SHOULD PARENTS SET BOUNDRIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN

Recently I read a quote made by Dame Jacqueline Wilson, which read as follows, " Basically, many teenagers want to be told " No, I am not allowing you to go there." It comes as a relief to them and then they can moan and groan to their friends. Parents are well- meaning and want to be popular with their children, and they remember clearly how they felt when their own parents told them they couldn't do things. But they need to set boundaries and offer guidance.

As I read this quotation I realized the importance of rules, standards in our society whether is in the church or in school or in the home. We need such guidance from those who have been placed in such position to give leadership to youth. Or do we really need them, is it necessary to have boundaries after all?

Let me here from you do you think parents or in the absence of them, churches should set boundaries for their children. If so what kind of characteristics should christian parents or youth leaders have to meet this challenge of giving guidance to young people.

FOLLOW UP ON SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST SOCIAL NETWORK

My heart has been overjoyed with the comments that have been posted in support of this great idea of having a Social Network developed for Seventh day Adventist Youth. I want to thank all of you who have contributed through your very very positive comments. we are encouraged to go on with this dream for our precious youth around the world. It will not be easy but we got to do it!! Our youth deserve it!! We now live in the world of internet and cannot afford to neglect our youth without providing them with such sites. This is the 21st century. Our church must be in the front burner of ensuring that we march with the times in which we live in.

Our youth spend most of their time hanging out in these chat rooms. If we want to minister and reach our youth we got to develop this kind of site. We have to go where our youth spend their quality time. I want to see a site where our youth can visit and talk with their friends 24/7. We are not going to compete with social network sites like "Myspace Hi5, or Facebook." But we will come up with a site that you will be proud of as a Seventh day Adventist youth. It will be a site that will be another "Wow" in the history of Youth Ministry.

It is my honest desire that if we develop a social network it must be a world class one. It must have quality. Seventh day Adventist environment. Informative and Mission oriented. One which our youth will be proud of. We will keep you updated. And for all of you who are waiting for this social network keep on checking out my blog from time to time. If you have any ideas to be considered as we work on this dream let us know.

Continue to pray for this dream!! Please Pray, Pray!!!

May God bless you and keep you safe in all you do in your daily walk,
Your Friend
Baraka

Imagine If We Had Our Own Seventh Day Adventist Social Networking Site

It is true today that there are so many Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, MSN Spaces etc. Imagine if the Seventh day Adventist Church would come up with its own social networking version for our youth. A site that has all the Seventh day Adventist look. Imagine a site where all our youth would meet and find friends, discuss issues that are common among them without any of all these advertisements that sometimes have very questionable outlooks.

This is my dream and the dream of many of those who working at the General Conference Youth Ministries Department. To create a social-networking site that has all departments of the church linked together. One where, while you are chatting with friends, you can go check out what the church is doing and how you can help in the mission of the church. For example, while you are chatting with your friends about volunteering, you can just click on the Adventist Volunteering link and you will see all the volunteering opportunities that are available in your church worldwide. This site will be created and operated by Adventist youth. This site will nurture and challenge youth to participate in the mission of the church while they hanging out with other youth who share their lifestyle and beliefs.

Research says that 61% percent of 13 -17 year-olds have a personal profile on online social networking sites like MySpace, Friendster or Xanga. And two-thirds of all adolescents, many of them Seventh-day Adventist Youth, report using instant messaging. This blows my mind!! So many youth now hang out at these sites!!! We need our own site. ... It is not an option - the church must embark on this dream. If not, high technology (and maybe our children) will leave us behind.

This dream can come through. The General Conference Administration is looking into the possibility of starting such a site, but we need to hear from you. They need to know that it is needed. Let us have your take on this matter.
Do you think it is worth pursuing?
Will many young people social network on this site?
Will you switch your site to this one so that you can join other youth of the Seventh day Adventist Church?
Share you thoughts on this with us
Can you suggest a name this new site? Check the Insight website for an entry form and a gift?
Let me hear from you.

Just imagine having our own Seventh day Adventist Social networking site like 'MySpace'. Youth ministry is in the business of fishing for youth and we must go where the fish are; and in today's world we will find our youth at these sites!! Let me hear from you - what is your comment!

LINDA VISTA UNIVERSITY WEEK OF PRAYER IMPRESSIONS

I ended the Week Of Prayer at Linda Vista University on Sabbath September 15. This is our own run campus in the Chiapas region of South Mexico. The school is situated in a deep valley surrounded by incredible beatiful mountains. It is an ideal place to send your child to school if one speaks Spanish.

I was very much impressed by this campus. The school has about 800 students and almost 95% are baptized Seventh day Adventists. This is an incredible enrollement making this school one of the very few with such a high percantage of Seventh day Adventist students. Teachers in this school are all full members of the Seventh day Adventist Church.

The campus has a high spiritual environment. During this week of prayer I was surprised to see students running to get a seat during the week of prayer. They sat while I preached at the edges of their seats.. The music in this school is second to none. So many groups of great singers. The week of prayer was blessed by outstanding items. When the students sing it is like voice of angels. I miss the music so much.

The University is so friendly. Teachers and students alike. They stop to great you and spend time with you. Indeed the atmosphere on this campus is what I call the typical Adventist one.
The school's landscape is edenic. So beutiful and the grounds are kept so well. One feels like being in a tropical botanic garden. The grounds are kepts very clean.

On the last day of the week of prayer 13 young people were baptized and about 20 joined the Bible Study Class. It is my hope that most of these will be baptized soon.
I did enjoy very much conducting this week of prayer and wanted to share with you what my impression of the campus was.

World Conference On Youth and Community Service Taiwan

We are now talking of a few months to go before this great event takes place at the end of this year December 24th to January 5th, 2008. Many applications have come in and we expect to reach our tentative goal. My personal wish is to see each union around the world send a representative. It is so awesome to meet other youth leaders sharing the same hope, joys, and sorrows of working with our youth. Yes, we have joys but once in a while we as youth leaders we experience sorrows when we see a youth slide back from the joy of walking with the Lord. Visit our World Conference Website if you have not done so.

The main purpose of bring all these hundreds of youth to Taiwan is to focus on the two pillars of the primary reason for having youth ministry in the Seventh day Adventist Church- Salvation and Service. The first part of the World Conference on Youth and Community Service starting from December 24th to December 29th will see our youth saturating the country of Taiwan with the love of God through service projects. Young people select the projects, raise funds for the particular project and off they will be seen in Taiwan during those days. Following the service project period will be the Conference to acknowledge God's blessings and prepare our youth to participate in the mission of the church in their various corners they represent. Powerful devotional speakers and workshop presenters have been prepared to meet this objective.

We are still accepting Applications for Taiwan through the end of October. So bring your friend(s) and come to fellowship with hundreds of youth from all over the world.
See you in Taiwan

500 Youth Leaders in SPD Embrace A New Vision at the Move with the Power II

More than 500 Youth from all corners of South Pacific Division have convened in Brisbane at Watson Park Conference Center under the umbrella of Retain, Reclaim and Rescue at the Move with the Power II to chat for a new vision for SPD future youth ministry.

Workshops have been planned to support those three elements of the Convention. Gilbert Cangy the Division Youth Director would like to see each and every youth organization in the entire division embrace the burden he has for the department.

The new Ambassador program has been received so well. Many youth leaders have signed up for this new level in Adventist Youth Ministry. Every day the day begins with a Prayer session - youth leaders break into small groups to welcome a new day and to ask for Gods guidance.
The morming has devotion, plenary session and workshop. After lunch another plenary session before delegates break into more workshop. The day ends with Dick Barron inspiring the delegates with his powerful preaching. Though Dick is retired now from active Youth Ministry he still has such an awesome passion for the salvation of the youth. He is still putting people at the edge of their seats.

Groups from the Pacific Islands bless the convention with great singing. It feels like every delegate belongs to a choir. The blending of the voices is just incredible.
I notice the friendship and fellowship among the delegates to be beyond my expectations.
South Pacific Division will never be the same after this outstanding Convention.

IAD Youth Congress, Medellin, Columbia

I just came back from a very refreshing and successful youth congress for our Youth in Inter American Division. The youth there really were awesome. I "wasted time" time with them every day and heard testimonies how they enjoyed belonging in the Seventh day Adventist Church. These youth who came to the youth congress were mainly youth leaders representing all churches in Inter American Divsion. Their faces showed their commitment to their God.

When the Cuban group arrived - by the way they came three days late as they took a bus from Venezuela to Columbia - Medellin. All six thousand delegates stood up to welcome this delegation. What comradeship! I was so happy to see that all countries of this great division were represented. These youths fellowshipped, prayed, worshipped, and ate together.

The theme Obsessed with Jesus was echoed every where on the venue of the Congress. Inter American Division will never be the same with such spiritual fire that was set among the delegates. There were many pastors and church administrators who came to support the young people including the president of the Division who spent all five days with us. When youth see the leadership of the church on their side - their commitment and confidence in the church does increase. I thank the leadership of the division for their full support. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if all administrators in the church would set a side their quality time for the youth of this church. Just imagine!