Inter-America: Adventist children and youth to participate in territory-wide spiritual revival

March 3, 2011 – Miami, Florida….Libna Stevens/IAD

Weeks after the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America launched its spiritual and revival program throughout the vast territory, thousands of children and young people will be involved in participating in the “Constant in Prayer” initiative-a call to all members throughout Inter-America to seek personal spiritual revival through constant prayer and study of the Bible.

Churches across the 21 church regions of the Inter-American Division (IAD) have organized a special week of prayer Mar. 5-11 focused on engaging children and young people in a closer connection with God. Saturday, Mar. 12, will also mark a special day of worship service and activities led by children and youth.

“We want to inject the spiritual lives of our children in Inter-America with the necessary elements for a better relationship with God and for them to develop a Christ-like attitude,” says Dinorah Rivera, children’s ministries director for the church in Inter-America.

Letting children know of the daily need to connect with God is the main goal, explains Rivera. “It’s assuring our children that yes you can talk to God, you can hear His voice, you can receive His help, accept His forgiveness for your sins while enjoying His company.”

Young people will also engage in Scripture reading and prayer vigils throughout churches, says Benjamin Carballo, youth ministries director for the church in Inter-America.

Activities on the importance of prayer, faith, obedience, and service will be emphasized as the main ingredients for a renewed spiritual revival, through a youth theme coined as “Pray, Live, and Revive” adds Carballo.

“It is extremely important to reach our children and young people with this type of initiative that can impact their spiritual life since they make up such a large part of our membership,” says Pastor Roberto Herrera, coordinator for spiritual revival and reformation for the church in Inter-America. “Young people not only make up the majority of our church but they are involved in our congregations, in the pastoral ministry and all of the levels of our organizational system, so a spiritual impact would be felt immediately through our church with our young people.”

It’s more so seriously with the children, he adds.

“Our children are precisely in their formation stage and we want to recognize the work of our teachers and parents involved in children’s ministries. We want to pray with them and support them in how important our children in Inter-America are,” explains Herrera.

“We want to call on the entire church membership on the importance of nurturing their spiritual life. We want to send the message to our children and young people on Mar. 12 that even though we are pleased to see them growing, studying, having fun learning, what is most important is their salvation and seeing them make it into the kingdom of heaven,” adds Herrera.

“We want our children and young people to know that they are a part of a church that prays for them, cares for their spiritual growth and is always looking for ways to minister to their needs,” Herrera says.

Special large church services will be held throughout all 21 major church regions in the IAD on Saturday, Mar. 12, as well as a webcast program to be held at the University of Southern Caribbean in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

For available resources on Inter-America’s Spiritual Revival and Reformation for children and young people in Spanish, English and French, visit www.praying4revival.org

For news updates, visit us at www.interamerica.org