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Print By Sarah k. Holland The announced theme for this year’s North American Youth Congress was a baton passing “To Be Continued…” The unstated message was, it’s not enough merely to have the Holy Ghost, you must then do something with it. Yet, a more apt name seemed to be “Go!”, as this was the theme that permeated the messages, planned activities, and even an offering. The NAYC staff, planners, and speakers were pushing us outward, out of our churches, out of our comfort zones, and into the act of demonstrating Jesus’ love in our communities. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Danny Rivers, Norman Paslay, and GYD president Todd Gaddy all spoke to this subject. Rivers made an emotional appeal to reach into our worldwide community with the love of God. He spoke of the hardships of children in Africa, abused young people throughout the world, and the destitute all around us. He encouraged young people that the blessings God has given to them are given with a purpose, and the purpose of our lives is to show that love into our communities. In an effort to practice what was preached, Project 22:39 was created. Here some 1,500 young people went into the city of Charlotte to clean up parks, plant gardens, help food banks, and make efforts to improve other locations throughout the city. Based upon Matthew 22:39, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” these young people took this command seriously, and showed the city of Charlotte that the United Pentecostal Church was not there just to receive, but to give back. But this wasn’t it, in the general session on Friday morning, an offering was received, not to pay for the cost of youth congress, but to send to Uganda, Africa in an effort to dig wells and purify the polluted water that so many African children are forced to drink. A pledge by one church of $3,000 had already been made, but when the offering was received, it exceeded $11,000! This showed everyone there, that the young people of the Apostolic faith want to affect their world wherever the needs arise. Finally, Bro Todd Gaddy with tears in his eyes, and his burden plain on his face, closed out Congress with: “The hour is come. Go!” His message was short and it was simple—there is a world that is waiting for us, a world that needs what we have, and we sit in our churches and we wait for them to come to us. We stand inside our church doors and say, “Come see what we’ve got,” when all the while Jesus commanded us to Go. The only action that needs To Be Continued is one word—“Go. Go. Go.
ninetyandnine.com © 2007, Sarah k Holland ----- Sarah k. Holland is an associate editor at ninetyandnine.com. |
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