Youths launch new church |06 January 2007
The official inauguration of the church took place at the Seychelles Marketing Board’s (SMB)
The Nigeria-trained Diploma in Theology holder said that the new church is the outcome of a two-week visit made by 45 Seychellois youths in Singapore, who watched a sister organization operate there.
“We went to Singapore to get more experience to take a difficult journey, which is aimed at helping youths to drop their bad habits such as drugs, alcohol and other bad influences, in order to discover Christ,” Andrine Bacco, a committee member of the new organisation said.
Mr Camille said that the group is open to visitors from all denominations and that their idea is to work with them and undertake activities that young people like, such as singing and dancing, without focusing directly on Christianity, but bearing in mind what the faith provides for, so as to live wholesome lives.
“There are no special requirements. We want the youths to come to us as they are,” he said.
He said that the church members will be visiting various organizations for youths, such as the Youth Rehabilitation and Training Centre, and the Rehabilitation Centre.
“We have already been to the President’s Village where we took gifts from members of the mother church, the Redeemed Gospel Church of Christ (RGCC), under whose aegis we are currently operating,” he said.
He said that they socialized with the residents of the village, whom he said were touched by the youths’ visit.
“They sat with us, and many of them later hugged us in appreciation. We also got permission from the village’s administration to take the children who are there out, and we have invited them to our church,” he said.
He said that some of the youths to whom an open invitation has been extended will Sunday January 7 fellowship with the RGCC and Youth Ablaze members in a joint get-together, at the SMB hall, in which the Christians will observe a thanksgiving event where they will share meals.
Explaining how they studied their Singaporean counterparts’ operations, Mr Camille said that they went to different churches, offices, schools and homes where they watched how the youths there work, adding that members of the sister church have managed to turn around the lives of many who had strayed into substance abuse.
Giving further details about the new church, Miss Bacco said that the group is not associated to any religion, adding that they have already held meetings in different districts here, where she described the turn out as overwhelming.
“We’ve met different youths with various difficulties in life, for example some who don’t know how to pray and others with obstacles that are keeping them away from Christ,” she said.
“The group is not there to take you away from your present religion, it is there to make you know about Christ in relation to our daily lives, for example we can sing and dance hip-hop but still have respect for ourselves and Christ himself,” she said.
She said the church also helps the youths who are unemployed because they get new contacts who help the youths by referring them to the concerned agencies.
“The participants in the group do not just sit and hear lectures about Christ, they take part in different activities like going on hikes to discover new places instead of sitting and smoking or drinking. There is a great need to mould our youth because this generation has changed a lot,” she said.
Miss Bacco thanked all those who have supported the new church, particularly through sponsorship with the group’s trip to Singapore.