The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

YOUNG CHRISTIANS are staying true and dedicated to their beliefs, as they work towards making themselves better leaders in church and community, according to Rev Ellerston Smith, youth minister at St Johns Native Baptist Cathedral.

Young people are often known in their communities for more negative things than positive, and this has to change, said Rev Smith. It was a refreshing treat to see so many positive young in one place at the recently held National Baptist Youth Department’s Youth Leaders Symposium at St Johns Native Baptist Cathedral.

As a youth minister Rev Smith has worked along with young people looking to develop their leadership skills.

“This event was a youth leadership training where we invited young youth leaders from all of our Baptist churches to prepare them for leadership in 2013,” said Rev Smith.

The symposium covered four main topics: The criteria of an effective Christian leader; how to organise your youth department; how to evangelize today’s youth; should we preach the word or sneak the word; and ideas to reach and keep youth involved in the church ministry.

About 44 young people attended the event, said Rev Smith.

“The discussions were very engaging. Hearing the perspective of youth leaders on how they are ready to lead their youth departments and take it to the next level, was enlightening,” he said.

“Many of them viewed it as maximizing their potential to take on leadership roles, not only in the church, but in other areas of their lives, such as the work place, on college and high-school campuses. Many of them currently attend the College of the Bahamas, and are final year students in high school,” said Rev Smith.

Rev Smith said he is convinced there are so many young people who are on the positive path. “We never hear about the positive side of these youths, only the negative aspect is portrayed in society. I was immensely impressed and I was overwhelmed with the information we received from the young leaders,” he said.