Café

The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have To Preach
Reviewed by Hans Kristensen
Little Black Books: Science and God
Reviewed by Andrew Laird
Making the Most of the Cross
Reviewed by Lesley Hicks
Higher Ground
Reviewed by Andrew Laird

Gen Y gets persecuted, too

1:00am Monday, 9th August 2010

Joshua Maule on how Aussie youth can link to the persecuted church

Sometimes considered self absorbed, uncommitted, and sponges for entertainment, Generation Y have copped their fair share of labels in their few short years on the planet.
But Brad Konemann has a big vision for them. Not only does he want Australian teenagers to be moved by the persecution of God’s people on distant shores, he wants them to live out a radical faith in their own backyard. “The reality,” he says, “is in Christ we are one body, one family and persecuted Christians aren’t strangers.”
As the Youth Director for Voice of the Martyrs Australia (VOM), Brad has key to the launch of Thirteen Three, “an initiative ...
to mobilise passionate youth to be bound with their persecuted brothers and sisters.
“There is a spirit in this young generation of wanting to make a difference,” says the 23 year old. “Young people may be aware that some Christians are persecuted for their faith, but I don’t think they’re aware of the scale of it and severity of it.”
Thirteen Three – based on Hebrews 13:3 – was officially launched at St Paul’s Grammar School on May 14 as more than 500 teens gathered to sing, pray and hear about the persecuted church from Vietnamese Pastor Toby (see testimony). And the response throws water on the notion Gen Y care only about themselves as more than 230 decided to join the Bound With Them campaign (a decision to be “praying, giving, writing, serving and telling others” about persecution).
According to Brad, support for those in restricted nations is only the beginning. “I say to every group that I meet that we can learn from persecuted Christians. We can live it out here and now – being willing to suffer for the gospel and live for Jesus knowing that people aren’t going to like what we’ve got to say.”

Pastor Toby's story

“I would just walk around wondering how to die,” Toby (not his real name) recalls of growing up in Vietnam. Aged 17, his country was in the midst of the Vietnam war and his family were poor. One day though, after a stumbling into a church, a local pastor handed him a copy of the New Testament. That night after reading John’s gospel, Toby prayed the sinner’s prayer on the back cover. Peace overwhelmed him and he felt “no more sadness”. Communists soon took control of the “open” church Toby had begun to attend. Before sermons were delivered they had to be checked. Eventually the young man was among six Christians that broke away and formed an underground church. The small community grew to 25 members in several weeks. And the believers continued to meet out of earshot of the communists.
Today Vietnam remains one of the most tightly controlled nations in the world. Churches are required to register with the government, and if they do not members face beatings, church closure and imprisonment.
“The key for people to continue in their faith in Vietnam is experience,” he told Eternity on a Voice of the Martyrs-sponsored tour of Sydney. “People have to have a strong foundation. We equip new believers in the Bible so they can stand firm when persecution comes. The key is loving one another and being strong together.”