The RICE Movement, an evangelistic youth ministry in Sydney is hoping to strengthen its multicultural focus with a more diverse leadership team.

Founded and led by Pastor Steve Chong, RICE events have traditionally been aimed at youth from an Asian background. But this year, the RICE Rally is being organised by Ryan Yeomans, a Bible college student without any Asian links.

Ryan has been involved in RICE for the last two years, particularly on the event management side. But this is his first year co-ordinating the RICE rally, which will be held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre next weekend.

Ryan says his appointment is part of a wider strategy to broaden the cultural base of RICE, and see it grow to become an all-inclusive, Sydney-wide youth movement.

“It has an Asian identity, but it’d be amazing if the youth of Sydney was a beacon of multiculturalism rather than having segregation.

“People describe Sydney not as a fruit salad, but as a fruit bowl, with different cultures congregating in different parts. But I think it would be awesome if the Christian youth of Sydney did multiculturalism really well as a big statement to the rest of the city.”

In the past, RICE Rallies have gathered together youth groups from across Sydney, with around 3,000 people coming to enjoy music, dance and an evangelistic talk. In 2012, RICE Rally saw 650 young people make a commitment to Christ.

This year’s Rally theme is Freedom, a topic which Ryan believes is extremely relevant to Gen-Z.

“Youth think they have freedom; they seek freedom. They think: ‘I am free, I’ll do whatever I want, be whoever I want to be’. But they also feel, ‘I’m not free, I have school and parents.’ They’re torn in this tension between wanting to be free, feeling they should be free, but not being free. And we’d like to say that freedom truly comes from Christ, so if you want true freedom, that’s where you’ll find it.”

RICE has produced a Freedom-themed online game to promote the Rally, called ‘Enchained’, where you have to try and get your character around an obstacle course with a ball and chain attached to his foot by using arrow keys.

Meanwhile, this Saturday, Paul Tripp will speak at the RICE Movement’s gathering of university-age and young workers. Known as RICE Regenerate, the event is aimed at people who’ve come to RICE rallies during their years in high school, but are now in need of Christian encouragement for the next phase of life.

“You go to Rally and get a big pump up, you become Christian, but then you might wane in your faith. The idea of this is to renew these young Christians in their faith, to challenge a lukewarm vibe of being neither hot nor cold.”

The RICE Movement has been in operation since 2002, and has grown from a gathering of three youth groups, to 35, with hopes of reaching all of Sydney’s youth with the Gospel. This year it launched RICE 12, a study camp for Year 12 students.

You can buy tickets to RICE Rally and RICE Regenerate here.

Photos by Sam Koh.