They came from far and near

One of the most anticipated events on the calendar for the young leaders of the Cape District Church, a Youth Facilitators Conference, was held at the Silvertown Auditorium on Saturday 20 February 2010.

The highlight of the two-day event was a divine service with District Apostle N Barnes in Lavistown church the day thereafter. 
It was the second gathering of its kind since the inception of Youth on the Move, the concept that drives youth activities, in the year 2000. The last time the group of young leaders met was in 2003.
They arrived from far and near in Cape Town on Friday. Some travelled more than a thousand kilometers by road to be in attendance at the empowering seminar. In Cape Town, the local youth facilitators were only too happy to host their peers from the outlying cities and towns. New friendships were formed that led to talking about matters of common interest deep into the Friday night.
The Saturday commenced with the registration of all delegates for the business of the day: A conference packed with an agenda tailor-made to enhance the leadership skills of the young leaders in the various congregations. Under the theme, “The Engaging Facilitator” a vibrant and interactive meeting ensued. Towards the end of the summit, the veil was lifted on the modernization of the Coffee Shop informal activity, one of the guiding principles of YOM. Get-to-gether (G2G) is now the new name for the Friday evening informal gatherings. The concept and implementation plan generated much excitement among the participants.
A scrumptious lunch rounded-off the proceedings of a day well-spent in the fellowship and company of leaders who have the care of youth at heart to grow the future congregations. 
The events of the Saturday prepared the hearts for a special Sunday. At the commencement of the sermon, the District Apostle consolidated the key elements of the previous day’s message. He then proceeded to call upon a young sister, to read Philippians 4, verses 1-9. This Bible reading was done from The Message, a Modern Contemporary English version of the Bible. This surprise element added a special dimension to the service that crowned an exceptional and unique fellowship!

Invited to the service were also 25 members destined to travel by sea to the Island of St. Helena the next day. Joy filled their hearts when the District Apostle wished them well on their voyage. A photograph with the group concluded the activities of the morning.

The events of the weekend further consolidated the concept of the YOM theme: For the youth, by the youth within the parameters of our Faith.