It had been a few months since my departure for Bangalore, while looking back on the time that I have been involved with the Youth Fellowship (YF) of my Church, I realize how quickly time has flown and that it has been a decade since I started being actively involved. A lot of life happened in this decade - I dealt with a significant period of unemployment, got my first job, changed jobs thrice - through all of that YF was one of the few constants in my life. I count this time spent as a blessing and something that has given me a sense of purpose.
First of all, I would like to thank Asish George for inviting me to be a part of the YF. I met Asish in the break between services on the Good Friday of 2009 and he extended an invitation to me to be a part of the YF and in my typical fashion I had questions which he answered and finally told me to come and see for myself. I did take him up on the offer and attended my first YF session sometime after my eighth semester final exams in June of 2009. Regrettably, I was not regular in 2009-10 for various reasons, though I have fond memories of attending the 2010 YF Camp in Pune at the Bible Centre, Salisbury.
For the 2 years that I was doing my MBA, even though I was in Mumbai my attendance of YF was rare because timings never matched. While I did attend services at the Church of St. Andrew & St. Columba a.k.a. Scots’ Kirk opposite the Lion gate of the Naval Dockyards, and while the parishioners did everything to make me feel at home I did feel out of place as it was not my Parish and not people I knew or shared experiences with.
It was at my lowest that I had come back to my parish....nursing a broken heart and dealing with unemployment and uncertainty was difficult. YF was a beacon of solace for me and was one of the few things that pulled me out of shell that I retreated to. YF was a place where I was heard and understood even when I didn't say anything. I thank all those members of the YF back in 2012 who welcomed this prodigal son back into it's fold. I remember having long conversations with my old Sunday School classmate Simon. I also do remember going to Siby with my doubts and fears and Siby never giving me a straight answer but always helped me work for the answers that I sought. Siby deserves a lot of credit for dealing with a younger me who was less than confident of his abilities, his calling and so many other things. Thanks so much Sibycha for your guidance and friendship when I was trying to figure out things. I hold dear the advice you gave me when I asked you about questions about whether the directions in my thoughts were in sync with God's plans and your reply was "God does not work just through lightning and thunder but also through your thoughts" Thanks Sibycha for all the frank conversations and for keeping it real.
There were times when I was too embarrassed to keep stating from week to week that my only prayer request was gainful employment and said something generic. It never ceased to surprise me that whoever prayed for me prayed for my real needs which I never brought up in the meeting.
I thank my seniors in the 2010s who put their faith in me and gave me various responsibilities and gave me a platform and took me seriously. I remember John giving me an assignment to put together the Worship Order and then gave me the honour of presenting the report for YF Sunday in 2013. My seniors felt that I had something to give the YF and inducted me into the YF Committee as the Center Representative. Being on the committee was an honour that I felt I could not turn down but also a responsibility that I needed to shoulder and it brought about an awareness that I had to also be a good role model as my actions and words were not just mine but also represented the YF. Later on I also had opportunities to serve on the Sub-committee for Picnics, Retreats & Camps and the Sub-committee for Outreach. I would like to thank Susan Chechi (Susan George) for welcoming me, thinking that I have promise and taking me and Chris under her wings and teaching us the administrative ropes for running YF and preparing us for a day where we would be handling things in our own right. I remember John giving a handover to his successor as Treasurer and advising him about procedures and overall financial probity...this conversation was not directed at me but I overheard it and it was sound advice that I took to heart and tried to implement in my tenure as Treasurer. John, I hope I lived up to your example. Asish, thanks for always being there and for helping me whenever I had doubts.
One of the saddest moments of my life was losing my dear friend and Sunday Schoolmate Simon in an accident in April 2014. Simon's death was a little hard to take as we were joking about the previous Sunday after a Lent prayer meeting. Losing Simon was a tragic loss not just for YF but also for the Church as I believe Simon would have grown to become one of the leaders of the Church in our generation. Simon and me had many long conversations about our role in stewardship of His Kingdom and many other conversations about various topics like siblings, values etc. I miss our free and frank conversations without any filter and lame jokes.
Arlene George (Shinee) - what do I say about you. You were indefatigable in your leadership of the Outreach activities. This was at the time that YF was deeply connected to the Friends of Mission initiative of the Diocese and was actively involved in outreach - Navjeevan visits, Jawahar VBS and the Good News Club. I remember we used to do Good News Club on first Sundays in collaboration with Sunday School. We used to do the Good News club sessions in the morning and in the evening on the way back home you would use me as a sounding board for various ideas for next months Good News Club till we went our separate ways in the last mile (literally the last mile) to our respective homes.
I remember the 2015 camp that I had a significant role in organizing - one of the first that I organized. OMG! what a disaster. The attendance was way below what was expected and we had forecasted a higher count and had booked more beds than what we required and had to pay for it. Through it all I remember the calm reassurance and faith that Susan Chechi showed in me. I appreciated it then and I have tried to emulate her when I was one of the more senior youth. I believe that imitation is the best form of flattery and that was my tribute to you Susan Chechi.
For various reasons, YF hit a slump in 2016 and attendance dwindled to Asish, Chris and me on some Sundays and on some other Sundays to Roy, Chris and me. This was a challenging period for YF as in some of our personal lives - me starting a new job, Chris trying to figure out his professional direction. In the aftermath of losing Simon, Chris and me became closer as friends, so much so that we undertook a trip to Navjeevan - just the 2 of us as representatives of YF - just to ensure that YF's association with Navjeevan is not marked with huge gaps. It was during this period that I had a conversation with Ashwathy Chechi (Ashokcha's sister) about YF was going on - with a deep sense of embarrassment I said things were not going as well with YF and attendance was low. I remember telling her that I would strive to keep YF going for as long as I could because YF was there for me when I was at my lowest and it would be my effort to keep the doors of the Church open in the event that somebody as lost as me needed help - I hope that I have lived up to my promise.
In 2017, I was made the Treasurer of the YF filling a vacuum as no one else was willing to take up that role. I took it with some sense of dread as Finance and Accounting were never my favourite subjects in B-school. I took some of the advice that John had given his successor to heart and tried to live up to John's example of financial probity and thrift. Chris may argue that I was too stingy and miserly however I beg to disagree, that being said both Chris and I had nothing but the best interest of the YF. This made me an office bearer of the YF - I finally became one of those that I used to look up to and a sense of responsibility hit me - I realized that I am not just responsible for the finances of the YF but that I am also a custodian of YF's traditions and passing that down to the new kids especially the great tradition in YF of praying that all we do be for the glory of Christ and not for our glory.
In 2017, we had a new Assistant Vicar - Rev. Nithin John Chacko. Nithin Achen was given a clear mandate by our Vicar - A. T. Zachariah Achen to do what it takes to revive the YF. Nithin Achen's support was a key element in reviving the YF. In 2018, Jinsy - my longtime friend, classmate from Wilson College and sister-in-Christ was roped in as the Secretary of the YF. It was a great deal of fun to work with her. We managed to organize a Retreat which was well attended - far beyond our expectations - we owe our thanks for this to our Achens and Kochammas who tirelessly contacted youngsters and ensured that they attend the Retreat. The Retreat also served a purpose of bringing youngsters who were interested in learning more about Christ to the YF. In 2019, Jinsy had some foresight that she would not be able to serve out the entire year and asked for a non-administrative post - we elevated her to the YF Lay Vice President and her foresight turned out to be right - she did leave us to get married and somehow she managed to chose dates that clashed with our Camp....how did you do that girl?
I owe Jinsy a great sense of gratitude for taking Susan Jacob (Sheetal) under her wings and teaching her the ropes and how to administer things and coordinate with Achens as the Secretary of the YF. Thanks to your tutelage Jinsy, I inherited an experienced YF Secretary when I succeeded you as Lay VP. Sheetal, it was such a pleasure to work with you not just when I was the Lay VP but also when I was the Treasurer. It was a joy to see you come into your own as the Secretary. I remember how quickly we pivoted to an online mode for our regular YF sessions, we were one of the first organizations in the Parish to switch to an online mode - for us it was imperative that we not lose steam as we had recently concluded our camp. For various reasons Sheetal had to step down as Secretary and I count it as YF's good fortune that YF had her at the helm through the troubled years of the Covid Pandemic. I remember having long calls with Sheetal when she called to consult with me. Sheetal may you be a blessing wherever you go and in whatever ministry you do - be it in the YF, in the Choir and when you step out into the world - may you radiate Christ's love to the world. May you be like a tree planted by streams of water bearing much fruit in its season.
Joby, Joby, Joby - my darling cousin. What do I say about you? Your Mama, my dear aunt Binny Amamma was constantly on my case to ensure that you attend YF. I being an obedient nephew chased you to attend YF and boy did you have a unique way of ducking. Suddenly, you decided to show up and started attending YF regularly and in short order became Joint Secretary. It filled my heart with pride when Sheetal gave me a good feedback of all the work that you were doing for the Camp and how in general you were making her life easier. It gives me great joy to see you as the Secretary of the YF. Stay the course and I promise you Christ will be faithful and will place in you a greater desire to get to know Him better and will place you where He needs you.
The 2020 Camp was a turning point fot YF as it brought in much needed fresh blood. I remember how the germ of the idea for camp came up - we were going to Jinsy's place after conducting one of the 5th Sunday services sometime in the middle of 2019 - JInsy was unwell and we were going to meet her. While Chris was driving he suggested that we should do a Camp - regardless of the numbers and I was like sure otherwise we will lose the institutional memory of how to organize a Camp. Sheetal and Thompson agreed. We presented the idea to Jinsy once we reached her place and she gave her assent. Then we went into a whirlwind drive of getting permissions from our Achens, finding a venue and all other associated Campy things. I would like to thank Mathew George Achen for making our camp engaging and fun
Sneha
and Marilyn - you two brought a new breath of life to YF with all the fun
activities that you organized for YF. We not only had fun but also had areas in
which our Biblical knowledge could be improved exposed. One of the key elements
of YF is friendship - seeing you girls renew old bonds of friendship formed in
Sunday school reminds me of the old days where Simon, Shinee and me used each
other as our sounding boards ensuring that each of us knew so much more of YF
beyond our responsibilities. While friendship is a wonderful thing it also
places on each of you a responsibility to hold each other accountable and be
accountable to each other in your respective walks with Christ. I will leave
you two with this verse - Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
encouraging one another"
Thompson - you have been an ever dutiful and helpful younger brother always helping Sheetal. I noticed this when Sheetal was the Secretary - you were a great source of strength to her - she may not necessarily admit it to you but it definitely shows in the way she relies on you and speaks of you. It almost reminds me of my relationship with my brother and it is a wonderful thing to witness. All but the most observant people may not notice how sharp you are and think that you are some naïve kid- they do it at their own peril for I know that you are sharp and witty. It is good to see you coming to your own and taking up leadership independently. Keep working with your sister - there are very few things that are as powerful as siblings working together for a common purpose.
Noel and Chirag - I am so happy that you boys attend regularly and actively participate in sessions. Do not stop asking questions - we belong to a faith tradition where it is okay to ask questions so long as these questions come from a place of genuine curiosity, doubt or fear. Remember Jacob wrestled with an angel and was thus given the name Israel meaning he wrestled with God. Keep attending YF and keep showing up and I can promise you this from personal experience that God is always faithful even when we are not. I want to remind both of you to wait on the Lord and in His good time he will reveal His plans for you. I will leave you boys with this verse Romans 8:28 "And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose"
To my dear roomies from Camp - Nikhil, Mark and Johann - it was after an age at the 2020 Camp that I shared a room with youngsters in their early teens. It was a very interesting experience....Mark I still want to strangle you for making me listen to Angel eyes...that song was atrociously bad, my ears still bleed thinking of that song. I am very happy to see all of your unjaded enthusiasm for attending YF...I hope this is not because you kids think that all the cool Achachas and Chechis attend YF but out of a desire to know Christ. Even if it is the former, that is still a good start but my advice to you kids will be that look to Christ always, any other standard or person may let you down for they are human. It scares me when you kids look at me as a role model but it also inspires me to be better...however I will reemphasize on looking to Christ and not people. You kids have a long way to go and I pray and hope that you will make your journeys with Christ as your constant travel buddy...I look forward to the day when I see YF under your stewardship (I can already see Sneha wincing as she reads this)
All of you kids are awesome and filled with promise and I would like to see you kids live upto that promise. I may not have mentioned you by name but that doesn't mean that you haven't made an impact in YF just that fatigue set in.
To those of you who have joined YF sometime after I have left - it is a pity that I haven't gotten to know you. I have heard your names when I speak to either Sneha, Jobby or Sheetal and they have nothing but nice things to say about you. I promise to spend some time getting to know each of you when I visit Mumbai sometime later this year (hopefully...fingers crossed)
I would like to thank my friends in the Yuvajana Sakhyam (YS) for their cooperation. The overall Youth ministry of the Church would not be as successful as it has been without your assistance and cooperation the Church's Youth ministry in which YF & YS are partners would feel incomplete.
I would like to express my gratitude to all the Achens who have served in our parish from 2012 to 2022, many of whom I have had the privilege of working with. Your support and encouragement through your tenures have been a source of strength for us. I would also like to thank the Office Bearers and Executive Committee of the Church for their concern, support and help.
I think
that I have rambled on for long enough, let me wrap up. To my seniors and
mentors I will be eternally grateful to you for welcoming me to the YF and for
the fellowship, camaraderie and friendship that I got to experience. Thanks for
pulling me out from the less than happy state that I was in when I entered YF,
for teaching me to wait on Christ and for your prayers and being my well-wishers. To my
peers - thanks for making this journey in Christ along with me. To my juniors I
have no idea why you hold me in high regard for I am not half the mentor that
my mentors were...I hope that I have played a role in starting you off on a
journey with Christ and leading you to form a closer relationship with Christ.
I want to remind you of a couple of things before I close. Firstly, I want to
remind you of what the great 17th century French Mathematician, Physicist,
Philosopher and Theologian Blaise Pascal had the latter set in mind when he
said, "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot
be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known
through Jesus." You have a duty to find those who have a God shaped vacuum
and help them find Christ. Secondly, I want to remind you of an old tradition
and prayer that was there in the old YF, a tradition that I have tried to keep
alive with you all – in everything that you do let it not be for the glory for
YF and most certainly not for your own but for the glory of Christ alone.
Forever and Always
Jebin
