MCC - Youth Ministry

FACT: Uganda is the world’s “youngest nation”, ranking first among countries with the youngest populations.

Specifically, 50.5 percent of its population is under 15 years of age. It has the 4th highest birth rate in the world at 46.6 births per 1,000 people.

This is going to be quite a challenge for Uganda in the coming years.

It also presents an extraordinary opportunity for the church...

Our team has known for a long time about the pressing need for more ministry to be done with the youth among the Ankole people. And from time to time, whenever we have been able to "squeeze it in," we have happily thrown together some activities, devotionals, or a special event for the youth in our churches. In fact, the youth group at the town church has become particularly active in recent months.

And they are hungry for more. More Christian fellowship. More opportunities for spiritual growth. Someone to give them more time: to study, to pray, to invest in them spiritually.

Unable to adequately address this (HUGE!) need ourselves due to our own full-time ministries, our team has been praying for several years that the Lord would bring people to minister to the youth in our churches.

God has heard our prayers, and help is on the way!

...From College Station, Texas! Yep, that's right - He's sending the Aggies to Uganda!

(Insert your favorite Aggie joke here: _________ )

The Aggies for Christ "Serve Abroad" Ministry...

In all seriousness, we are so thrilled that through their "Serve Abroad" program, the Ankole Mission Team will begin receiving 6-month to one-year "Youth Interns" from the Aggies for Christ Ministry. (Hopefully they won't ever read my comments on this page! We'd like to keep this thing going!)

These interns, or "Journeyman Missionaries," will come in pairs for 6-12 months and work with the youth of the town and village churches. Much emphasis will be given towards developing UGANDAN youth leaders in the churches, that can continue to work with each new "crop" of interns as they cycle through. It is our hope that each subsequent group will overlap a bit with the former "Journeymen" in order to provide maximum continuity.

In addition to training Ugandan youth leaders, the youth interns will plan and lead weekly youth ministry activities and regular "big events" such as taking town church youth out to a cluster of village churches for a soccer match, fellowship meal, and devotional. We are not looking to start up an "activities based" youth club; the focus will be on faith development, building Christian community, and spiritual formation!

How YOU can be involved...

1) Pray for the youth of Uganda, and specifically for those in our churches, and for this new ministry with the Aggies for Christ.

2) Some may want to consider coming over and joining this new ministry! If you are an interested A&M student, click HERE to learn more about the program and contact those who are leading it. Drop them a line (also: READ THIS!) and tell them your interest, and we will all prayerfully seek the Lord's will about the possibility...

If you are not an Aggie then there is still a great possibility for you to help "fill a spot." FIRST READ THIS, and then email us (gage @ ankolemission.com) to find out more about the process...

Thank you for your prayers on behalf of the young people of MCC, Mbarara town, and the surrounding village areas, as well as this new ministry!