Teens should be concerned about their tomorrow —Pastor Yinka Okunusi

As the third teens conference of Christ Embassy comes up today at the Christ Embassy Camp Ground, Lagos-Ibadan highway, Asese, the Group Pastor, Christ Embassy Ikeja Environs 2, Lagos Zone 1, Pastor Yinka Okunusi, who is also the Teens Ministry Coordinator speaks with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE on the impact of the conference, post-conference plans and expectations. Excerpts:

What is the purpose of the Teens Conference?

Every program takes its root from the vision of the program. The Teens Conference is all about impacting thousands of teenagers that we want to bring together today. We want to bring out the leadership spirit and traits in them by the spirit of God, so that they can multiply the influence of our message in their world and also demonstrate the character of the spirit. We are bringing these teenagers together to impact them with the word of God and the word of leadership. We are conscious of the fact that the future of any nation depends on the teenagers, as a result, we have been having the Teens Conference for the past three years and we have seen the impact it has had on the lives of the teenagers that have been attending. They talk boldly, they have reasons to live and believe for tomorrow and we will not stop.

Who do you expect at the conference?

We are expecting teenagers from all around Lagos; from private and public secondary schools within our neighborhood, community and also teenagers from our churches. The program is holding today by 9am at the Christ Embassy Camp ground, Lagos-Ibadan Express way, Asese.

How do you get the schools involved?

Although schools are closed for the term, we visited and sent invitation to over 500 schools before they closed. Some of these schools allowed us to address the teenagers at the assembly hall. Most of them are excited because this is not the first time we are having the program, they are used to us coming around and because they have seen the impact of the program on the teenagers, they have extended a hand of fellowship to us. We are also reaching out to teenagers in our catchment areas, now that they are out of school. Teenagers from schools are going to be coming in an organized way with almost 50 representatives from each school and we are expecting over 500 schools.

Now that schools are on holiday, will that not affect attendance?

Not at all, we already have their commitment. As a matter of fact, the past two Teens Conferences that we had fell on Good Friday which is a period of vacation for schools and it never affected the attendance for the conferences. Nevertheless, we have made arrangements for buses to be stationed in front of these schools so that the teenagers can easily locate a bus and come for the program.

What arrangement do you have in place in terms of security, transportation and feeding?

Over the years, we have always provided free transportation for all the teenagers, the only difference this time is that, we are doing it in a bigger way. For this program, we are engaging 250 BRT buses and smaller buses that can easily navigate through the narrow areas that the BRT buses might not be able to go to pick up these teenagers. The transportation is free and well-coordinated because we have adults that will mount every bus; about three adults per bus. We will be doing security checks right from when the teenagers enter the buses to prevent harmful objects going with them to the program. Also at the campground, we have made adequate arrangement for security and we will be working with the Ogun State Police Force and our ministry’s security department so that the teenagers will be properly secured. We will be having over 2000 officials to help monitor and take care of the teenagers. We also have free T-shirts, free breakfast and lunch for as many teenagers that will be in attendance between 9am and 2pm that the programme will last.

What impact did previous conferences make?

The first one we had was in 2015 and we had over 12,000 teenagers in attendance. The conference afforded us the opportunity of birthing Teevo Clubs in those schools that were invited. In 2016, those Teevo clubs had grown to become strong christian groups which had a lot of teenagers as members. They became part of our strategy for inviting more teenagers for the 2016 Teens Conference where we had over 25,000 teenagers in attendance. At the onset of the Teens Conference in 2015, we had some level of restrictions from the authorities of the various schools we invited but over the years, such restrictions faded because we earned the trust of these schools and the conferences have impacted on their students positively. The responses we got from these schools from the past conferences showed that we have added value in the lives of the teenagers in their schools. This year, we are expecting over 30,000 teenagers. It is our way of building our country and contributing to the growth of our nation.

What activities are scheduled for the conference?

We have several presentations like debates both among schools and among our teenagers in-house, Dance, drama, spoken words, games, art and craft and several other activities that will get the teenagers excited. More importantly, the word of God will be preached and the teenagers will be impacted with the word and wisdom of God and they will also be given the opportunity to give their lives to Christ. At the last conference, we had over 5000 teenagers that gave their lives to Christ and we expect more this year. Our Zonal Director, Pastor Lanre Alabi is fully ready for this program to bless these teenagers and impart the word of God on them like never before.

What plans are in place for these teenagers after the program?

We have a Post Program Committee that is responsible for following them up and collecting the details of all the teenagers that will be present at the conference and those that will give their lives to Christ. Immediately after the Teens Conference, we want to get all of them baptized; we also want to follow them up and begin to mentor them. We want to get them into our Teevo clubs in schools and eventually get them to become members of Christ Embassy, because that is the only way of sustaining what we started with them at the conference. That way, we can help and watch them grow from one level to another. There will be proper follow up, visitation and administration of the data we get at the conference to be able to manage what the Lord will start with them at the conference.

What will you like to tell teenagers about the conference?

They should all come for this program because God has them in mind at this time.  We want to impact and improve their lives because that is what God has committed into our hands. They should invite all their friends. They should be concerned about their tomorrow because any teenager that is thinking positively about his tomorrow will be at this program and more importantly, the spirit of God will be waiting for them and they will receive something tangible from the spirit of God that will remain with them for life.