Details

Written by Gary Saunders

Published: 15 February 2011

The Youth Ministries Department comprises of the AYS Society, Pathfinder and Adventurer Clubs.

The task of the Youth Ministries Department is to:

1. Lead youth to understand their individual worth, and to discover and develop their spiritual gifts and abilities.
2. Equip and empower youth for a life of service within God's church and the community.
3. Ensure the integration of youth into all aspects of church life and leadership in order that they might be full participants in the mission of the church.

Youth Ministries Foundation & Core

Aim:
The aim of the Adventist Youth Ministries Department is to preach the gospel to the entire world in our generation. With this as our focus, the Brooklyn Faith Youth department is prepared and ready to lead the Youth into fulfilling our aim. We understand that in order for us to be successful, we first must have the desire to do this work. With this in mind, we will seek to help our youth to develop a personal relationship with the Lord. We believe that having a personal relationship with the Lord is essential to the overall growth of our youth. It is our goal to have all our youth come to know who Jesus really is—we want them to have a personal encounter with the Lord. This we believe will foster a yearning to go and to effect changes in our community and in the lives of other youth.

Motto:
The motto of the Adventist Youth Ministries Department is an affirmation of the fact that the love of Christ constrains us. When we come to know Jesus, His irresistible love empowers us and gives us the push we need to be what he wants us to be. His power energies us and leads us into one channel—a channel that leads to everlasting bliss and to a place where time will not be a boundary and life will cease to end. It is our desire, and the desire of all Christians, to be among those that will live with the Lord forever. Therefore we have chosen to allow the Lord to lead in our lives, knowing that all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.

Pledge:
The pledge of the Adventist Youth Ministries Department says that because we love the Lord Jesus, we will take an active part in the Adventist Youth Society of our church. We will do all we can to help others and in so doing, we will finish the work of the Gospel in the entire world. There is no doubt that the love of Christ is the force that motivates us. It is our personal aim to make Jesus the center of our being. In so doing, the world will see his light shine through us. It is our hope that when this occurs, those who are not of this faith will have no other desire but to come to accept the message, and accept Jesus as their personal savior and as Lord of their lives.

AYS Purpose is to: 

• To keep the challenge of the Aim, the Motto, and the Pledge.
• To deepen the devotion life of each member.
• To integrate vital youth features and group activities into the thinking and life of the Youth Department.
• To keep the young people on the church in touch with the Youth Ministries movement around the world.
• To give an opportunity for each member to obtain and experience in public address and teamwork: praying, studying, planning and working together.
• To hold before the youth ideals and principles for Christian living.
• To help young people find a positive solution to their problems.
• To study the most effective methods for doing different kinds of Christian service.
• To provide time when the members of the Youth Department may have an opportunity to tell “what they have done for the savior.”
• To provide pleasant Christian fellowship for the young people of the church.

AYS Goal
“The goal of the Youth Ministries Department is to involve youth in our church and community in spreading the news of Jesus’ return and guide them into service for him.”

AYS Objective
“To save from sin and guide into service.”

Details

Written by Gary Saunders

Published: 15 February 2011

• What is the Pathfinder Club
• History of Brooklyn Faith Knights
• Club Mission Statement
• Our Motto
• Goals and Objective
• Club Schedule
• Program Schedule
• Other Activities

What is the Pathfinder Club?

The Pathfinder Club is a church-centered spiritual-recreational-activity based program which provides an outlet for the spirit of adventure and exploration that is found in every junior youth. This includes carefully tailored activities in outdoor living, nature exploration, crafts, hobbies, or vocations beyond the possibilities in an average Adventist Junior Youth Society. It is filled with action, adventure, challenge, group activities, and provides opportunities for the development of new activities and skills that produce personal growth, team or community spirit and a sense of loyalty and respect for God, His creation, and His Church. With this given setting, spiritual emphasis is well received, and the Pathfinder Club has well demonstrated its soul winning influence. In many local churches Pathfinder Clubs have replaced the traditional Adventist Junior Youth society, and where there is a church school the Pathfinder Club should supplement the work of the Adventist Junior Youth Society.

A sampling of activities in the Pathfinder Club includes camporees, fairs, craft study, nature exploration, Bible Study, witnessing projects, field trips, and many other interesting adventures.

Youth from ages 10-15 (and older) are eligible to become members of the Pathfinder Club through a special induction ceremony. The triangular emblem has been adopted internationally even though there is sometimes a change in the name “Pathfinder” through translation and local equivalence. Members wear an approved Pathfinder uniform to all club functions, including the weekly club meeting, Pathfinder fairs, and camporees, and on Sabbath morning to Church for Pathfinder Day. In some churches the age groups are divided into the Junior Pathfinder Club and the Teen Pathfinder Club and when older Pathfinders reach the age of 15 they may become staff members through a Teen Leadership Training (TLT) program.

The whole philosophy of Pathfindering is built on the premise that “Children learn best by example, rather than precept.” As they see leaders and parents model spiritual and social values, they too will aspire to develop high moral principles, loving and caring attitudes, and determination to excel in all their various pursuits. Young people learn most effectively in a positive, happy and secure atmosphere.  The Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club can offer this to your child. Here is where they need to be.

History of the Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club

After a number of efforts to launch a pathfinder club here at Brooklyn Faith, the dream was realized in the later part of 1981, when the Brooklyn Faith knights officially became a Pathfinder Club. It took the dedication  and perseverance of Elaine Duffus Williams to step forward and lead out as the Brooklyn Faith Knights’ first director. Director Williams solicited the help of other members within our church, to lay the foundation for what we now know as the award winning Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club. There were leaders such as Monica Clark, Rosita Andrews, the Cookes, the Frasiers, and the Rosses, just to name a few. There were also members and families within the church who supported the club with their means, such as Sis Simms, Sis Lowe, Sis Brown, the Johns, the Benjamins, the Dwyers, the Stewarts, the Palmers, the Knights, the Creightons and many others.

The Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club started in 1981 with 50 members. By the end of 1982, Elaine Duffus Williams was honored by the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventist as Director of the Year. She acknowledged that this achievement could not have been attained without the support, hard work, and dedication of her staff and church members. That very year, the club was also awarded first place for the Northeastern Conference Parade and Fair.
In 1987, the Brooklyn Faith Knights printed their first, and so far, only magazine which featured the work of various pathfinders within the club at that time.

Throughout the years, the Brooklyn Faith Knights have gone on to win awards in every category of merit. These successes are a result of the hard work of the leaders and directors who have led us trough the years. Directors like Elaine Duffus, Gordon Frasier, Kelvin Telesford, Suzette Stewart, Selene Stewart, Roslyn Ashmeade, Claudine Mitchell, Kym Chapman, Shauna Roach, LaFerne Hunte, Sherman Francis, Anderson Serrant, Alexa Joseph and now Nicole Ashby, who by God’s grace will work along with her team to attain heights not previously experienced by this great Club.

The Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club has sought to make a difference in the lives of all those who have passed through its ranks of courage and standards. The club has helped to shape youths who are now productive members of society. Due to the influence of various directors and leaders, we now have lawyers, teachers, professors, nurses, doctors, musicians, business men and women, mothers, fathers, and other professionals, who can pay tribute to the Club on how it has helped shape their lives.

From the inception of the Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club, God has been its source of strength and determination. God has richly blessed this Club, and with God’s help we will continue the work that He has entrusted us to do.

Club Mission Statement:

The Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club was organized for the purpose of leading young people to a more fulfilling lifestyle in Jesus Christ, by teaching them how to be a servant of God and a friend to man.

It is our desire to strive for continuous improvement and ensuring that our integrity and respect for others are ever compromised.
In light of our mission, we are dedicated to working in God’s vineyard to win souls for Him. Guided by God’s standards and principles, we hope to open ourselves to new ideas and to transcend organizational and geographic boundaries, in order to meet the needs of our fellow man.

Our Motto:

The Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club’s Motto is to “Develop Characters for the Heavenly Kingdom.”

Goals and Objectives:

Pathfinder LogoThe Brooklyn Faith Knights Pathfinder Club is dedicated to train the youths in its care to understand who they are and their purpose as a Pathfinder and a child of God. Our Desire is to:

1. 1. Develop and to enhance the characteristics of God in our youths
   2. Teach our youths how to demonstrate God’s love to others and to promote His truth through this Pathfinder Ministry.
   3. Develop in our youths an awareness of their purpose as soldiers of Christ, and to equip them with the necessary tools to fulfill their purpose.
   4. Teach and to nurture the Christian values in our youths that would make them second to none in strength and character.
   5. Help our youths to make a difference in the world around them. Through the training given, we pray that they would take from the Pathfinder experience, something they can give to the world that it does not possess.
      
      

Our Club Schedule

First Sunday - Club Meeting - 10am-1:00pm
First Sunday - Executive Meeting - 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Third Sunday - Club Meeting - 10:00am - 1:00pm

OTHER ACTIVITIES

• Outreach (Visiting with our community members)
• In-reach (Visiting our sick and shut-ins)
• Camping (Experiencing the great outdoors, learning from nature)
• Seminars/Workshops (Training for Various positions and ranks within the Club)
• Field Trips/Outings (Educational and fun trips that engages our young people)
• Conference Sponsored Events (Parades, various other Ministries)
• Staff Meetings (Where staff meet to plan for the future  of the Club)
• PPA Meetings (The parent arm of the club, keeping the parents informed about club events, progress and needs).