JYC intent on transforming lives despite money woes

BY NADINE WILSON Sunday Observer staff reporter wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, March 07, 2010

DESPITE the money worries of recent years, Jamaica Youth for Christ (JYC) is intent on continuing the work it has done for 62 years -- transform lives through generations of volunteers who have shunned the secular offerings of the world to focus on spiritual growth.

The organisation, now headed by Pastor Herro Blair Jr, has 1,200 registered members, but works with about 500 active volunteers who have committed themselves to spreading the gospel to others in their age group.

Former gang member, Jermaine Francis, 21, is among them. For him, JYC is his second family.

"For me, being apart of Jamaica Youth for Christ has been a life-changing experience, especially since I am coming from living in gangs and getting involved in all sorts of different things," he told the Sunday Observer.

Francis now dedicates his life to helping others to know Christ -- a job which Blair said requires a variety of methods.

"When it comes down to evangelising, it is not only about preaching. It is also about utilising drama, singing, having concerts, having health fairs and doing things to reach people and then share the love of Jesus Christ with them," said the pastor, who has headed the organisation for the past two years.

JYC has maintained a strong presence in schools across the island and network with clubs, such as Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) and others.

"I love to do school tours where we spend two hours with young people, and talk to them," said Blair, noting that motivational speakers and gospel artistes usually accompany them on these tours. "I talk specifically about one thing -- choices -- everywhere I go. The choices you make determines your future; your decision determines your destiny."

JYC also has an ongoing character development programme in schools, which is managed by the schools' guidance counsellors. The programme, sponsored by UNICEF and UNESCO, has helped to counter self-esteem issues in vulnerable children. And at the end of the school term, those children who are still maladaptive are sent to a special character development camp hosted by the organisation. There they are given special attention through counselling. Last year, 120 students benefitted from the camp.

Meanwhile, the organisation, as noted by Blair, uses entertainment to effectively draw the attention of the nation's youth and to dismiss the notion that Christians cannot have fun. Apart from staging the annual Genesis Gospel Concert, JYC hosts a talent search competition each year and a session called "Crazy Praise".

"They (youths) create an event, where they get together every third Saturday and they just have a jam session. They bring in different artistes, they cook jerk chicken or whatever and they just have a session," said the pastor, adding that the last two sessions were held at the Half-Way-Tree bus terminal and attracted a large group of people to worship.

Omar Letford, 29, who helps to plan the sessions, relishes the opportunity to hone his event planning skills while reaching out to other young people.

"It has been a tremendous experience for me. Youth for Christ helps you to be a well-rounded Christian. It opens up avenues for you and shapes you in different areas of your life," said the man who also directs the organisation's ministries in schools.

Since relocating from the Cayman Island with his wife and two children to head JYC, Blair has witnessed more than 3,000 young people accepting Christ. However, there are two things that threaten to derail their success.

"The difficult thing for me is that I am not pasturing a church, so I can't take those 3,000 people and put them into my building and say welcome. I have to distribute them to churches, and churches then must accept responsibility to disciple these people," said Blair, who noted that this is oftentimes not the case.

There is also the lack of financial resources, without which the organisation is unable to do all the things they plan each year. It has had to trim its full-time staff from 15 people to four in the last two years.

"We have no money, we have absolutely no money, so it is the donations of companies that enable us to do what we do," Blair said.

Even so the JYC makes do with what it has.

"We have no vehicles, we are limited, but because I teach my staff that we cannot be limited by our limitations, we create things like "Crazy Praise" and those other things that we are able to do without funds," the pastor said.

One of JYC's most costly endeavour is the missions they undertake annually. They do at least six local missions, which sees volunteers going into various communities for three days to work with churches to meet the needs of residents.

There is also the visit to Arizona in the United States that they make every February to showcase Jamaica's culture, as part of celebrations for Black History Month. That trip was put off this year due to lack of funds.

Fortunately JYC also has a steady flow of foreign missionaries who visit the island to offer their help.

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JYC intent on transforming lives despite money woes