By Clarralissa Garnette, KCM Secretary
No lockdown nor pandemic has barred Kuching Campus Ministry to hold its new committee election and its welcoming gathering.
KUCHING — Sadly, Covid continues. Yet admirably, campus ministry continues as well and perseveres with faith and commitment. Big thanks and praises to the young campus leaders and ministers who make it so.
This year, Kuching Campus Ministry (KCM) had organised its first Annual General Meeting and New Committee Election for 2021/2022 on 20 June 2021 via Zoom. The online gathering was attended by both the old and the new campus representatives and leaders from various campuses namely Asia Metropolitan College Kuching (AMCK), Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Batu Lintang (IPGKBL), Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tun Abdul Razak (IPGKTAR), Institut Latihan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (ILKKM) Kuching, Institut Kemahiran Mara Kuching (IKM), Politeknik Kuching, SEGi College Sarawak and UiTM Samarahan.
Before the new election committee began, Ms Maria Amella, the Kuching Archdiocesan Youth Commission (KAYC) campus minister for KCM, had invited the previous KCM Committee 2020/2021 to deliver their words of encouragement to the new elected committee. Wayne, the previous KCM president, in his speech said: “Be willing to serve, even when you feel ‘forced to serve’. Know that there are ups and downs in being a leader. Never forget to pray, to support one another, and to fix the conflicts that may happen among individuals. After all, in KCM, we are family.”
A month before the election, the KCM Committee 2020/2021 created and distributed a Google Form where the committee members and representatives in each campus were invited to volunteer themselves or to suggest who among them can be part of the new committee. The idea came from one of the leaders who felt that it was important to create the spirit of openness and volunteering among the new leaders. Consequently, the form proved an impactful result as the election was done with ease and transparency.
KCM Main Committee 2021/2022
President : Dylen Jau (SEGi College)
Vice President : Mathaiz Risob Jeffrey (IPGKBL)
Secretary : Claralissa Garnette (SEGi College)
Vice Secretary : Cleophas Abel (UiTM Samarahan)
Treasurer : Azellecrystal Jok (IPGKBL)
Program Manager : Arcelia Sheira (IPGKTAR)
Asst. Program Manager : Daniel Johnson (UiTM Samarahan)
Publicity & Multimedia : Delvinson Paul (SEGi College)
Asst. Publ. & Mult. : Arthur Awai (IPGKBL)
The online election meeting began at 8.00 pm with an opening prayer led by Ms Maria Amella. It ended at 10.00 pm with a closing prayer led by Dylen Jau, the newly elected KCM President.
A week after the online election, that was 27 June 2021, the main committee had organised a welcoming gathering for all the servant-leaders of KCM for 2021/2022. Its main objective was to get to know one another better and get more familiar with what KCM is, what KAYC is and how they work together in doing youth ministry to campus students. This activity was thus attended also by the KAYC secretariat namely Fr Ramon Borja SDB, Julian Sim and Maria Amella, and by the seven seminarians from St Peter’s College major seminary who were recently assigned to do their pastoral service in the campus ministry of the Archdiocese. They were Seminarians Albert, Canisius, Dannie, Jonathan Rao, Nelbert, Piere and Ricky. They came from the different dioceses all over Malaysia and they will be serving KCM until the end of year 2021.
The programme began at 3.00 pm with a Divine Mercy prayer led by the new committee. On behalf of the KAYC secretariat, Fr Ramon expressed praise and thanks to both the previous and the new committee members for their commitment and generosity to serve, to do good to their co-campus youth for God’s glory.
Even though most programmes and activities in KCM now are done virtually due to the pandemic, the campus leaders are challenged to come up with creative initiatives that are suitable to context and needs, the time and availability, of both the leaders and the campus students. And may all these be aligned with the top four priorities of campus ministry (The Four “S” of Ministry). These are: Spirituality, Self-Growth, Solidarity and Service.
We, therefore, appeal to all our Catholic SPM & STPM school leavers: If you have received an application to enrol into any of the campuses in Kuching, kindly look into the Catholic and/or Christian groups in these campuses. You will feel you’re never alone. You have your sisters and brothers with you. You have youth and campus ministers journeying with you. And above all, you have Jesus loving and guiding you.
Feel at home to get in touch with us:
KAYC hotline +016-8893237
Email kchadyouth.office@gmail.com
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kchyouthcom
Instagram https://instagram.com/kchyouthcom
Blog https://kchadyouth.wordpress.com
KCM Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kchyouthcom
