Developing an integration program for youth into the day-to-day life of the church in Mutare North district

Abstract

Integration of youth in the day- to- day life of the church is a way of nurturing young people and making them part of the church through participation. According to King Solomon a child should be trained in the way he/she should go so that when old will not depart from it (Prov 22:6). After studying the Bible and other contemporary writers, the researcher developed an integration program for youth into the life of the church in Mutare North district. The training started in January 2011. An integration strategy with four phases was developed and implemented. The training started with 82 mentors and 82 youth [junior officers] who were being mentored. The program ran for one and half years. An indication of the effectiveness of the integration program is that, statistics of youth who are now taking part in the routine life of the church increased from 12% between 2008 and 2012 to 15% in 2013. Other benefits brought by the integration program were increase in attendants both in the morning and afternoon in 3 of the churches in Mutare North district.