By: Ruth Ann M. Lozano

On November 9-13, 2016, I was given the privilege to be part of the Young Leaders Summit in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. I am currently serving as the Annual President of the Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference-UMYF. As a youth leader, I always wanted what is best for my co-UMYF. I have been a part of the Youth Fellowship for 12 years now, and I have served as a leader for 10 years now. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful privilege.

This year’s Summit was a great opportunity for me as a servant leader. It was an unforgettable training for me as a leader. It was God’s proof that serving Christ will always be a great privilege. In this summit, I’ve learned a lot from the different lessons that was taught by inspiring and challenging speakers. Those lessons taught us a lot on becoming more efficient and effective leaders and have given us the opportunity to share our leadership experiences not only to the leaders of the Philippines but also to young leaders coming from other countries in Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Mongolia).

It was an unforgettable training for me as a leader.

One of my most treasured activities during the summit was the team building time. It helped me realize that even if you are a leader, you cannot do everything alone and you will always need the help and support from others. I will use the lessons I learned from this this to enlighten and encourage my co-UMYF in MinPAC.

I would like to thank the Discipleship Ministries of the UMC especially the Young People’s Ministries for developing and implementing such an amazing summit. I would encourage young leaders of the church: do not hesitate, do not doubt, but instead trust yourself, have faith in God’s amazing purpose in your life, and GRAB THE PRIVILEGE that God is giving you to serve and help in continuing God’s mission here on Earth.

Ruth Ann M. Lozano attended the Young Leaders Summit in the Philippines in 2016.