Religious Liberty Page

From the inception of time, God created man with an innate freedom of choice. Though man was created to worship God the Creator, this worship was to be a natural outpouring of the heart in response to God’s Greatness and Goodness. The issue of force was never an option.  Man was free to worship as his conscience dictated. 

After sin, the creator’s heart pained at the ugliness of the consequences of sin on man and on His created world. Still God would not force man to worship Him. Worship must be a free choice made from a willing heart.

God has pleaded and is still pleading with mankind to turn away from sin and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. With the help of the Holy Spirit and His faithful servants, God points man to his Holy Word – the Bible. By studying and meditating on the truths within, man finds his way back to God and worships Him from a heart of love. But, God will not force anyone to worship Him.  2 Corinthians 3: 17 says, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Over the centuries, the wickedness of man became great and the evil desire to control others in the “Name of God’ was enacted in the heart- wrenching stories of men, women and children who were torched, thrown to the lions, or dealt numerous other cruelties because they refused to worship as man dictated. They would not allow themselves to be forced to give up their faith. Galatian 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Today, many are still suffering persecution because of their religion. The Seventh Day Adventist Church believes and upholds the promotion of Religious Liberty for all. Galatian 5: 13: For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Religious Liberty is promoted in our local churches under the auspices of NARLA.

NARLA

“North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA) is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's member-driven organization dedicated to promoting liberty of conscience and freedom of religion, and combating religious intolerance at the local, state, and national levels.”

For more on NARA

http://religiousliberty.info/about-narla

Recent Religious Liberty News

http://religiousliberty.info/current-news

Religious Liberty Resources

http://religiousliberty.info/resources

Would you like to get involved in the fight for Religious Freedom?

Get involved

http://religiousliberty.info/get-involved/

More on Religious Liberty:

http://www.adventist.org/mission-and-service/religious-liberty.html

As we strive for the kingdom, let us hold fast the profession of our faith and let us love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and might  and love our neighbors as ourselves.

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

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

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.”