One evening in August 1997, 17-year-old Koffi Kpomgbe
experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. “I will never forget
it. I had been a smart boy at school, proud of myself for being intelligent.
Then, the Lord spoke to me and saw my nakedness, and I gave my life truly to
Christ,” he explains.

Today, Kpomgbe combines his passion for God’s Word and his
love for the children of Africa to help them manage the many challenges they
face. Serving as president of the All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship and as a youth
officer with the Bible Society of Togo, he is working to provide a framework
for spiritual development based on the Bible.

“If you don’t take this seriously as a ministry, we have all
of the chances to lose this generation,” he says.

Kpomgbe identifies three major issues confronting youth in
Africa.

Identity

First, he notes that they are struggling with their
identity. Facing manipulation from a wide array of influences that include
politicians, television, movies and social media, many of these children and
teens lose sight of who their Creator wants them to be.

“We teach them to interact with Scripture to help them
discover exactly who they are. We put on activities like leadership seminars.
In Togo we use booklets like ‘Ten Commandments of Successful Youth.’ We have
rules they must observe. They need to respect their parents, work hard, let God
lead their lives,” Kpomgbe explains.

Relationships

The second challenge is what Kpomgbe calls their sentimental
life or their relationships. He explains that the Bible helps them to solve
problems they have in their relationships: their families, communities, social lives
and their marital lives.

“We are a people of community. We need to address that. The
role they play—a mom, dad, key member of the community,” he says. “Specifically,
we conduct activities where they debate to better understand each other. We provide
a platform for the youth to interact and share what they are experiencing.”

Poverty

The third
pressing issue is poverty, and the Bible helps youth and teens deal with the
social and physical effects of this widespread problem. “We need a holistic approach
to address the youth looking for a better life. We need to nurture them to make
them responsible for the development of their communities. The Bible helps them
understand that the main point of life is to focus on what God has for them to
prosper in all the aspects of their lives,” he explains.

In Togo, where more than 60 percent of the population is
under age 25, Kpomgbe serves the Bible Society on the “Bible and Me/Me and the
Bible” project. The effort, supported by American Bible Society, aims to
mobilize young people of all Christian churches in the country and provide a foundation
for the spiritual, cultural and socioeconomic development of youths through
Bible-related activities. In addition, American Bible Society has named him a NextGen
champion for Africa.

“I believe that the Bible is made to address holistically
the needs of the people. It is the light that will shine and take away all
kinds of darkness in the community. In John 8.12 Jesus says, ‘I am the light of
the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk
in darkness.’ If people have ears to hear this sound teaching, the Bible is the
solution to the problem to this community today,” Kpomgbe adds.