West Ankole Diocese youth and students’ convention pulls 6000
By Chris Mugasha 8th Jan.
West Ankole Diocese’s Youth and students’ 15th annual convention that attracted over 6000 youths ended on Sunday with the Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Johnson Twinomujuni calling upon the clergy to priotize issues of youth.
“A farmer with a kraal that has no heifers is not a good farmer. A society without children is doomed and likewise the Country without children; its future is on tenterhooks,” said the Bishop of West Ankole Diocese the Rt. Rev Johnson Twinomujuni.
“These students/youth before you are very important and they need our attention. You never know, there could be a future President, Archbishop, rocket scientists, Doctors, Vice Chancellors, First ladies, Bank of Uganda Governors…….and therefore I want to ask you to take their issues seriously,” said Twinomujuni as he tasked the clergy.
“God doesn’t show us who shall we be because that is his secret but It’s just a matter of time,” the Bishop said as he encouraged the youth.
The three days convention held at Bweranyangi Hill Convention grounds in Bushenyi district pulled youth/students from the 25 archdeaconries that make up the Diocese. It run under the theme; “Conforming to the Truth of the Word not their patterns of the World.”
The Diocesan Youth and children’s Coordinator Rev. Daphin Asigweire said among the objectives of the convention included; Nurturing the next generation both spiritual life, physical, emotional and psychological changes.
On top of preaching the gospel, the youth/students were taken through different topics that affect the youth both physical and psychologically.
Twinomujuni cautioned the youth against living a ‘reckless life’ stressing that, “there are those who think life is about pleasure. Their objectives of life are always full of pleasure.”
Caption: From left; The Bishop of West Ankole Diocese Rt. Rev Johnson Twinomujuni and Bishop Rt. Rev. Godfrey Loum at the convention.
“Don’t joke with life on earth. There is pain whose end result is joy while some pleasure will end you in tears. Not every pleasure is good,” the Bishop cautioned.
According to the Bishop, the youth should always be mindful of their end by challenging themselves with questions like, “where does this kind of happiness lead me.”
“Fine, there is that element of happiness because even God created man so that he can be happy on this earth. Solomon said be happy in your youthful age but be careful with where that happiness is taking/leading you,” he argued.
He implored the youth to aim at becoming useful to their parents, families, communities and the country at large.
“God created us to be useful. He wants you to be useful on this earth,” the Bishop appealed. He reminded the youth of some people who have been of great value/useful.
“The people who have innovated/invented radios, telecoms, phones, cars, aircrafts/planes, computers, buttons……have been of great usefulness,” the Bishop said as he listed the innovators. He added, “the person who created face book committed himself and time to the computer lab and he is now one of the richest people we have in the World.”
“How are your parents going to benefit from you? What are they tapping from you?” Twinomujuni challenged the youth.
The Bishop told the youth that the only way one can be useful in future is to protect his/her body from behaviors that can intoxicate the body.
“Avoid anything that can intoxicate your body,” he counseled as he warned them against evil things like alcohol, drug abuse, adultery among others.
Twinomujuni reminded the youth that in some communities there are even some people who are graduates but they have remained nothing/not useful because they never minded about living a responsible life.
Rt. Rev. Godfrey Loum, the Bishop of Northern Uganda encouraged the youth saying, “Have a goal and make decisions that will take you closer to that goal. You dream about what you want to be in future and aim at that dream.”
Caption: Some of the youth/students in prayer after accepting Jesus Christ as their savior.
Other preachers
‘Guarding the mind in the social media age.’
Dr. Lydia Kitayimbwa the St. Francis Chapel, Makerere University chaplain told parents and the youth to be careful with the programs that children watch on Televisions, phones and other social media gargets.
She said many youth have/are losing their destiny because of social media.
“Social media is good. TVs are good to have but it’s we people who are bad because we/you misuse the different social media platforms,” Kitayimbwa said. Kitayimbwa challenged the youth to ask themselves what they gain from being funs of some key star football players.
“These men/star players you know and keep them in your heads; do they know you?” Kitayimbwa asked sending the youth to prolonged laughter and murmurs.
Rev Esmond Serunjogi, the Parish Priest of St Andrew’s Church of Uganda in Misindye, Mukono Diocese said these days they are doing a lot of counseling especially on the young people.
“You receive a young man who tells you; Rev, I don’t understand myself,” Serunjogi wondered.
Preaching in reference to a topic; ‘Following Jesus Christ despite the Times’, Serunjogi said many young people don’t know where they are going and what they are doing and as a result many are being diverted to directions, things/activities which they don’t know.
Serunjogi said that it is very unfortunate some people have lost three things which include; Relationship with God, Position with God and Identity with God.
“The current Days are tough and the devil is strategic. You need to be more strategic than the devil,” Serunjogi cautioned stressing that, “the way that the devil brings temptation in places like Kampala is not the same that it (devil) will bring it to remote/rural areas. In Kampala you can easily find a prostitute to buy at Shs3000= (three thousand.)”
End.
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