Mission members live on faith

Press, 26 August 1982, Page 19

Mission members live on faith

The current series of “Credo" will come to a close on Sunday night on One when a reporter. Louise Pagonis, will look at the Youth With a Mission movement based in Queenstown. < A group of people literally “living on faith;” Youth With a Mission is an inter-denomi-natipnal. world-wide organisation which is completely committed to evangelistic outreach. ■ Says Pegonis: “Their aim is to’ proclaim Jesus as salvation to the ‘lost’ people of the world. They set up permanent bases throughout the world and install mobile teams of young Christians within them to go out into the local communities and find people who think they are in need of salvation.” These bases are usually located in . places where travellers abound — such as Queenstown — because the movement believes these are the people most likely to need help. “They feel there’s a real need for their work in this area.” says Pagonis. “They believe a person’s life isn't complete without Jesus — he’s the only person who can satisfy their existence.” Queenstown was chosen as one of the movement's New Zealand bases because of the thousands of young skiers that frequent the town during .the ski season and because it is visited by travellers who come from all over the world.

“The group offer some hospitality. which varies from a cup of coffee to two or three nights free accommodation, no strings attached,” says Pagonis. “They're honest and direct when they approach people, they invite them to stay at the base and hope that after observing the Christian lifestyle people will convert to Christianity.” As well as approaching people on the street, Youth With a Mission holds special campaigns during rock festivals. sports events such as the Commonwealth Games, and at summertime resorts - all areas where there are many visiting people who mav need the group’s help. “At their outreaches the group splits up and some

perform drama whilst others talk to people who are watching in order to spread the message. Some of the group try to get jobs, and they talk to people that way.” There are 40 full-time members of Youth With a Mission in New Zealand, and 2500 full-timers around the world. There are no clerical members, but there is a New Zealand leader of the movement who keeps in touch with other world leaders. One of the best known of these would be Graham Kerr and his wife Treena, who work for the base in Hawaii. The members of the movement undergo 15 months training in Auckland before

they go to work on a base. This involves three months discipleship at training school and then 12 months at the School of Evangelism, eight months of which are spent working during the day with discussion work at night and week-ends. The remaining three months are spent at an outreach base practising what they have learnt. “The members support themselves on gifts from other Christians and interested parties,” says Pagonis. "We speak in the film to a man who has a wife and four children and they are, quite literally, living on faith. Whenever they need anything, they just pray, and hope their prayers will be heard.”