Priscila Fonseca - Youth Ministry International

Hi my name is Priscila Fonseca and I live in Mexico City. I am a youth ministry student at Seminario Biblico de Mexico. The youth ministry courses are sponsored by Youth Ministry International (YMI).

Through my studies YMI has provided a great opportunity for me to learn more about the different ways of bringing young people closer to knowing and accepting the Gospel. Not only because of the tools provided in the classes, but because of the training as to how to get to know the different personalities of the young people and build relationships with them.

I was taught how to explore the so-called “urban youth tribes”, their needs, their desires, their problems. All of this has helped me in the understanding that each individual young person needs Christ and that being able to know their environment, their culture, and even their vocabulary has improved my ability to present the Gospel. I have learned that each young person is different and needs to hear the message of salvation in a personal way.

The teachers who taught the courses are highly trained, not only in the subject of young people, but in the Gospel itself. Their lives reflect Christ in them and that is the obvious main priority in every teacher/trainer’s life. If there is no genuine love and commitment to God, the subjects taught would be of little use. Thank God that their testimonies which have been a blessing for students like me.

Priscila Fonseca is a student of Applied Theology and Youth Ministries at Sembimex (Seminario Biblico de Mexico). She is a translator of theological and apologetic texts at Worldview Media and at Women in Apologetics. She writes in her own blog, “Encuentrame en el Cielo” (Find me in Heaven).

Today we can see that young people are increasingly estranged from God. They are immersed in themselves, not wanting to give an account to anyone. However, in other cases, they want to defend their faith but are not prepared to do so because they have only learned games in camps and youth group meetings. As a result, when their faith is challenged with fallacious arguments by atheists, they do not know how to answer and are afraid to ask. They then prefer to get away from the path of Truth.

That is why the YMI training is so important because it prepares us to help young people find answers to their deepest doubts. The training helps us understand their stages of development, so that as a youth leader we can then develop effective communication methods so that we can have a true friendship with them which then allows us to guide them in their Christian journey.

I believe that this type of ministry training is needed in every church and seminary. This training is not only important, but also urgent. Young people are in a hurry and we must go at their pace because if you get one step behind, you get off their radar. It’s not about chasing them, but it about walking alongside them and understanding their culture and lives.

For this reason, the type of training that YMI offers is very useful in missions and evangelism by providing both academic and spiritual tools. The training never loses the focus of preparing your heart to honor God first, remembering that we work for Him by continuing in the work of the great commission. They always remind you that what matters is the eternal life of the young person, not only to provide them with some temporary remedy, but long-term solutions that will lead them down the narrow path of consecration in the Christian Life.

Without a doubt, I am thankful for YMI’s presence in Mexico and I recommend this ministry and its training, which to this day continues to impact my own ministry and my own walk with each young person I meet and that allows me to speak to them about the Gospel. Remember, this is a totally urgent need. The youth need Christ today!