**I'm posting this here cos I think this especially applies to us (cos of our introvertedness). Even our younger ones. Or rather, especially our younger ones. Y'all are among the most mature 18 year olds I've seen anywhere. It's God's gift. So it needs to be used for the Kingdom =)

Jude says, "Come, I test you all. This one yall better know one. What is community about?"

We mumble some random nonsense. There's a little awkward silence. Then Jude gives us the answer.

"Discipleship."

Adding the words 'Jude says' in front of any point we want to make gives it that much more persuasive force. That's because it's Jude. It's not so much that he's a seminarian who strikes people whenever he speaks (yes he's that loud). It's more of the fact that he journeyed with us. He devoted his evenings of his university days to have chats with us after daily mass to build bonds. He guided our formation. He was a part of our growing up. In short, he discipled us - like many other members of MSC did, in our earlier years.

Somewhere along the way in the grand vision of YM, we lost that element of discipleship- especially across communities. In establishing our communities, we concretized them. We wanted our communities to be unique, to have our own identity. We wanted to make our communities a place where people could belong, a safe place, a secure place. We made them so secure that other people couldn't get in. Other communities couldn't get in. The lines were so clearly drawn. YV is YV's responsibility. LoG is LoG's responsibility. Same with the rest. Each community is going at their own pace. Each community has different needs. And slowly, we stopped interfering with each other. We stopped discipling each other. We became individualistic.

There is a certain sense of territoriality in our communities today that goes against the words in our creed - 'one, holy, catholic and apostolic church'. There have been initiatives of course that cut across the community lines, and give great cause for hope - the band, talk about unity within YM, frisbee, badminton etc. But it needs to start happening more. It needs to start happening now.

There are many forms of discipleship. I will touch on two in particular that we need in YM right now - (1) mentorship; and (2) journeying.

I refer to mentorship as the guiding of a person less experienced in a certain skill. An example would be when I got Tsui to do session with me for St Bern's camp and showed him everything that I did to prepare for a session. We need mentorship for two reasons. The first is to empower the younger ones who are up and coming. They need to have their share of giving. The second is that we need a larger service team. YM is huge but yet it's the same few people doing the same old things over and over again. We will burn out. Our camps are becoming more advanced and we need larger and better equipped service teams to run the numerous (increasingly, with requests from other parishes) camps that we have throughout the year.

I refer to journeying as the long-term (over months perhaps) keeping up with another person, to be a part of his life and to share your insights and experiences with him. As mentioned above, Jude would be the classic example. We need this because many of our younger ones are not being formed in the way the older ones were - with role models to look up to.

At this point, I speak especially for the new sec 4 community. As SFX's youngest community, and being estranged from the rest of YM, they are in need of discipleship more than ever. I would like to appeal to the rest of YM to proactively reach out to them. Specifically, I request 3 things:

1). Reach out and speak to them whenever the opportunity arises. Get to know them. They need to be connected to the rest of YM, which is made extra-difficult by the fact that their sessions are on Saturdays whereas everyone else's is on Sundays.

2). Journey with them. Check up on your ex-confirmands and find out how they're doing. Find out about their lives. Have chats with them over dinners after mass. God knows that more lives are changed through late night chats at suppers than at retreats.

3). Mentor them. When you are given the opportunity to serve in some way, grab a younger one get them to step up with you. Show them the ropes. Teach them the little things - the handsigns in P&W, where to find friday bible sharing reflections, how to behave when you're a facil, what info you need to know when you do a session etc. These things have to be passed down. It'd be too selfish of us not to. It'd be too shortsighted of us not to.

Over the course of their formation, we'll also be asking people to help out with doing sessions for the sec 4s. These are the best opportunities for the rest of YM to get to know them better and for journeying to start happening. I hope y'all respond enthusiastically =)

"Go, make disciples of all the nations", Jesus tells us. It's not just about the sec 4s. It's not just about cross-community journeying. It's about everyone. It's about nurturing in people around us a life of holiness. It's about instilling a culture of mentorship, journeying, and ultimately discipleship.

At the end of discipleship is a vision. It is a vision of integration and unity. A vision where the lines of the individual communities soften and blur. A vision where there is a continual reaching out to one another, where everyone is interested in the future and looking to raise a new generation. There's been so much talk about it. Let's make it happen.