The Citizen, 2015-01-22, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015.
By Pastor Perry Chuipka
St. John’s and Trinity Anglican
Churches
A mother and father had been
away attending a funeral out of town
in between Christmas and New
Year’s. The father called the eldest
of his five children on the phone and
told him that he and their mother
would be arriving at the train station
on New Year’s Eve at 7 p.m. The
father being a joker, laughed as he
added, “we want to be met by a brass
band.”
On New Year’s Eve, when the
mother and the father got off the
train they didn’t get their usual
reception of children running to
greet them. But as they approached
the station, there stood their five
children, each one holding a musical
instrument, except for the smallest
boy who was conducting the band to
the tune of, “Seventy-six
Trombones.” Passengers stood,
smiling and laughing at the
reception. The music we discovered
was coming from a tape recorder –
for not one of the children could play
an instrument (they borrowed all the
instruments from their school band).
Since it happened to be New Year’s
Eve, the children performance added
a special aura of happiness to the
station.
I began with that funny story
because that little band of young
people is an example of the
innovative minds that will give us
hope for the future. In the last year
as I spoke with people I found most
were not optimistic about the future
of our world and the planet. This was
disheartening. The more I spoke
with people, the more I heard things
like: Our young people are not
concerned about the future of our
world...they are too busy playing
games on their gadgets. Our young
people are not taking enough interest
in doing something good for our
world and our young people are too
wrapped up in their own concerns
and interests.
My response is all of the above
comments from adults may be true.
But were you not a young person at
one point in your life? We all went
through that stage when we were
focused just on what we wanted.
I think our youth are made up of
much more than we give them credit
for. I think they are conscious about
the future of our world and are
concerned about their role in making
it a better place. Look at some of
these real examples of youth in
action.
A group of 50 youth from more
than 30 countries gathered in Vienna
from March 12 and 13 last year for
the Youth Forum. This was an
opportunity to share their
experiences and visions regarding
drug use prevention and to learn
more about the global policy making
structures and working mechanisms.
During the Youth Forum,
outstanding youth leaders discussed
the drug use challenges they are
facing in their communities and with
their peers, which are influencing
their health and well-being. The
group had the opportunity to
exchange good practice examples
related to the drug use prevention
from the countries they are coming
from and to acknowledge the role of
social media to promote healthy
lifestyles and not to glamorize drug
use.
As a result of this forum, the youth
participated in active group sessions
which created some statements that
they presented in front of more than
500 delegates on the first day. On
the next day they developed a Plan
of Action on international co-
operation towards an integrated and
balanced strategy to counter the
world drug problem.
I certainly wasn’t involved in a
youth session like that when I was
young nor did I hear about such a
forum.
Take a look at another program by
the youth. The Youth Take Charge –
Youths Standing Together is a
program helping youth build their
Canada. Through partnerships with
youth-serving organizations, the
Youth Take Charge Program
supports projects that exemplify an
ability to strengthen youth
attachment to Canada in the
thematic areas of history and
heritage, civic engagement and
youth service, arts and culture and
economic activities.
And finally listen to this creative
project by youth – the Youth ABC’s
(Ability to Bring Change) program.
Youth ABC’s is a youth-led, peer-
to-peer initiative that is intended to
provide youth with the knowledge,
skills and inspiration to make
positive changes in their own lives,
and become actively, positively
engaged in their clubs,
neighbourhoods and community.
As you can see the youth of today
are actively involved in their
neighbourhoods, communities and
in world issues. Unfortunately, the
media doesn’t give them enough
good press. We only see young
people having a great time in the
beer commercials, looking beautiful
in the shampoo ads and all the bad
news stories of young people in the
newspapers. Young people are doing
a lot for our communities and well-
being. They do give me hope for the
future. When is the last time you
spoke with a young person to hear
their stories about life and how they
view our world. Let me share this
story which I heard from another
priest.
“I am a priest in an Anglican
church. Every month I lead a
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph’s
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
BELIEVE
Know what you believe and why it matters.
What you believe drives everything you do in your life; how
you treat others, how you measure success, how you raise
your kids. So what DO you believe? Who are you becoming?
How should your beliefs direct your life? At Huron Chapel we
want to help you learn what God’s best means to you for your
life. Every Sunday @ 10:30 - huronchapel.com
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Sunday, January 25 ~“Conquering the Shadows”
Sunday, February 1 ~Groundhog says,
“Get Your Own Shadow”
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Jan. 25: Jn. 2:13-25
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham
“How to Build a Better Temple”
Faith-in-Song
Friday, February 6,
7:30 p.m.
Blyth Christian Reformed Church
ABC Women’s Ministry
of Auburn, Blyth, Clinton presents
Featuring:
St. Andrew’s Praise Team
John De Jager
The Garratt Brothers
D. Hiller Family
And Others
Presentation by Representatives
of North Huron Community Food Share
ADMISSION: FREE WILL OFFERING
(To be donated to North Huron Community Food Share)
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ~ Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville’s basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, January 25
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
From the Minister’s Study
Hope in the world rests with the young
Continued on page 19