VECA Youth

Dear Young Friends,

The Youth today are living in a dangerous age. Teenagers are facing more issues than ever before. The Victorian Youth Alcohol and Drug Survey1 in 2003 reported the following statistics after surveying 3,084 young people aged 16–24.

  • The most commonly reported reason for trying illicit drugs was curiosity (69%), followed by a friend using or offering a drug (38%).  57% of males and 49% of females had used cannabis at least once
  • 21% of males and 18% of females had tried ecstasy
  • 17% of males and 14% of females had tried amphetamines

Most drug-related deaths of young Australians are due to alcohol. In 1998:

  • 814 people aged 15 to 34 died as a result of the use of alcohol        
  • 650 people aged 15 to 34 died using illicit drugs.

Only South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory collect data on induced abortions and only South Australia publishes its data. In 1999, more than half (54.4%) of all teenage pregnancies in South Australia were terminated.

  • In South Australia abortion increased as a proportion of teenage pregnancies2, from 21% in the period 1970–74, to just over half of all pregnancies in the period 1995–99 (54%).
  • Number of young women (15-19) worldwide who give birth each year: 14 million
  • Estimated number of young women (15-19) who undergo unsafe abortion worldwide3 in a year: 5 million

As a young person living for Christ what can you do?  God doesn’t want us to live comfortably as there are many unsaved people around us.  Most of us will socialise more with church friends and be involved with church activities when we are not studying or working.   

We must start to believe and walk in the power of God’s Word, drop to our knees and pray fervently.  God is calling you for such a time as now. Young people,  if not us, then who? And if not now, then when?

The Youth of Vietnamese Evangelical Church in Australia have this website to encourage all young people to live more passionately for Christ.

We have two main goals:

  1. Leading unsaved teens to Jesus Christ. Our prayer and actions are to reach out to the youth with the love of God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  2. Leading saved teens in their relationship with Jesus Christ. With the National Youth Convention, camps, the National Vietnamese Evangelical Church Convention, Youth Ministry and other activities, we strive to provide a variety of opportunities and experiences to draw the youth into active, responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the faith community and the greater church. May God be glorified through this website.

Yours in Christ.
Rev. Quang Minh Ngo,
President of Vietnamese Evangelical Church in Australia

Sources:

(1) Premier’s Drug Prevention Council 2003, Victorian Youth Alcohol and Drug Survey, Melbourne, p.3, viewed 18 January 2005.

(2) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2003, Australia’s young people: their health and wellbeing 2003, cat. no. PHE 50, AIHW, Canberra, pp.132–4, viewed 19 January 2005.

(3) United Nations Population Fund, 2003, State of World Population 2003, UNFPA, New York, viewed 19 January 2005.

National Youth Committee 2006-2007

Youth Pastor Hung Nguyen (SA)
Vice Coordinator Hien (Ian) Do (WA)
TreasurerBinh (Ben) Ngo (SA-WA)
SecretaryLinda Le (VIC-Melbourne)
Webmaster Ly Nguyen (VIC-Springvale)

Youth Websites