ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, is inviting the church to partner with the ministry to expand its role in the development of young people.

Addressing a church service to launch National Youth Month (November), on Sunday (October 30), at the Steer Town New Testament Church of God, in St Ann, Green said the youth must be energized and equipped with the requisite skills to be productive citizens.

“What is critical in all of this is the role of the church. For a very long time the church has been an agent of youth development. I think that the church must recognize that now, more than ever, she must seek to expand on that programme,” he said.

The minister of State said that churches oftentimes remain closed for the greater part of the week, and the Ministry would be looking at ways to change this.

“We need our churches to be reaching out into the communities and bringing in our young people, to help with training, to help them to learn Christian principles. There is nothing wrong with learning kindness, respect and loving your neighbor as yourself,” Green said.

“I am saying to the church, join with us at the ministry of Youth in a very real way. Let us partner in a real sense where we are running youth programmes through the churches. We have to do this now, because if we don’t, we are going to lose the Jamaica that we love,” he added.

Youth Month will be observed under the theme: ‘Energizing Youth’, and the activities will be anchored on the exploration of economic and personal advancement opportunities through Science, Technology and Telecommunications, and the creative industries.