Following the continuous success of the Discovery for Men and Discovery for Women rallies held biannually for over two decades as well as the Discovery Enhancement programmes, The Fountain of Life Church, under the leadership of Pastors Taiwo and Nomthi Odukoya, has unveiled something new and fresh from the Discovery Series; the Discovery for Children and Discovery for Teens rallies. This vision was born out of the desire by Pastor Nomthi to reach out to children.
The maiden edition held on Saturday, June 22 for the children, and June 29 for the teens. The age bracket for the children’s rally was from 8 to 12 years while 13 to 16-year-olds formed the demography for the Teens rally. The theme of the rally was “Ready to Fly.”
At the vibrant opening ceremony, Pastor Kayode, in his welcome address, said that the vision of the Discovery for Children and Discovery for Teen rally is to ensure children of both age brackets are prepared to enter the next phase in life.
In her opening remarks, the chief convener and wife of the Senior Pastor of the Church, Pastor Nomthi Odukoya, read from the Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10 which focused on the importance of getting wisdom, which comes from having the fear of God.
Speaking on the theme of the programme “Ready to Fly,” Pastor Nomthi explained that getting ready to fly means the children need to prepare themselves to achieve their dreams in any career they choose in life. She warned that the devil will not want them to reach this peak, so he would do anything to clip their wings and prevent them from flying high in life. “The devil doesn’t want you to fly. Only your parents, teachers and loved ones want to see you fly.”
She went ahead to admonish the children against keeping secrets from their parents. Especially secrets about sexual predators and people who touch them inappropriately. This, she said is a bad thing and would hinder them from flying too. “One way to stop you from flying is allowing others to touch your private parts. You need to know your boundaries and shouldn’t allow people to touch your private parts”, she cautioned.
She also noted that the devil could also send loved and trusted people to sexually abuse them. She advised that they report any strange touch to their parents. She also advised against undressing in front of people and if anyone wants to undress in their presence, they should close their eyes or leave.
She warned the children against making up stories about being touched or abused. After the snack break, which the kids also enjoyed, Pastor Nomthi taught the children to know who they are in Christ. Speaking on having a clear vision of their identity, she stressed the following points:
Who you are: Everything and every decision you make is determined by who you are and who your parents are.
Who God says you are: 1 Peter 2:9 clearly explains this
Who you want to become: She urged the children to strive to be more like Jesus in whatever career they choose.
How to start: She advised that they start small but be consistent, obedient and respectful. And to always focus on their individual gifting.
How to get there: She noted that every one of them is given a clear path and they will each walk that path alone. “But you can depend on God to be with you all the way. Remember, Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life. By following Him, you will get to your destination,” she said.
Pastor Nomthi also admonished them to avoid things that would distract them from reaching their goals. Such distractions include arguments, time-wasting habits, and getting discouraged over small failures. “There may be failures, but do not be discouraged”. She further encouraged the children to be ready and willing to learn.
The event also featured a question-and-answer session where the children bared it all, after which Pastor Nomthi led the altar call which had children coming out in droves to make a commitment to follow Jesus.
The program was made complete with fun activities, games, and lots of dancing.
Iboro Tonye-Edet
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