C H R I S T I A N I T Y   S E M I N A R

Youth: Faith & Action!

Aula LPP Synod of GKJ – GKI at Central Java

Samirono Baru, February 1, 2014

Christianity Training is a training revealing church's responses to social problems, exploring new paradigms and form of church transformative ministry and determining potency of young christian people as part of national building actors to work and contribute to society.

On Saturday, February 1, 2014 at the Auditorium LPP Synod GKJ – GKI Central Java, Samirono Baru, Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta held a seminar with a theme of Youth: Faith and Action! Esaol Agustriawan, MA., Rev. Paulus Hartono, M.Min., and Andreas Subiyono are the facilitators of the training.

Esaol Agustriawan, M.A, in his session, tries to assess the church response to the Issues and Problems of Society by exploring the participants’ involvement in church social activities and revealing the church's response to the social problems. Based on the parable of Good Samaritan taken from Luke 10:25-37, participants are learning the characters and the role of the actors in the parable in each position. Both sides of victim and helper in this story is the focus of the discussion. Participants reflect two different situations, namely "what is going on with The Helper if he is helping the victims" and "what will happen with the Victim if no one gives help?" These two situations make participants ponder the way of their thinking and persuade them to change it with a new paradigm, that formerly self-orientation into other else-orientation, as the foundation of diaconal service.

The session of Understanding the Paradigms and Forms of Church Service: Transformative Ministry is delivered by Rev. Paulus Hartono, M.Min. He said that a believer is the church itself, consisting of three interrelated aspects, namely faith (as a base), growth, and action. The church transformation needs attitude, skills, and knowledge. The interesting thing is when Rev. Paulus confessed his experience having interaction with people with different faith, even the hard-line group. He must have initiative to open communication, dialogue and maintain the network through social work collaboration such as building a livable house for the poor.

Andreas Subiyono from SHEEP Indonesia, with the theme of Knowing the Potency and Position of the Youth as Part of Nation Builders, expects the youth to be aware of their responsibility to the nation problems, such as, human resource, education, food, health, industry, and natural resources. At the end of the session, Andreas challenges the participants to have commitment contributing their intellectual capabilities to overcome the problems faced by Indonesia. It starts from a simple thing, for example, using water wisely, saving electricity, reducing plastic use, etc. *** (TRU)