We would like to invite you to
the first ever Youth & Family
Conference in South Africa! The theme of the conference is Live It
2 Give It and will take place July 15-18. The Christian life, modeled
by parents, should be inspiring and one that our children desire to
imitate. We all want to live our lives in such a way to instill our
faith into the hearts of our children.
The International Churches of Christ are congregations of disciples
of Jesus who work together to glorify God, to know God and to make God
known around the world. Over the past several years, various Service
Teams have been appointed to address the global needs of our churches in
specific areas. The Youth and Family Service Team is doing a wonderful
job in redefining family and teen ministry. Here is their latest
report.
God is moving in a powerful way in the Rio de Janeiro Youth Ministry. I studied the Bible with a teen during the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. He was baptized on April 5, 2009. It was so amazing because he developed a passionate heart for God. He has desired to face challenges with all his heart. He also was the first teen to be baptized in our church in a long, long time. The church in Rio has a group of teens that grew up in the church and attend the services.
Martin Solano Jr. (left) was a faithful disciple
in the teen ministry of the South Florida Church of Christ.Martin was diagnosed with a brain tumor
two years ago, and passed away on December 11, 2009 at the age of 13, but he
didn't leave us without making a major impact in tons of our lives.
It is often when people go through hard situations
that their true self emerges, and this has certainly been true with Martin.
Shortly after his diagnosis, Martin underwent emergency surgery that left him
with significant paralysis and immobility as well as facing extensive
treatments and ongoing tests.But
his illness was never what defined him.His example can encourage and challenge each of us.