United in Mission--Youth, Children and Publishing Departments [ Print Logos ]

(Logos lead article for March 16, 2019)

As a young poet, Mattie Stepanek said, “Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” These words will echo this weekend, during Global Youth and Children’s Day. It is the first time within the South Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists that three departments will unite forces and resources on this occasion to impact the Bahamas for Jesus; and I already see the excitement as the children and adolescents across our Conference are looking forward to doing their part.

Just imagine, if the Youth, Children and Adolescent Ministries (CHAM), and Publishing departments, working together can generate this level of enthusiasm, it is a good indication that the departments within our churches should consider partnering with each other more frequently as opposed to working alone.

In John 17:21, Jesus prayed that we be one, and this Sabbath my hope is that the world will see what can happen when we become one under the blood-stained banner of Jesus Christ.

Mrs. Lavern A. Sturrup, Children & Adolescent Ministries Director.


This day is a special time when thousands of children and youth from around the world church engage in acts of service in their local communities. This year the publishing ministries department will be involved for the first time. The mission of the Publishing Ministries department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church exists to proclaim the Gospel of Hope to the whole world in this generation through the printed and electronic media. Today, the Publishing, Youth and C.H.A.M departments of our conference will engage in a mass literature distribution throughout New Providence.

How will these departments work together to accomplish the mission of the church? We will seek to recapture the reality of Adventist Youth and Children as a global movement mobilized for service. Together we will leave thousands of tracts and Christian literature in communities as we march throughout New Providence.

Pastor Nikita Thompson, Publishing Director.

 

The greatest missionary arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is our Children and Youth. Worldwide, youth serve as Missionaries in unreached territories through the Adventist Volunteer System. Locally, they are also empowered to be Missionaries on a day such as this, Global Youth and Children’s Day (G.Y.C.D).

The ultimate goal of G.Y.C.D. is not to create a 1-day event for community outreach, but to transform mission service as a way of life. Jesus’ words in the parable of the Good Samaritan, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:25-37) is an invitation to a life of Mission Service.

This invitation to equip, engage and empower our children and youth to be United in Mission is relevant today at all levels of our church. The Servant of the Lord wrote that “God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members of the household of faith and have a most precious experience. He desires them to be His little missionaries, denying their own inclinations and desires for selfish pleasure to do service for Him; and this service is just as acceptable to God as is the service of grown-up children.” Adventist Home, page 486.

By partnering with the Publishing Department in particular for G.Y.C.D., the Youth and Children & Adolescent Ministries /C.H.A.M departments expose our children and youth to the principles of Literature Evangelism. We are counseled to “let the overseers of the church devise plans whereby young men and women may be trained to put to use their entrusted talents. Let the older members of the church seek to do earnest, compassionate work for the children and youth. Let ministers put to use all their ingenuity in devising plans whereby the younger members of the church may be led to cooperate with them in missionary work.” Adventist Home, page 487.3. 

Pastor Jamal Franklyn, Youth Director.

We applaud our Youth and Children for allowing God to use them on this Global Youth and Children’s Day and we call them into a life of continued Service for the cause of the Kingdom.

Read Complete Logos for March 16, 2019