A practical theological reflection of the youth ministry in Khayelitsha

Abstract

This research focused on how youth leaders and their senior pastors perceive youth ministry in the black township of Khayelitsha, A practical theological reflection of youth ministry in Khayelitsha. Youth ministry is an important ministry for a local church, as it is a platform to deal with youth challenges. Youth ministry has a value to add to the young people of its society, in their spiritual and development formation. The first aim of youth ministry, among other things, is to assist with spiritual formation in the lives of the young people. The underlying assumption of the study was that youth ministry in Khayelitsha was about game and entertainment with no spiritual input in the lives of young people. Research findings of this study reveal that in the black township of Khayelitsha there are a lot of activities that are happening under the banner of youth ministry, but there is a lack of a practical theological understanding of youth ministry. It was discovered also in this research that young people after they have been elected to lead a youth ministry, were not trained and developed for their task. The recommendation therefore which can help youth ministry in the black township of Khayelitsha to be practical and theologically oriented is that youth leaders need to be trained so that they may be able to develop or discover for their constituency a sound theology of youth ministry and the purpose of the youth. Youth leaders and their young people need to think about the importance of encapsulating and capturing a vision for youth ministry in their contexts, respectively. Youth leaders need to be trained on leadership issues and other youth ministry related matters, such as socio-economic and youth culture. Youth ministry is so broad, but it is important firstly for the Khayelitsha youth to get the basics right before focusing on other dynamics and dimension matters of youth ministry. It is important that youth need to know that youth ministry is about God first, not social projects. Youth ministry is just a normal youth work if it does not take the relationship young people to have with God and develop them into maturity. Youth ministry should be regarded as a national asset as it has a lot to contribute to the Khayelitsha community through the socially-focused projects that the young people engaged in for their communities. Churches should be intentional about youth ministry when they prepare young people for youth ministry by supporting these young people financially who would like to study this ministry.

Inkonzo yabantu abatsha ibaluleke kakhulu kwinkonzo nganye esekuhlaleni eKhayelitsha. Inkonzo yabantu abatsha inegalelo enalo kubantu abatsha ekuhlaleni, kubomi babo bokukholwa nakuphuhliso lwabo gabalala. Eyokuqala injongo yenkonzo yabantu abatsha enkonzweni kukunceda ukuba bakhule abantu abatsha eMoyeni. Eyona ibiyintsusa yolucwaningo kukurhanela nokukrokrela ukuba inkonzo yabatsha eKhayelitsha igxile ekudlaliseni abantu abatsha kunokukhulisa ubomi babo bakuMoya. Iziphumo ngoko zolucwaningo ziveze ukuba zininzi intshukumo nezinto ezinziwayo ezinkonzweni phantsi kwegama lenkonzo yabantu abatsha, kodwa kukhona ukuswela ulwazi lokuba umsebenzi wabatsha yipraktikali thiyoloji. Kukwafumanesekile ukuba bakuba benyulwe abantu abatsha ezinkonzweni zabo ukuba bakhokele inkonzo yabatsha, inkokheli ezo zabatsha aziyi ziqeqeshwe zixhotyiselwa umsebenzi lo wabo. Ingcebiso ngoko ngokubhekisele kwiziphumo zolu cwaningo zicebisa ukuze umsebenzi wabatsha ukuze ube yipraktikal thiyoloji yeyokuba kumelwe baqeqeshwe abantu abatsha bakuba benyulwe ukuze bazi ukuba ungantoni kanye kanye umsebenzi wabatsha enkonzweni. Inkokheli zabatsha kunye nabatsha bazo kufuneka bacinge nzulu ukuba bangawenza njani umsebenzi wabatsha uze ufanele bona nalendawo bahlala kuyo. Inkokheli zabatsha zimele ziqeqeshelwe kwezokukhokela abantu abatsha, ingxaki abantu abatsha abajongene nazo umzekelo isimo sentlalo abakuso abantu abatsha, kwaye kufuneka zazi nenkcubeko yabantu abatsha. Umsebenzi wabantu abatsha ubanzi, ugabalele ngoko kubalulekile ukuba inkokheli zabatsha zazi izinto zokuqala nezisiseko somsebenzi/inkonzo yabantu abatsha kuqala phambi kokuba bazi ezinye izinto ezingawo umsebenzi wabantu abatsha. Inkonzo yabantu abatsha ingafana nomsebenzi nje ongabantu abatsha ukuba awuyithatheli ingqalelo ubudlelwano abantu abatsha abanabo noThixo, kwaye bukhuliswe kubo.Inkonzo yabantu abatsha mayithathwe njengenkonzo enegalelo elikhulu esizweni ngenxa yezinto abantu abatsha abathi bazibandakanye kuzo ukuzama ukuphucula indawo abahlala kuzo eKhayelitsha. Inkonzo nazo maziyinike ingqwalasela nengqalelo inkonzo okanye umsebenzi wabatsha ngokuwuxhasa ngezemali kwaye zihlawulele abantu abatsha abafuna ukuyo wokufundela umsebenzi wabantu abatsha.