On 12 September 2026, Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) Asia-Pacific hosted the Child Discipleship Webinar, themed “It’s a Journey,” via Zoom. The online gathering brought together more than 200 participants from across the Asia-Pacific Region, reflecting a shared commitment to nurturing children in their faith and discipleship journey.
The Regional NDI Council led the gathering under the leadership of Regional NDI Coordinator Rev. John Eun-Yup Kim. The program opened with an engaging game facilitated by Ms. Emily Bolinas, PMF NDI Coordinator, setting a joyful and interactive tone for the webinar. Rev. Kim followed with greetings, welcoming participants from different fields across the region.
Regional Director Rev. Kafoa Muaror also addressed the participants, emphasizing the importance of investing in children and strengthening child discipleship ministries throughout the region. He stressed that children should not be viewed merely as the church of tomorrow, but as an important part of the church today:
“We need to continue to emphasize this: we must not see the children as the children of tomorrow. They are part of the church today. So, leading them to Jesus and to follow Jesus, to experience the work of the Holy Spirit, and to participate in the mission today is an important assignment and important engagement for all of us.”
During the webinar, Rev. Kafoa also announced Rev. Aggie Muaror as the new Child Discipleship Advocate for the Asia-Pacific Region, a role established as part of the global initiative for each region to designate a Child Discipleship Advocate.
The guest speaker, Rev. Trey Brooks, serves as the Church of the Nazarene’s Global Child Discipleship Advocate. He has co-directed Equip to Engage since 2015. With his wife, Candice, he has actively led children’s ministry initiatives in the Global Church and the USA/Canada Region. His ministry involvement has included children’s ministry at the 2023 “Jesus Is Lord” General Assembly, the 2024 USA/Canada Kids gathering, and the 2025 Nazarene Kids event. He is also involved in preparations for the 2027 General Assembly Kids program, themed “In Jesus’ Name.”
In his message, Rev. Brooks emphasized the importance of Church of the Nazarene Manual Paragraph 922. He reminded participants that investing in and discipling children is essential to the Church’s future. “If the Church today will not get it right, there will be no one to pass down our traditions, our doctrine, too.” He emphasized that children’s discipleship matters to God and should therefore matter to the Church. He explained that this is the “why” behind Child Discipleship.
Rev. Brooks then asked, “How can we help these children come to Christ?” He introduced three essential aspects of child discipleship: Belong, Believe, and Become.
To illustrate, he described child discipleship as a three-legged stool, with Belong, Believe, and Become as the three legs that hold it together. A stool is designed to provide a stable place to sit, but it cannot function properly if one leg is missing. In the same way, all three aspects are essential to effective child discipleship. Children need to belong to a community where they are welcomed and valued, believe in Jesus and grow in their faith, and become disciples who live out and share their faith. Together, these three elements provide a strong foundation for helping children grow as followers of Christ.
Before the event concluded, participants from each field were assigned to breakout groups where leaders reflected on two key questions: (1) Where do you see Belong, Believe, and Become happening in your church? and (2) What are you personally doing to prepare children to lead in 2050?
The discussions gave leaders an opportunity to share experiences, challenges, and practical ideas for strengthening child discipleship in their local churches. As the webinar came to a close, new ideas and renewed commitments emerged from leaders across the Asia-Pacific Region, reinforcing the call to see children not simply as the future of the Church, but as an essential part of the Church today. Through intentional discipleship, churches can create spaces where children belong, grow in faith, and become active participants in God’s mission.
