Our early youth fellowship and its missionary initiatives (BJEP015)

 

Our early youth fellowship and its missionary initiatives

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath)

A couple of days ago, when Jose Jacob asked about the nature of groups and ministries in the movement's early days, I thought of sharing my experience of the fellowship group I grew up in and the small mission initiatives that developed around it. 

As a prayer group, we began gathering a few decades ago and journeyed forward, bearing fruit. These weekly meetings became a central part of our lives, shaping us, forging strong relationships, and challenging us to step outside and make a difference in all the areas in which we interacted. I thank God that it continues even today, as one of the key commitments in the lives of some of us.

Our Fellowship Groups.

1. Prayer Group Gathering: Our prayer group met every Wednesday at St. Teresa’s College, in a classroom for about an hour and a half. These lively gatherings were joy-filled times of singing and praise, adoration, singing in the spirit, using other charisms, Bible study, reflection, intercession, and continuing fellowship. This regular meeting consistently attracted visitors and new members. Everyone gained fresh energy from these gatherings, and even those less active knew it was a place they could come to on any Wednesday.

2. Committed Group: Connected with our general group, we later formed a committed group. This was an invitation-only group of regular and dedicated members from the wider group who sought to grow together steadily. This initiative started as a response to some messages we received within the larger group, indicating the Lord's desire for us to grow in witnessing and mission, to be His hands and feet for others. We believed that to engage in mission effectively, we first needed a community where people were growing together in faith, connected in love, and united, from which they could be sent out to bear fruit. We met every Tuesday for an hour or more to get to know each other, share personal inspirations, and discern how to move into mission.

3. Intercession gatherings: We also gathered every Saturday for an extended period of intercession. This was one of the initial ministries to emerge from the general group and, more specifically, the committed group. In many ways, this was also a nurturing community that joyfully came together before the Blessed Sacrament, interacting, reflecting, and interceding. We met every Saturday at Infant Jesus Church in Ernakulam.

4. Cells/Small Groups: As more people connected with the group and expressed eagerness to participate together, we started cells or small groups. Initially, the idea was presented to the larger group, allowing people to gather in clusters and form small groups. Later, these groups were formed either voluntarily or with the guidance and support of the leaders. Initially, there was a designated day when all small groups would gather in a convenient place. After some initial fellowship, they would then disperse to their home groups to continue. However, they later independently decided their meeting times and locations.

5. Core Group: The core team also oversees and coordinates different groups. This more formally structured group remained active for about two years. It is also a closely connected body that gathers frequently to evaluate regional activities, share mutually, and occasionally undertake study modules.

6. Prayer companions formed another relational support system that we utilized. Members were generally encouraged to choose a companion for mutual prayer, sharing, and offering various forms of accompaniment and support, especially during some gatherings.

Ministry initiatives

Another area to share is the early mission initiatives:

In-group and outreach ministries: As we often say, a group has both internal ministries and external outreach initiatives. Both are essential and should complement each other. An exclusive focus on internal group activities, without any outreach to the church and society, can be limiting. Conversely, if everyone solely concentrates on external activities and sharing the good news without nurturing a vibrant internal community, that, too, is incomplete.

In-group Ministries

Within our group, there were various internal ministries. 

Leadership and envisioning forums: There were leadership forums that included the core group but were not limited to it. Enthusiastic group members gathered to enliven the community and its activities, sometimes informally and at other times in a more structured manner. Every chat was an occasion to talk about what the Lord is doing in one’s life and community, and dream about what is even more possible. They continuously envisioned the group's future, sharing inspiration for its development and critically assessing its progress. Designated individuals were appointed to lead the group, particularly in praise and worship. Therefore, leadership was a key ministry.

Teaching ministry: It focused on ideas, approaches, and individuals dedicated to sharing God's word and teaching in the group. We even developed a comprehensive, stage-by-stage teaching plan for the group, utilizing various dynamics such as team teaching, small group discussions, and occasional teaching leaflets.

Music group: The group had a vibrant music ministry. Those who could sing, lead music, and play instruments gathered to discuss songs, practice, and prepare. This was especially helpful during celebrations and programs. The highlight every year for the Music group was the fun-filled Christmas celebration. There were also opportunities to learn and teach new songs to the group. 

Welcome Ministry was a particularly engaging initiative, often involving room arrangement, joyful welcoming, and a focus on connecting people, creating a lively atmosphere within the group. The welcome team greeted individuals as they arrived, sometimes offering flowers or personalized welcome notes, and guiding them into the meeting area. They also ensured that attendees connected with others, especially newcomers, so they wouldn't feel lost in the larger group. Sometimes collaborating with the welcome team or working independently, the arrangements ministry ensured that books and Bibles were available, arranged the meeting hall to foster community spirit and visibility, and thus built a sense of togetherness. The group has to gather around and not sit like a classroom. At times, attention was also given to providing refreshments, either after the meeting or upon arrival, acknowledging that many people came tired after work or travel.

Group animation: At certain points, some persons or groups actively took up relationship animation as a ministry. This initiative introduced collecting new visitors' details and maintaining records of their information, particularly birthdays and addresses. Consequently, whether the individuals were present or not, birthday greetings became a regular practice. People were also encouraged to linger after meetings to socialize. Those with more time would often go out for coffee or a chat in a public park.

Prayer support: This held a special place within the group. Often, some individuals would specifically focus on praying for needs and accompany them regularly. At one point, the fourth Wednesday meetings were primarily set aside for intercession. However, every meeting concluded with a time dedicated to intercession. Additionally, after each meeting, it was the custom to announce that those needing prayer support could go to a designated corner where individuals would be ready to listen and pray with them. Naturally, many would want such support and would go there.

Outreach Ministries

In the group, there was always encouragement to bear fruit by reaching out to others. No wonder, in our group, there was a time to introduce newcomers, and there were a few every week. Outgoing ministries took various forms. Some individuals pursued personal initiatives, while others engaged in missions undertaken by the group.

Social outreach: My favorite initiative involved visiting a poor colony with some group members and spending a few hours interacting with the residents. The idea originated from our committed group. Initially, someone suggested the area, and two of us volunteered to assess the situation. One Sunday, Joy and I visited the area to explore. We returned and briefed the group. Subsequently, a few of us began visiting this locality every Sunday. The colony consisted of more than 50 small huts packed into a small, dirty wasteland. We engaged in various activities there. Some people spent time with the children, others visited homes and interacted with the homebound, some sat and chatted with the youngsters, while others did whatever they could.

The day began with many of us gathering in a city church on a Sunday morning for a time of prayer, listening to the Lord, and some planning before heading to the colony. We would take public transport to the colony. Upon reaching there, we would disperse to meet and interact with people. After a few hours of interaction, we would reconvene outside to share a meal, pray, and reflect. In these ways, for all who participated, these outreaches proved to be highly fruitful, engaging, and formative.

Youth outreach: Gathering young people and reaching out to them was another initiative we undertook. Someone would take the initiative to find a few young people in an area, talk to them, ask them to invite their friends, gather them in a place, and begin a steady interaction. Some educational institutions and parishes also opened their doors to us. A few of us would initially go on a designated day to interact with these youngsters and follow up with further gatherings, sometimes gently guiding them towards a series of seminars, often the Life in the Spirit Seminar. This would eventually lead to the formation of a prayer group there. Someone from our group would then follow up with this new group for a longer time, and even some individuals from that new group would begin attending our group meetings to learn about growing together as a community and building up others. This was the kind of leadership formation we facilitated in that area.

Visits of various kinds formed an essential part of our missionary initiatives. One such initiative was visiting prisoners. Proper contacts and permissions are necessary for this. Prison visits often proved transformative for young people and deeply touching for prisoners. Visits to hospitals, particularly ones like cancer wards or isolation wards, held special significance. Visiting old-age care homes, orphanages, and other care facilities was also meaningful. Identifying poor or neglected localities and visiting homes and people there represented another aspect of our outreach.

Later in the movement, we experimented with youth camps focused on social outreach. The first camp took place in an impoverished fishing colony. Subsequently, we organized various camps in a leprosy colony, a tribal hamlet, and a hill outstation. These camps combined living alongside the poor, engaging in constructive activities that benefited the area, fostering community involvement, some form of evangelization, and personal formation for those participating in the camps.

Youth groups would also visit public places like parks, supermarkets, and busy junctions, sometimes engaging in creative activities to attract attention and interact with those who gather. They were also tried. However, focusing on specific social themes proved more relevant in public spaces. We also explored methods like community-painting campaign, musical presentations, street drama, flash mobs, etc., for this.

From the start, our group focused on building a strong, close-knit fellowship rooted in prayer, friendship, and a shared mission. This gave us the support and energy we needed, and from it, different missionary efforts began to grow naturally. Whether reaching out to the poor, walking with young people, or serving in other ways, it all came from the love of the Lord we experienced together. We learned that a deep inner life and strong relationships strengthen our outreach. Those early days laid a strong foundation for all the good initiatives that followed, showing us how closely spiritual growth, community, and mission are connected.