WHY RBS?

 

The majority of Malaysian Christian youth today are second—or even third—generation Christians. Many have never truly owned their faith for themselves. Sadly, despite having spent years in church, some cannot even articulate the basics of the gospel or tell you why they believe what they believe. Even more tragically, if they were to be honest, some aren’t even too sure if they believe it themselves. Their “faith” is a piecemeal bumper-sticker Christianity—a few popular Bible verses and some Christian cliches, and that’s about it. Ask them about the what, how and the why and they’re lost for words. These are youth who are embarking on college and university life, some overseas, where their peers and professors will shred their faith with the questions they can’t answer, and where the distractions and opportunities that come with independence and leaving the safety of family and church can quickly wilt any “faith” they profess to have.

 

The world they live in is a world of globalisation and the internet, with media and entertainment from a gazillion sources worldwide. They’re no longer sheltered. In fact, what they’re exposed to at such a young age can be incredibly frightening.

 

It’s a world of instant access to information and viewpoints. Google and ChatGPT can show them a hundred alternative views to what you say is true—in a fraction of a second, at the press of a button!

 

It’s a world of excessive options. Loyalty is a fast-fading virtue. If they’re tired of one thing, they can just switch to another.

 

It’s a world of self-pampering and comfort. The daily dying to self that marks Christian discipleship sounds so foreign.

 

It’s a world of political correctness. The Bible and its teachings can seem so outdated and bigoted.

 

It’s a world of postmodern relativism. The absolutes of the Christian faith have no place in such a world.

 

It’s a world of overemphasised feelings. Truth or validity is often primarily determined by how one feels about it. If they can’t “feel” God, how can they believe in him?

 

It’s a world that values authenticity. How do they reconcile the hypocrisy they might see in Christians who don’t walk the talk, especially if these are their own family members?

 

It’s a world of noisy distraction and short attention spans. How does one inculcate spiritual disciplines that require being still, meditation, study and reflection?

 

Many deal with serious issues of identity and self-esteem further confused by the social-media-crazy world they immerse themselves in. A growing number come from broken homes and troubled backgrounds, even those from Christian families. And we are seeing an alarming rise in recent years in mental health struggles.

 

At RBS, we take a very personal approach to the students. Each student is assigned a staff mentor who journeys with them throughout the course of the school. Students are also encouraged to journey together as peers in accountability and prayer for each other. We place emphasis on inculcating “body life”, a microcosm of what church is supposed to be as the body of Christ in its “one-another-ing” of each other. To that end, we endeavour to provide a safe space where students can be honest about their struggles without fear of being judged. Living together as a community for six weeks forces everyone to drop masks that may be worn for the first week or two, and to face the things in their lives they would otherwise rather not address, and for everyone else to extend grace, encouragement and accountability as the Lord does his work of remoulding lives. Many biblical truths about true Christian living are fleshed out in the powerful classroom of shared community living.

 

In terms of curriculum, while knowledge rooted in Scripture is the foundation for all that is taught, we place great emphasis on its relevance and application to life. We seek to maintain a holistic “head-heart-hands” approach—knowledge of the Word (head) must give birth to a strong devotional life with God (heart) and willing service for his kingdom (hands).

 

We also continually encourage students to go beyond their comfort zones, for such is the journey of faith. We only begin to see God working in and through us when we are willing to step out of the boat and walk on water, so to speak.

 

RBS is not a Bible seminary. Its length and the age of the students do not permit us that luxury. The goal of RBS is primarily developing disciples—youth who know their identity in Christ, know and own their faith and in turn want to pass it on to others, and who have committed to make the Word of God the foundation for their lives at all costs and to love and serve the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).