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二○二○年四月二十五日／四月二十六日 Click here for English version 疫情下青年人的生活挑戰
羅惠芬牧師
疫症爆發以來，北宣青年科牧者們「日Zoom夜Zoom」，透過視像平台作另一種「埋身」牧養，從中了解青年弟兄姊妹在疫情下的生活挑戰。 Pastor's Sharing
COVID-19: Challenges Facing Our Young People
Rev Catherine Law
Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, pastors of the NPAC Young Adults Ministry have been "Zooming" day and night to closely minister to brothers and sisters using an alternative platform in a bid to understand the challenges facing our young people under the pandemic. Tertiary: We can see that to the tertiary members of our fellowships, the pandemic is like “a tsunami of faith.” Schooling routine is disrupted for the time being. There is limited motivation for online tuition and home assignments. Homebound and without social activities, they spend much more time on video games, movies and TV episodes. Most tertiary brothers and sisters use Zoom four times a day: for tuition, group projects, fellowship or small groups, etc. For some, the disruption to daily routine has made their attendance of online meetings somewhat unstable. Some others lack the initiative for quiet time or online worship. Some even feel depressed and are in dire need of care and encouragement. Meanwhile, tertiary students are also hit by the new wave of unemployment and find it hard to get internship. This year's graduates are faced with a rapidly deteriorating job market. Under the current circumstances, many brothers and sisters feel anxious and uncertain about the future. May God strengthen the faith of our young people through the care and guidance of our pastors and counselors. Young working adults: They seem to be better able to adapt to the latest changes. Although not all of them embrace the virtual gatherings, some are able to invite guests to join. Attendance at Bible pre-studies has actually increased. It is not easy at all to arrange programs for online fellowship meetings, and committee members are often at a loss as to what else can be done. Nevertheless, we do see some new attempts under the joint efforts of counselors and fellowship committee members. One fellowship invited a few pastors to perform their favorite nursery rhymes. Inevitably, the drastic economic downturn has put pressure on the work and salary of our young adults. May God keep them and may they always look unto God for guidance. Young Couples: They are faced with changes to their daily lives due to flexible working hours and home office. Many find it challenging to handle their children with school suspension. They also have the added challenges of decreased pay and uncertain job prospects. I am happy to see that they continue to meet online, sharing deeply and praying for one another. One of the young couple fellowships once saw an attendance of 100 at their online meeting, including their children. Some online meetings were joined by brothers and sisters who had emigrated to Canada for a reunion in a difficult time. These fellowships are also actively exploring ways to conduct online meetings that participants can engage more. During this time, some young brothers and sisters of various age groups have asked how they could serve as they wish to offer whatever they can to help the church at this time of tremendous need. We are most thankful to the Lord for that during the pandemic! |
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