International

The “C” around the World

Germany - Jaochim Schmutz |

Over the past several years there have been various initiatives on the international level to strengthen the “C” in the YMCA. One of them is the Mission Network in Latin America (”Red de Misión en Latinoamerica) which began in 2002 by the YMCAs of Chile, Colombia, Peru and Germany. Since then, most Latin American YMCAs have participated in at least one of the annual conferences.

In May 2007 the Mission Network Conference held in Munich, Germany was opened to YMCAs of other continents and became the first worldwide Mission Network Conference with participation from 13 Nations.

We celebrated our common Christian purpose while investigating opportunities that would support the ongoing expression of the YMCA around the world. The immediate sense of unity was profound and the universal bond of service, through the YMCA, was evident in most every conversation. When the contingencies arrived they were total strangers from destinations most had never heard of. Over the course of several days of workshops and late night small group conversations, sometimes through the patient expression of a translator, camaraderie was enjoyed, friendships were created, and a unified vision was born.

With a sense of global impact, the following was birthed:

- VI International Consultation

- Mission and Evangelization

- “The Paris Basis in the 21st century”

- YMCA Munich

- May 5 – 12  2007  GERMANY

DECLARATION

Gathered in Germany, Munich, on May 5 to 12, the delegates of the movements of Germany, Colombia, Chile, Peru, India, Malta, Netherlands, Nigeria, Singapore, Togo, UK, USA and Zambia in the VI Conference on Mission and Evangelization, have established the following declaration:

  • We recognize the inspiring presence of Jesus Christ in our Network which manifests itself in the fraternal communion, commitment to the values of the Kingdom and the need for constant prayer in the Holy Spirit.
  • We recognize our missionary vocation, supported by the historic roots of the YMCA, whose foundation is the Paris Basis.
  • We have rediscovered a new way of being, acting, and living out our Christian faith within and through the YMCA.  We reaffirm our mission to live out the values of the gospel in our communities.
  • We reaffirm the network of mission and evangelization as an instrument that promotes and encourages the spiritual values of the volunteer leaders and staff of our YMCAs.
  • We reaffirm our missionary vocation that calls us into a crucial conversion to Jesus Christ. In what we affirm and in order to have participants in the YMCA who are committed to building the Kingdom of God, we need to identify ourselves with the person of Jesus Christ and know Him as his disciple. This can be a methodology in order to continue the Christian formation within our YMCAs (1st: Encounter with Jesus, 2nd: Following Jesus, 3rd: Commitment to Jesus).
  • What we have experienced in this conference has encouraged us to be missionaries both within and outside our movements, bringing to perfection all of our talents and gifts for the glory of God.
  • We recognize the importance of building up our youth with regard to the missionary work in the YMCAs, motivating them to be more integrated into our network.
  • We reaffirm the network of mission and evangelization in its universal and open character, which welcomes the voluntary participation of movements whose identities are in Jesus Christ, within the framework of mutual respect and recognition of their differences and diversities. As an international network of YMCA staff and volunteers, it is our intention to share the nuances of our unique cultures, uncover meaningful opportunities for impact, organize short-term mission trips that enhance the work of local YMCAs, and amplify the awareness of long-term exchange opportunities for staff and volunteers in order to further the ministry of the YMCA.

The next Mission Network Conference will be from 28th to 31st of May 2009 in Lima, Peru.

Germany |