By Cyrus A. Natividad

Pastor Joshua shared his music in the November 13 episode of Jamming at Central.

Pastor Joshua Zonita, a faculty member of Central Philippine University College of Theology is also a prolific a writer and musician.

With a passion to seek the truth and enable a youth ministry program in the campus, Zonita integrates his music and writing talents in his strategies. “It helps that there is a campus ministry that will focus on student behaviors, trends and values formation”, he said.  Zonita was guest in Looking Forward, a CPU TV public affairs program on Thursday, November 28, 2019.

Topics were discussed including how the term “millennial” is associated with materialism. “The youth’s understanding of the term as a generation made them susceptible to the influence of vices, and has been used to promote business and instigate commercialism,” Zonita explained.

In a discussion about campus ministry, Pastor Zonita shared his views on how to understand the youth of today. In particular he said, “Until you listen and you are willing to understand what it means to be human in their era, it will be difficult to make them express their problems; to encourage them to rethink.”

“As a pastor, I start my ministry in the classroom. I use it as a formal platform in order to influence or encourage them to understand. It helps and develops the students emotionally and spiritually. Music as an art influences them to be more creative and dynamic, while we teach them to understand the Bible, pray and communicate love.” Zonita integrates music as a holistic approach in transformation such as enjoining the students to fellowship; encouraging the students to share their problems.

“With regards to technology and its influence to students, I encourage them not to be dictated by any particular technology or gadget.” This and many other concerns on the youth and students in the campus is the reason why Pastor Zonita endeavors to help, through a youth ministry program in the University. Plans to engage the project with the CPUR has already been initiated.

As a writer, Pastor Zonita has already published some books with a new one to be released soon.