respect whenever they see each other.
Aaron praised God for the lack of incidents before, during, and after camp. They now hold regular youth meetings, and many teenagers attend Sunday services. With the new youth in attendance, they are so full on Sundays, they can’t all fit inside the building!
Two teenage girls Aaron had seen drinking alcohol just days before camp are now attending youth group regularly. Several youth have asked about being baptized, while others continue wrestling with old habits. But the Smiths know that discipleship takes time. “Discipleship is a life-to-life journey,” Aaron said. “Many of the youth we work with have no church background and have a lot of trauma and sin they need to work through. While it is great to see instant transformation, the Holy Spirit's timeline is often much slower."
Many youth have expressed interest in helping lead next year’s camp, so Ema is designing a 12-week discipleship training to prepare them to become leaders. "Our hope," Ema says, "is that they become salt and light in the community.” Aaron hopes for a “new generation of leaders within the church.”
"Our hope is that they become salt and light in the community.”
Just a few months ago, there was no youth ministry in Botocan. Today, a new generation of young people are learning what it means to follow Jesus and preparing to invite others to do the same.
