I grew up in a Christian home, so church was simply what we did. Sunday mornings, Bible verses and prayers before meals were all part of the rhythm of my life. I went because my family went, and I obeyed because that was what I was taught. I knew about God, but I didn’t yet know him.
That changed in my youth. Somewhere along the way, God stopped being a distant idea and became personal. For the first time, I came to know his love, not as a lesson I had heard but as something I experienced. I realised I was seen, known and loved just as I was, not because of anything I had done. That love changed me forever. It reshaped how I saw myself, how I treated others and how I lived. My faith is no longer something I have inherited. It is something of my choosing, and my relationship with God is now my own.
I know there are youths sitting in the pews who are where I once was, showing up out of habit or obedience but longing for something more. I feel a deep burden for these young people.
This is such an important season of their lives, and I want to be present for them. I want to walk alongside them, listen to them and help create an environment where they feel safe, welcomed and free to learn more about God. In whatever way I can, I want to help make their time in youth a fruitful one, and to help them encounter God’s love for themselves, just as someone once did for me.
Christine Ammani worships at Ang Mo Kio Tamil Methodist Church and serves as the Youth Ministry Chairperson. / Photo courtesy of Christine Ammani
