{"id":12779,"date":"2016-05-14T21:51:20","date_gmt":"2016-05-15T04:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=12779"},"modified":"2016-05-14T21:51:20","modified_gmt":"2016-05-15T04:51:20","slug":"two-ambassadors-of-gods-love-share-young-peoples-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/two-ambassadors-of-gods-love-share-young-peoples-address\/","title":{"rendered":"Two ambassadors of God\u2019s love share young people\u2019s address"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kay DeMoss<\/strong>
\nMay 14, 2016\u2502PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS)<\/h4>\n

While only two young people spoke on the General Conference stage this morning, thousands more stood with them. Chelsea Spyres and Peter Cibuabua began their witness by identifying themselves as \u201cambassadors sharing young people\u2019s voices from around the world.\u201dThat voice declared the uncompromising nature of God\u2019s love and grace for all people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe objective of this message is to help you, our brothers and sisters in the church, to understand how widely and deeply the young people are engaged in Christ\u2019s journey with energy and love,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

They then listed challenges their generation faces as well as the solutions for building the church.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe God stops whispering and starts to yell,\u201d Spyres said as she called persons to move beyond their personal intentions and goals in order to listen to \u201cnew voices longing to be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea<\/a>
Chelsea Spyres of the Peninsula-Deleware Conference helps deliver the young people’s address during the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Oregon Photo by Teri Tobey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She reminded the assembly of each individual\u2019s uniqueness. \u201cHow would the church grow,\u201d she asked, \u201cif we encouraged each person to discern their calling, to discern where God is leading them to make a difference in the world? If we listened before we spoke?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cibuabua said young people\u2019s programming is usually one of the lower line items on a conference budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this way, young people are marginalized in the church,\u201d he said, listing ways the world\u2019s young people are victimized by violence, war, disease, poverty, racism, sexism and child trafficking. Even so, he added, \u201cYoung people are shaped by the good news of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spyres challenged the church to give God\u2019s transformational love a chance. \u201cNo matter where you stand on questions of human sexuality,\u201d she said, \u201cwe are called to love, and love before anything else.\u201d She asked all present to accept people \u201cas God created them to be\u201d rather than \u201ctrying to conform them to who we think they should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cibuabua noted that today\u2019s young people treat issues like homosexuality \u201cout loud.\u201d He asked others to do so also, \u201cwith compassion and love, no matter what might happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two young people lifted up The United Methodist Committee on Relief, outward-reaching congregations and The Young African Leaders Summit as examples of transformational love at its best. \u201cWe are a church of action, a church that lives out our call to service,\u201d Spyres said. \u201cIt is this kind of response that draws young people into the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other voices of youth were raised onscreen \u2014 how the church is weak as well as how it gets it right. Other young people who had also submitted videos during the yearlong process that produced the address sat on the stage.<\/p>\n

Cibuabua offered a takeaway in the form of a new slogan for young people: \u201cToday First, Tomorrow Then,\u201d instead of saying, \u201cyoung people are the church of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The remarks on stage concluded with a call to unity and an invitation to continued conversation across generations. \u201cMore than anything,\u201d Spryes remarked, \u201cwe hope you will connect with the young people in your own life and ministry.\u201d Postcards were made available to delegates wishing to share words of encouragement and support; these may be dropped off at the Young People\u2019s Lounge in the Convention Center.<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/a>
Peter Cibuabua of the Central Congo Conference helps deliver the young people’s address during the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Oregon. Photo by\u00a0Teri Tobey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Their stories<\/strong><\/h4>\n

These two young people were nurtured, live and serve half a world apart; yet, they professed a common message, \u201cBe like Jesus and build relationships and love before anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spyres grew up in Delaware and now serves as a missionary in Detroit. She explained that she began attending her home congregation at a young age with her grandmother, Nana. Church camp and mission work followed during her teen years. Spyres spoke of her appreciation for the nurture she continues to receive from her home congregation in Newark, Delaware. \u201cThat family of faith allowed me to see how powerful the body of Christ can be, when the church is looking outwardly more than inwardly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

What she learned from them about \u201cthe power of relationships\u201d carried her to commissioning as a Global Mission Fellow (US2) in 2014. She credits her service at NOAH Project in downtown Detroit for showing her how powerful love really is. \u201cEvery day I get a glimpse of the Kin-dom here on earth through a bagged lunch and stories shared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chibuabua is from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. His faith story began in a Muslim household.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it happened that I began studying in one of the United Methodist schools in my home village,\u201d he said. His decision to start attending a United Methodist church made him \u201clike a stranger in my own house.\u201d Eventually, he was baptized and confirmed. Like Spryes, Chibuabua notes, \u201cI loved the preaching about love and grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today Chibuabua is the evangelism chairperson and president of the young people\u2019s ministry in his conference, showing others \u201cwhen we have love, we can live above and beyond any situation with a neighbor.\u201d Teaching English, speaking on the Methodist Radio and cleaning the church \u201care still my favorite work in life,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Let listening continue<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Just as the young people\u2019s address ended with an invitation to listen, it began with listening. In a press conference held soon after their address, Spryes and Chibuabua recounted the many phone calls that linked them over the past seven months.<\/p>\n

They began writing last October aided by Skype and Google Docs. Given the eight-hour time difference between Detroit and Kinshasa, that involved, \u201cmany nights and many days,\u201d according to Chibuabua.<\/p>\n

The two reviewed all videos that others submitted to the Young People\u2019s Ministry of Discipleship Resources. \u201cWe wanted to make sure that this was more than just our two voices,\u201d Spyres explained.<\/p>\n

A common theme emerged from their listening: \u201cOur prayer for General Conference is that everyone listen and come together around their differences in a healthy way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chibuabua and Spyres\u2019s personal stories and the recorded voices of many others provided the starting point for the young people\u2019s address.<\/p>\n

Carl Gladstone, regional staff person for the Young People\u2019s Ministries Division of Discipleship Ministries, developed and supported the process that shaped the young people\u2019s address. After young people submitted videos, a couple of rounds of online discernment and voting resulted in the choice of Spyres and Chibuabua as the in-person speakers at General Conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are fully aware we could have had 50 people on stage and still not represent everyone. But I think we did a pretty good job of bringing those voices to Portland,\u201d Gladstone said.<\/p>\n

The Young People\u2019s Ministry is making the voices of young people witnessing to the church available by podcast<\/a> or Twitter #umypa.<\/p>\n

Kay DeMoss is the senior editor-writer for Michigan Area Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo Credit:<\/strong>
\nPhoto by Mike DuBose, UMNS
\nPeter Cibuabua of the Central Congo Conference (left) and Chelsea Spyres of the Peninsula-Deleware Conference (second from left) celebrate with other presenters at the conclusion of the young people’s address at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kay DeMoss May 14, 2016\u2502PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS) While only two young people spoke on the General Conference stage this morning, thousands more stood with them. Chelsea Spyres and Peter Cibuabua began their witness by identifying themselves as \u201cambassadors sharing young people\u2019s voices from around the world.\u201dThat voice declared the uncompromising nature of God\u2019s love […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":12792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[449,3,112],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-conference","8":"category-umns","9":"category-ministries-with-young-people"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/gc2016-young-peoples-address-group-572x388-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C704&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2l75j-3k7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12779"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12791,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12779\/revisions\/12791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}