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MWC Youth Committee Sets $100,000 Goal for Paraguay Gathering

PASADENA, California, USA — The Mennonite World Conference's (MWC) global youth committee, AMIGOS, concluded its meetings here with a commitment to raise $100,000 (US). The money will help Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Anabaptist-related young people from all over the world to attend the Global Youth Summit (GYS) in 2009. The GYS will be held in conjunction with the next MWC world assembly in Paraguay.

The first GYS was held in Zimbabwe in 2003 along with the MWC world assembly. MWC at that time raised enough money to hold the event and subsidize 15 delegates from Africa, Asia and Latin America. About seven qualified delegates from Latin America could not attend GYS due to insufficient funds to pay for their travel. One delegate raised his own funds to come to Zimbabwe.

AMIGOS expects the $100,000 fund to partially subsidize about 50 delegates and cover AMIGOS' operational expenses between 2006 and 2009.

AMIGOS chairperson, Elina Ciptadi, reflected her experience as a delegate to GYS 2003 as life changing. She encouraged churches and individuals globally to support this event to equip their young leaders with directions and global perspective.

"In GYS 2003, young leaders discerned their roles for the church, the contributions they could make to the church at large, and shared experiences of grief and joy in serving the Lord. These young leaders, many coming to GYS 2003 feeling alone and worn out, went home encouraged and with clear directions as to what they need to do to make a difference. It is definitely an event to continue to support and send delegates to," Ciptadi said.

"GYS 2003 started a momentum of youth awakening in the global Mennonite family. It raised strong young leaders with a global perspective, and increased the global church's awareness on youth issues. Based on such positive results, the MWC agreed that Global Youth Summit needs to continue," said Ray Brubacher, MWC associate executive secretary for events.

Fund raising will take place through many forms in each continent: calls for donations, church or individual sponsorship — especially to fund a delegate from the southern hemisphere, matching funds, and sale of goods. Conferences interested in sending a delegate will be challenged to fund, or partially fund, their own delegate.

"By challenging each conference to raise funds to send a delegate, we hope to increase their sense of belonging to the GYS and to equipping young leaders. Some conference leaders we talked to have agreed [to this plan], and we are delighted to have this support from them," Ciptadi added.

Before the conclusion of MWC General Council meetings in March, AMIGOS received a $2,000 commitment from a young professional. The person stated, "In our family, we have the habit of giving 100 percent of our first month's salary for God's work. This is our way of offering the first fruit of our labor. When I received my first salary seven years ago, I told my family that I would do it but never actually did — however the thought never left my mind. Therefore, in affirmation of AMIGOS' vision, I commit my latest month's salary as a delayed first offering to God."

About AMIGOS
AMIGOS, the Mennonite World Conference's global youth committee, was established in 2005 to maintain and build on the momentum arising from GYS 2003. The committee consists of one representative from each of the five continental regions, and is responsible for:

• exploring ways for youth around the world to share important faith and life issues, both to their own generation and to the senior church leaders
• expand networking and avenues of youth communication locally, regionally and globally, and
• incorporate youth more meaningfully in the life and leadership of the church.