by Emmanuel Cyiza, IBCM Network Rwandan Youth Ambassador
Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Grace and peace be with you.
My name is Cyiza Emmanuel, I am Rwandan, I and my wife Jacquie got married in 2019 by God’s grace we have one child, a two-year-old girl, she is Era. We serve God in the Brethren Churches Rwanda known as Inkuru-Nziza church where we serve in different ministries like Sunday school, youth, and Local Church Ministries. Academically I graduated from Mount Kenya University where I got a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Communication and Technology, Currently, I am doing my Master’s degree in Theology and Leadership at Africa College of Theology where I will complete the first year of my Postgraduate by December 2022.
My wife and I have been in the youth ministry since 2015. We have the responsibility to preach the gospel in the youth and Local Church ministries services (LCM), Also we are passionate about the discipleship of young people and leadership development for effective youth ministry in our local churches.
The Mission Statement of our Youth Ministry is “The 4 B’s”
“We exist to help the young people to believe in Jesus, to become his disciples, to belong in God’s family to build God’s Kingdom”
In 2020 I got an opportunity to serve my church full-time in the socio-development department under the vocational skills training centers which are located in 16 rural churches, this is a great ministry that gives me an occasion to reach at least four hundred, young girls and boys, every year. Not only that also through God’s calling I was transitioned to the rural local church called Cyabatanzi which is about 30 miles from my home to the community with the goal of serving the church through coordinating different activities like evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development.
MY ENGAGEMENT WITH IBCM NETWORK
Back in April 2021, The IBCM network leadership team had an incredible initiative for the youth with the desire of encouraging the younger generations within our churches to help them communicate the needs of their countries and regions. The idea of Youth Ambassadors, I was privileged to be recommended by my leadership as one to represent the youth of Rwanda in this great initiative. I am delighted with the mission of the IBCM Youth network of reaching, discipling, and training young generations, especially in my country of Rwanda. The young people in the church need to grow in their relationship with the Lord, Therefore the church needs to prepare them to serve Christ in all they do. Serving young people cannot only be to prepare them to become future leaders but also allow them to contribute to the church. This is seen many times in the Bible, as God often used young people to do great things.
My Experience with PABCM 5 and the IBCM network
This was my first experience of attending such a wonderful conference of Brethren in Africa, As one raised in Brethren culture through my Father who is a retired church elder, I grew up hearing more about the Brethren movement, and I have been waiting for any connection and platform where I can hear more about it and meet other brothers and sisters with the same denomination in Africa or anywhere else, learn from their different experience in ministry and with the encouragement of one another God’s work.
PABCM 5 has been a tremendous blessing and an incredible opportunity for me not only because I was to participate but also because I was privileged to be part of the local organizing team, especially with coordination with the music department, mobilization, and Workshop Interpretation. As a youth ambassador, I was able to connect with other youths from different countries like Kenya, Zambia, Sudan, and Uganda, especially being able to meet the IBCM team and get to hear more the upcoming project like Go-Serve connected with IBCM8 –in Malaysia, Go –Disciple project and others. I was pleased to be helped by David Smith and Sanja to register for IBCM 8.
MY ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE
Our Involvement in church activities results in significant church growth whereby oppositely our disengagement in the church may also result in dwindling. This means that our participation contributes a big role to the best growth of the church. Therefore, it is a time for us to serve in unity and network in prayer and mission so that we encourage one another, sharing experiences and challenges we are facing as young people in particular. The same God who used Timothy to Pastor and Lead the Ephesian church when he was a teenager, He is the same God we have, who can strengthen us through the mission.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and purity.”
PRAYER REQUEST
- The Rwanda Youth Leaders conference, we have 180 youth leaders on the Parish level who have never got an opportunity to meet and get training through their network.
- God to provide ongoing financial support for our Youth ministry office.
- Some of our Youth Leaders want to attend the IBCM8 in Malaysia Pray for God’s provision for them to find a way to get there
- We are praying for a missionary to come and partner with us through this youth ministry.
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:26
May the LORD bless you!