Ontario youth to mark
millenium
by serving others
By
Kevin Heinrichs
ChristianWeek staff
TORONTO–The goal is to have 2,000 Ontario youth groups doing acts of service such as food drives and short term missions in the year 2000.
The youth committee of Mission Ontario, sponsor of the 1995 Billy Graham Crusade in Toronto, is organizing the project called 2000 ACTS.
Dale Winder, executive director of the project, says the idea came about after he attended the youth night of the crusade at the SkyDome in 1995. It attracted more than 68,000 youth to listen to musicians like Michael W. Smith and to hear Billy Graham speak. A youth pastor at the time, Winder was inspired by the huge number of Ontario youth interested in spiritual things. So a year ago Winder asked Mission Ontario whether it would endorse a youth service project for the year 2000. The board agreed.
"They basically said, ‘If you think it will work, go for it,’" says Winder.
Since then, he has resigned from his job as a youth pastor in Pickering, Ontario to work full time at the project. Working with co-director John Latta, he was hired through Youth for Christ so that he can raise financial support. "I felt that God was saying it is important to look at Christian heroes," he says.
To mark the millenium, Winder says youth should not have just a party event, but "we wanted an event where we commission young people into something."
Groups will be encouraged to cooperate with churches from other denominations in these service projects. "The biggest goal is to see youth networks established across Ontario and have young people serve the communities and into the world," says Winder.
A five-week curriculum is being put together for use by Ontario youth groups in preparation for a youth rally tentatively scheduled for October. Plans are in the works to book a large venue like Copps Coliseum or Maple Leaf Gardens, where a worship and commissioning service would be held. Originally, the plan was to hold the event New Year’s Eve, 1999, but Winder quickly realized there were few facilities available.
"We hope the long term result is that teenagers understand the importance of a lifestyle that fulfills the Great Commandment," says Winder. "Our goal is that the world would see that Christians are going to care for them, that they would see God’s love through his people."
The website is www.2000acts.com.
