About 7,000 young people from all corners of KwaZulu-Natal and further afield attended the KwaSizabantu Youth Conference from 7 – 14 December at the mission station. On Sunday,10 December, the 10,000-seater auditorium was packed with locals who also attended the service. The theme, 'Be strong for the Lord' (Qinani Kwensi), is appropriate to the youth's many daily challenges. This was the 49th time the Mission hosted a conference for the youth at its premises.
Spearheaded by Lidia Dube, one of the seniors at the Mission, this KwaSizabantu Youth Conference, twice a year, is an effective means to engage young people, giving them a positive sense of self, teaching them self-control and decision-making skills, providing them with pro-social connections, and enriching them with a moral system of belief while sharing the gospel with them. Over the years, the conferences have been a source of great blessings and provided hope to thousands of young people who attended and changed their lives for the better after giving their hearts to the Lord. This time was not different, and many youngsters gave their hearts to the Lord and shared heartwarming testimonies with the audience.
The collaboration between various denominations, churches, schools, and other organisations backs the KwaSizabantu Youth Conference. Services are broadcast in isiZulu, English, German, French, Sesotho, and Portuguese. Daily service times are 10:00, 15:00, and 7:00 p.m., excluding Sunday (December 9), when the morning service will start at 11:00 a.m. Those unable to attend the conference could tune into the Mission’s community radio station, Radio Khwezi, or use the streaming platform on the website where all the daily services were broadcast. Radio Khwezi has over 12,000 official listeners.
The daily services saw a variety of preachers and Christian leaders sharing the gospel with the youth. Dr Peter Hammond from Frontline Fellowship regularly speaks at KwaSizabantu’s youth conferences. His message that bitterness can be another stronghold of Satan resonated with many. He said, “If you have not forgiven someone, then you will likely harbour an unforgiving spirit and a resentment that will deepen into bitterness. Ask God to reveal to you the people against whom you are holding feelings of bitterness and resentment. Be aware that you could also harbour bitterness against God.”
Dr Hammond also gave practical advice on how to deal with bitterness. He advised them to “…make a list of the names God reveals to you. Start at the bottom of the list, with those people who are easier to forgive, and work your way up to the more difficult cases. Repent of the sin of unforgiveness. Forgive each person from the heart. Ask God to take back the ground you have given Satan through unforgiveness.”
Apart from the soul-enriching speakers who use the three services daily to bring the young people closer to the Lord, the Mission also holds a sports day. The sports activities are designed so everyone can participate, even those with no specific sports talent.
The combined fun and faith make the strategy of this conference uniquely positioned to draw young people who have never heard about the Lord before. At the conference, they are introduced to sound Christian teachings in a relevant and impactful way.
(Information provided by Devoted magazine. Read inspiring articles from young people who have given their lives for the Lord on the websites: https://www.devotedmag.co.za and www.ksb.org.za. Follow: https://www.facebook.com/DeVinePublishers)
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