Youth Group, what can we say? Youth group!
In the Amazon, to build a church, many times you must work on the second generation due to many factors such as the semi-illiterate condition of many adults, a lack of previous Bible training, and poor work ethic. Bringing in pastors from outside the area has also proven to be ineffective, as they don’t stay for the long haul. So we concentrate on reaching, discipling, and training this age to be faithful to the Lord.
The youth work is a very tedious, trying, stretching, testing . . . oh, did I mention? – a very exciting ministry. As the youth come to Christ, they are immediately placed in a discipleship program and encouraged to practice the truths they are learning. They are also encouraged to evangelize (a group of youth got active last year and started a chain of over 50 saved in one year), encouraged to be active in church ministry, take classes in the Bible Institute, and attend the youth camps / retreats.