The youth ministry is a Church department set up to cater to the needs of teenagers and young adults in the church. It comprises of a group of exuberant young people excited about serving God with their time, their treasure and their talent. They have made themselves available to be used by God to reach their generation in their way and style.
Bible Life Ministries was founded on the bedrock of a young generation. Five of the initial 10 members there on the day the church had its first service were University of Botswana Students.
The youth department is an integral part of the ministry and has been an important aspect of the growth of the ministry. With youth ministry being dynamic, we have seen the department develop, grow, and change with every passing generation.
With a change in times, we have seen a change in names, from the Joseph Generation to Fantamagorgeous (Fantastic Marvellous and Gorgeous) to FLiP (Future Leaders in Progress) to the current one, Sol-Gen (Solomon Generation). Every change has reflected the cultural uniqueness of the youth of that generation. Though there have been style changes the core message has remained the same, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The youth department has endeavoured to reach out to the young generation over the years through organising Youth Conferences, Youth Camps, evangelical outreach missions, community care initiatives and sporting activities. Several people over the the years who have passed through the youth department are now leaders and contributors to society in various capacities in government departments, in the private sector in business and also in ministry.
The current structure of the department is in a manner that creates an atmosphere that is attractive to the youth where biblical truths are taught to them at their level of understanding. The age range covered by the department is from 13-year-olds to 20-year-olds and is organised as follows:
- Incoming Transition Class (13-year-old)
- Junior Youth (14-16 year old)
- Senior Youth(17-19 year old)
- Outgoing Transition Class (20 year old)
The various groups have their meetings three Sundays in a month, either all together or in their groups. On one Sunday of every month, the whole youth department joins the rest of the congregation in the Main Church. There are also meetings on two Fridays in a month at 6:00 pm for the whole group referred to as RSF (Rock Solid Fridays).
The major highlights of the activities organised by the Youth department have been:
Youth Conventions:
These are conferences that have been held every year, biennially in Gaborone and in between in one of the branch Churches. The sessions provided in the conferences have availed to the young people an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with God with themes targeting specific areas of spiritual growth that are relevant to them. The themes have included topics like, ‘Breaking Ground’, Transform, ‘Represent’ and ‘Flavour: Salt and Light’ and ‘Much Fruit’. The conferences have also afforded us an opportunity to interact with other youth from our branches and other churches helping us to learn from one another.
Youth Camps:
Youth Camps that are now held every year are a very exciting time in our calendar. They are a time for fun and games while immersing ourselves deeper into the Word. The camps have helped in recognising talent, providing a refreshing environment to be taught the Word of God and creating a relaxed atmosphere that enables young people to be real with the challenges of their generation.
In the years of its existence through the visionary leadership of Apostle Dr. Enock Sitima, Bible Life Ministries has made an impact in the young generation. Many young people have experienced deliverance from the ills that face their generation, such as alcoholism, sexual immorality, drug abuse etc and are now joyfully serving the Lord.
Beyond doubt, there is a future for Bible Life Ministries as God continues to work on the lives of these young people.