by Khoo Tze Wei
19 June 2011
If memory serves me well, this is the 10th year that the Youth Enrichment Seminar (Y.E.S) has been held. A brief check of the schedule of past seminars (and in fact any camp organized by the church) reveals common terms – lessons, games, devotion, singing and the like. The instinctive thought then, is to presume every seminar (or camp) will be the same as the preceding or subsequent one, hence – dull and boring. However, to judge the Y.E.S based on its schedule would no doubt be unreasonable.
For one, it is the people who participate that matter. Different people participate every year, first timers and veterans alike. And it is the people who make every Y.E.S a whole new experience of learning, fellowship and fun. Moreover, every year different ideas are concocted and implemented to ensure there is some form of variation to the Y.E.S. However, there is one commonality to all the 10 Youth Enrichment Seminars. That is – the youths have come away encouraged, enriched and edified. You do not have to take my word for it. Read for yourself the comments* given by some of the young people who participated in the Y.E.S:
Khoo Tze Ren (Klang): It was a great camp; learnt a lot about the book of James especially chapter 3. The games were fun. I am looking forward to a more fun camp next year!
Calvin Soo (Ipoh): It was a great seminar because we got to learn how the book of James teaches us on how we should live as Christians and also having fellowship with one another with other brethren from other congregations.
Edwin Rao (Malacca): I am very happy and really enjoyed the Y.E.S. I really enjoyed all the games and I studied a lot about God’s Word there. Now, I can really understand the book of James.
Ong Ee Gene (Klang): fun fun FUN FUN!!!!!
Edward Rao (Klang): Good times. When is the next Y.E.S? I want to go again. Sooooo fun.
Tan Hui Yi (Ipoh): It was a great camp and I really gained a lot from the few lessons, understanding more about the book of James. All the games were fun. Indeed a great experience. Thumbs up to the organizing committee and the campers!
Aevyn Quek (Klang): Nice camp. Wish we could organize more activities like this. Thanks to the organizers too.
Simon Wong (KL): It’s my 2nd time joining the Y.E.S and I really enjoyed it. Other than just learning about the Bible in lecture style, we also had some discussions, Q&A and understood more by presenting skits based on lessons from the book of James. It was very creative and also helps rediscover the joy of learning. It was a privilege to meet some youths from various congregations to discuss and learn from each other; meeting them other than just at the YDP.
Sean Lim (Klang): For the past few Y.E.S’s, I’ve been encouraged by the fact that youths from various congregations have an opportunity like this to come together and to strengthen our bonds, which certainly bids well for the future of the church since we always hear the adults saying the youth are the future leaders of the church. In this recent Y.E.S, what we saw was that the younger youth participating have been nothing but energetic and enthusiastic all the way. Furthermore their desire to want to study God’s word has been personally very encouraging and it is certainly my (and probably others as well) hope that they will continue to be an example to all of us, in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity.
*comments were not coerced nor edited to portray only positive aspects of the Y.E.S. 
It was a joy to see young Christians gathered together, sharing a common faith and belief, learning together, exhorting one another, bonding over laughter, chit chat and singing. And it is by observing these young people that I comprehend the relevance of that which is written in Hebrews 10:24, 25:
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
May our young Christians continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
