Adventist Church in Jamaica Launches Initiative to Help Young People Engage in Service

Pastor Dane Fletcher, Youth Ministries Director, Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists cuts the ribbon to officially open the HYPE Mobile Clinic. The special ceremony took place at at the Grants Pen Peace Park, in Jamaica, on Jan. 31, 2019. Photo courtesy of Shortwood Adventist Church

February 5, 2019 | Kingston, Jamaica | Nigel Coke/IAD News Staff

With the goal of sharing positive values, and encouraging spiritual devotion and transformation, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica through its youth department launched its first mobile clinic dubbed HYPE, or Helping Young People Engage.

HYPE is the coming together of Adventist young people, pooling their resources to serve God and humanity.

Speaking at the launch, which took place on Jan. 31, 2019, at the Grants Pen Peace Park in St. Andrew, Pastor Everett Brown president of the church in Jamaica, challenged the gathering and the nation to invest in the education of our young people.

Pastor Everett Brown, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica delivers the main address during the launch o HYPE at the Grants Pen Peace Park on Jan. 31, 2019. Photo by Nigel Coke

“A nation, a church’s greatest asset lies in its people,” said, Brown. “When people come together and pool resources there is no limit to what can be achieved. We need to invest in our human resource. Investment in the education of young people will reap great dividends for our church and nation.”

Helping young people engage is no hype

Pastor Brown posited that the launch of the mobile clinic is an idea whose time has come, and fits perfectly with the overall worldview and philosophy of the Adventist church.

“We believe in the wholistic develop of people. Spiritual, social, mental and physical. Service is at the core of what we do. Building relationships and establishing partnerships. Giving back to God and community.”

Students of the Kingsway High and Preparatory Schools deliver a musical item during the launch o HYPE at the Grants Pen Peace Park on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. Photo by Nigel Coke

Helping young people to engage is not a hype, said Brown. “Rather, HYPE is a fantastic initiative a model that is worthy of commendation and emulation. It is more than a mobile clinic. The heart of this initiative is the focus to serve people and build communities.”

The main objective of HYPE is to engage youth in acts of service, while providing healthcare, and promoting lifestyle changes, as well as an intentional sports program to connect youth of the church with youth of the community, church leaders said. It is non-discriminatory and will seek to serve across religions, ethnicity and political persuasions.

“We are passionate about helping our youth to realize their best potentials,” said Pastor Dane Fletcher, youth ministries director for the church in Jamaica. “HYPE will continue along this trajectory, as we encourage and inspire our youth to volunteer and make a positive contribution.” The mobile clinic will go across Jamaica and will engage volunteers throughout the Island in order to have resource personnel to execute its mission, he added. “We believe in empowering our youth to create a healthier, happier Jamaica,” Fletcher said.

The HYPE Clinic will travel across the island this year engaging young people to serve in communities. Photo by Nigel Coke

During the launch, funds and medical equipment were donated by the HYPE initiative by The Dental Place Cosmetics and Spa.

HYPE is a youth ministries initiative of the Jamaica Union Conference (JAMU), born from proposals made by young people from around the Adventist world church. The church has mandated the implementation of such initiatives with a sponsorship of US$80,000.00, which was used to outfit the HYPE Mobile Clinic.