Global Youth Day was celebrated around the globe in our churches on March 16th. Here in the South Bahamas Conference, various youth groups in partnership with Urban Renewal went out of their churches to show up in the cities. 

Other young individuals found creative ways to be active, outside of the traditional outreach activities. Although unable to physically go into the surrounding communities, the youth of the Haitian Adventist Churches, actively engaged in the final service of the Haitian-Creole Evangelistic Series that was held at the R.M Bailey High School. 

Not to be left out, children and adolescents from various Children and Adolescent Ministries Departments (CHAM) across the South Bahamas Conference also participated in evangelistic outreach efforts on Global Youth Day. Bethany Seventh-Day Adventist Church's CHAM department visited the Children's Emergency Hostel, where they shared the “Creation Story". The young residents were delighted by the engaging activities and gifts that were presented. 

In Centreville, youth and children took to the streets, where they showed the spirit of Jesus by spreading love and kindness. They distributed fruits of the spirit and offered free hugs and prayers to members of the community. CHAM Director of the Hillview Seventh-day Adventist Church shared how they were engaged in showing up in the city.

The Good News Seventh-day Adventist Church set up drive-thru prayer stations, distributed gift bags filled with fruits, and used the opportunity to promote their upcoming Easter Sabbath program. The Trinity Seventh-day Adventist Church also made a significant impact by providing breakfast for the community and conducting door-to-door visits to the elderly, offering prayers and food to those in need. 

To conclude the day of activities, the Youth Department of the Conference held its annual rally in one of the oldest inner-city communities in New Providence at the Father Marshall Cooper Centreville Park. Pastor Terry Tanis, the Atlantic Caribbean's Youth Director, provided the charge.

Tanis said, "I've come by Mason's Addition to remind us that it doesn't matter what we are going through, Jesus shows up. It doesn't matter what community you are in, we are here this afternoon to 'Show Up' on behalf of Jesus".  We are His hands, we are His feet, we represent what Christ has done in our lives, and because of what Christ has done for us we have to show up in the name of Jesus."

Also present at the rally were members of the Police Force, Dwayne-Omar Mackey Assistant Superintendent of Police, and Inspector Benjamin Moss, as part of a new partnership between the Youth Department of the Conference and the Royal Bahamas Police Force Centreville Urban Renewal. They shared with the media team the importance of youth-focused initiatives.

Superintendent Mackey said, "At the Centreville Urban Renewal office, what we do is we focus more on youth involvement, we focus more on team building exercises. Of course you know we have a mantra there whereas, in order for you to solve a problem you must first be able to identify that problem. And we saw that most of the problems coming out of the inner city, stems from social ills that affect young people. So here it is we're trying to channel as much of our energy into increasing the positive attitude, from our tiny-but-mighty all the way up to our high school students..."    

Inspector Moss said, "This is the first time I think that we are partnering and if you look around I would think it was a success. I'm really excited to do more and more in the community. I happen to be from this community, I presently live in the community, I went to Centreville Primary school, and D. W. Davis, so I'm just excited to give back to the residents of this community."     

During the rally, the Health Ministries Department provided free health screenings and advice, while the Conference’s Masterguides-in-Training shared free lunches and snacks along with the book of the year the Great Controversy.

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