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On the evening of Thursday 19th November, over 100 delegates from across Jamaica gathered in Kettering Baptist Church (Duncans, Trelawney) for the opening celebrations of the 25th Youth Conference & Rally. The Kettering Circuit Youth Choir were in strong and confident voice as they led a vibrant time of worship, and also brought their own musical offering. Special greetings were brought by Rev. Clinton Minnis from the Bahamas, the President of the Caribbean Youth Fellowship, before Rev. Dr. Dylan Toussaint brought the message on Ezekiel 37, the Valley of Dry Bones challenging us to see and speak God’s hope into the various circumstances that surround us, personally and nationally.
The following morning devotions were followed by the main business meeting. Reports were heard from the various members of the executive on the activity of the past session and participation and questions from the delegates was welcomed and duly noted. We then went on to formally elect the new executive, who then stepped into their roles and began work right away!
On either side of lunch there were workshops to choose from which encouraged us to have ‘God at the Centre of our lives’, to consider ‘Youth Ministry in the 21st Century’ and to think ‘gadget’ when it comes to communicating the Gospel. We thank Rev. Karen Kirlew, Dr.Michael Taylor and Rev.Luke Shaw for leading and facilitating each of these seminars.
Saturday morning brought glorious sunshine and the start of the youth rally at Ocho Rios Baptist. After a noisy and colourful march to the town centre, the day progressed both inside the church building and on a stage in the church grounds. Worship, poetry, bible quizes, drama and dance competitions were all participated in enthusiastically, and people also visited the various booths and enjoyed the cold drinks and snacks that were available.
The day closed with a special anniversary treat from our special guest artists Jason Mighty and DJ Nicholas who had the crowd jumping, dancing and singing along. Over a thousand people attended the youth rally and everyone left with a smile on their face and hope in their heart.
It was indeed a time of “Celebrating Life in the Spirit” as youth left contemplating the Youth Department theme for the next two years, “Christ’s Hope: Hear it, be it, share it”.
By Tara Devlin
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Celebrating Life in the Spirit