Your might be asking ...

​

1. What is YAM?

2. Who are the Yammers?

3. Is this a Christian ministry?

4. What do you do on a YAM night?

5. What kinds of Bible studies do you Yammers do?

6. Do you indulge in anything at all besides Bible studies?

7. Is YAM just about fellowship and Bible study and fun?

8. I’m a Christian from another church. May I join PBC YAM?

9. I’m not a Christian. May I join YAM?

10. I'm in my twenties, but I'm married. May I and my spouse join YAM?

11. I’m really interested. What’s my next step?

​

​

1. What is YAM?

It stands for Young Adults Ministry.

We couldn’t find a snazzier name to call ourselves, so “YAM” stuck!

​

2. Who are the Yammers?

We, the Yammers, are a bunch of young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. 

The majority of us are working adults – we’re in all kinds of industries in the marketplace: banking, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, education, consulting, publishing, information technology, finance, NGOs, medical, and so on – though, we also have college and university students who liven things up further with their youthful exuberance.

​

3. Is this a Christian ministry?

Yup, it is. We came into existence because certain members in Pantai Baptist Church (PBC) felt a need to start a community for Christians who are in their twenties, as after they leave the PBC Youth Ministry (which is for teenagers), it gets a tad challenging transitioning into the larger church, which seems to be full of, err, older people. Moreover, those who had left Malaysia to study abroad, return after graduation, and they felt like they didn’t have people of their age to hang out with.

We also felt that Christians need to deepen their relationship with the Lord Jesus by having fellow Christians encourage them in their spiritual journey; by learning about God through His word, not just through the Sunday sermons or personal devotion, but also together with a group of Christian friends. Hey, life out there is not easy, with its daily dose of icky problems that test our faith, so our spiritual walk is much easier when we have caring Christian friends who pray with and for us, give us a word in season to guide or affirm our decisions, and just plain cheer us up with their silly jokes! It’s no secret that we sometimes come to YAM to get de-stressed! (P/S. We laugh – A LOT!)

​

4. What do you do on a YAM night?

We start the evening with about 15 minutes of worship; to centre our minds on Christ and remember gratefully His amazing grace to each of us and how He has watched over us in the past week.

​

Then we have a round of introductions and ice-breakers especially when we have new people joining us. (Don’t be shy! After all, YAM is about getting connected and making friends!)

We then have about 60 minutes of a Bible study that’s done in a very interactive and informal way (we’re very tired at the end of a work or study week, so we understand your state of mind and body). This is done with a mini teaching segment, but mostly focused on small group discussions to encourage personal sharing.

We end with a closing prayer by the evening’s study facilitator, or, sometimes, we have small group prayer sessions.

​

You’d think we’d be dying to go home by 10.45pm, but NO! The Yammers enjoy each other’s company so much, that our dear church facilities manager has to gently but persistently shoo us out of church every Friday night! So, we’ve got into a weekly habit of moving on after that to one of our favourite local cafés, also known as “mamak” coffee shop for supper or teh tarik (local milk tea). There we catch up on each other’s news about what’s been going on in our lives at work, college or home.

​

5. What Bible studies does YAM do?

The Bible studies conducted at YAM are book studies like looking at the main message in the book of Nehemiah and Ezra, as well as, topical ones like on "The Cross of Jesus Christ" and "Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts".

​

The study usually starts with a Bible passage or chapter for participants to read and then to consider some questions set by the session leader. The session leader then hears comments from the floor and ends by summarising the key takeaways from the lesson.

 

6. Do you indulge in anything at all besides Bible studies?

Of course! Hey, we’re so fun-loving that every few weeks, we will have a relaxing and crazy games night! We’ve had Bible quizzes (man, them Yammers are VERY competitive! It’s just a game, people!), snack-and-team-games nights, festivals nights (Christmas, Mid-Autumn Festival, etc) and anything that some creative Yammer can suggest and organize that will encourage fellowship and bonding.

​

7. Is YAM just about fellowship and Bible study and fun?

Definitely not. Though fellowship and spiritual development are key in YAM, what is happening, sometimes behind the scenes, are coaching and mentoring tracks for those selected on a yearly basis to be groomed in leadership skills. Why do we do this? Well, we believe that ultimately, Yammers will be called by God to serve in various capacities in other ministries as the years go by, plus the fact that some of the Yammers will become managers in their workplaces. It is our aim that YAM will, in a small but sure way, help their development to become leaders who are more effective. Why do we need more effective leaders? We have a vision that our Yammers will impact and build better societies that are nurturing and encouraging (as opposed to a dog-eat-dog world); that give more dignity to the people they work or come into contact with by being more affirming and respectful; by having the courage to influence better policies that protect human rights rather than exploit them.

​

We also believe that better managerial skills and decision-making skills are sorely needed. Thus, in the background in YAM, there are, err, older, Christian coaches and mentors who are practitioners and professionals in the marketplace who volunteer their personal time to mentor Yammers who have been selected to be facilitators of group discussions, or approached to head a project in YAM. We don’t leave you to flounder on your own! We care about you and want you to not only do well, but to learn important lessons that you can apply elsewhere in your life!
 

Other Yammers who may be busier but still want to contribute are given opportunities to assist in simple ways. These are especially observed for any special talents or inclinations, such as having a keen eye for detail, a knack for organizing and managing events, a passion for writing, a flair for designing, excellent critical analysis. Above all, it’s not about talent or skills; what we’re REALLY looking for are a positive attitude, a deep sense of responsibility, unwavering commitment to see a task through, and most of all, humility, teachability and openness to feedback and guidance.

All the roles and responsibilities are “rotatable,” meaning, you won’t get stuck with just one job (that’s so boring!). We might approach Yammers to take on new short-term tasks, or we pay attention when they tell us there is a particular area they are interested to add value to, and we’ll see if we can create the opportunity at the right time for them to help.
 

8. I’m a Christian from another church. May I join PBC YAM?

Yes, of course. If you have been looking for Christians around your age to fellowship with and you need a cell group to help you learn the Word of God, you are most welcome. 

​

9. I’m not a Christian. May I join YAM?

Yes, you’re welcome to, as long as your intention is to find out more about the Christian faith. Look, we’ll be honest with you: though we’ve been talking about fun and fellowship, we are not functioning as a “social club." We are here because God called us to grow in Him as His community. So, if you’ve been wanting to know more about Him and what the Christian faith is really all about, we will gladly guide you as best as we can. Let us know how we can be of help to you!

​

10. I'm in my twenties, but I'm married. May I and my spouse (also in the same age range) join YAM?

Of course! Married people need "regular" friends to hang out with, too. So, you may find good, supportive Christian friends in YAM.  

​

11. Okay, I’m really interested now. What’s my next step?

Oh yayy! You can:

​

a. Write to us via pbcyam311@gmail.com and tell us about yourself so we can respond and warmly welcome you, plus give you some directions getting to Pantai Baptist Church; or,

b. Let your friend, who is already a PBC Yammer, know and he/she will be happy to be a good host or hostess on the next YAM night; or, 

c. Just pop by (especially if you are already a regular worshipper in PBC) on Friday nights at 8.00pm at the church's Upper Hall 2 (at House No.22). If PBC has been your home church all this while, then just swing by and surprise us!

​

See you soon!

​

​

​