Young people from across the Eastern Kwa Zulu Natal Division gathered at Estill Corps for the annual Yconnexion and Young Adults celebration.
The weekend began on Friday, 12 June, with Lt Benedict Nkambule, our weekend guest, introducing the theme, “SEE”, by breaking it down into Search Me, Lord; Expose Me; and Equip Me. Lt Sinothile Nkambule closed the day by challenging the young people to move away from the crowd so that they could see what God wanted to do in and through them.
Saturday began with a Bible study led by Lts Benedict and Sinothile Nkambule, focusing on the four different life stages that identify a person:
- Open Self – things known to yourself and to others.
- Blind Self – things unknown to yourself but known by others.
- Hidden Self – things known to yourself but unknown to others.
- Unknown Self (Place of Discovery) – things unknown to yourself and others, but known only by God.
The young people were then given characters from the Bible and asked to identify these personality areas in each character, as well as within themselves. This formed the second part of the theme: “Expose Me, Lord.”
Following the Bible study, everyone split into two groups: Junior and Senior Youth, and Youth-e/Young Adults. Junior and Senior Youth session, facilitated by Cadet Angel Moye, focused on the sub-themes: Are you saved? Have you accepted Jesus? How do we live as children of God without fear of being judged? What hinders us from witnessing about Christ to our peers? The young people were challenged to overcome the fear of judgement, taught the importance of witnessing by sharing their personal testimonies, and encouraged to live boldly for God.
The Young Adults, on the other hand, engaged in meaningful conversations that challenged them not to let The Salvation Army die on their watch. As many are preparing to leave the youth ministry, they were asked the question: “What are you leaving behind?” They were encouraged to be godly examples to those following after them. Finally, they were challenged to live according to Paul’s instruction in Romans by not conforming to the patterns of this world and by putting God first, even in the blessings He has given them. The session concluded with prayer in pairs.
A notable session followed, led by a Financial Advisor from the Youth and Community Desk at Mandeni Municipality. He spoke to the young people on “Keeping Your Name Clear from Debt and the Importance of Saving.” This was followed by the Book Challenge. This year, our young people were required to read the book Day by Day and Paul’s letter to the Romans. The winning teams were Catherine Booth Corps (1st), Mandeni Corps (2nd), and Mangeza Corps (3rd).
Concluding the weekend on Sunday, Lt Benedict Nkambule challenged the young people from 1 Kings 3:16–28 to be present to see—to recognise their blessings, discover their gifts, and be able to use the gifts God has placed within them.
As the weekend came to a close, the challenge of SEE remained. Having asked God to search their hearts, expose what needed to change, and equip them for His service, the young people left with a renewed desire to see His hand at work in their own lives and in the world around them. May the seeds planted throughout the weekend continue to grow, producing a generation of young Salvationists who live courageously, serve faithfully, and follow Christ wholeheartedly.