The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in the North Caribbean Conference (NCC) launched the Year of the Child on Sabbath, January 13, 2018, with a very engaging and innovative program on the island of Virgin Gorda.
The Year of the Child is an of the Children and Adolescent Ministries, at the Inter-American Division (IAD), which seeks to reinforce Christian values and encourage youngsters to study, live and share the message of the gospel with their friends and .
During the launch, the NCC Children and Adolescent Ministries Director, Linda Ambrose, illustrated the Bible story of Job with teddy bears and reminded children and the congregation that nothing (lack of food, clothes, not even hurricanes) can separate us from the love of God. Later, she explained: “This is only one of the initiatives for the year. During the entire year, we will look for ways to teach the children that God has a plan for each one of them and how to share His love and kindness so we can evangelize the world. The initiative is for children and adolescents to be part of spreading the gospel – not as we do so [as adults] but in their circles, their culture and in modern methods.”
Pastor Sylvester Williams of the Virgin Gorda SDA Church commented: “Many have read the story [of Job] but she [Mrs. Linda Ambrose] brought it alive. Everyone in the audience was waiting to see what [would] happen next. The program could not come at a better time since society has lost a sense of character, today. Listening to her, I am certain that should traits like truthfulness, courtesy, respect, gratefulness, forgiveness, punctuality, service, responsibility, obedience, integrity, optimism and kindness be displayed, the lives of our children would be better.”
The Virgin Gorda SDA Church enjoys the ministry of Pastor Sylvester Williams and remains actively involved in surrounding by sharing God’s love. In the wake of Hurricane Irma which devastated the island in 2017, the church’s community building program has had a positive impact on the lives of several individuals.