Nehemiah
Worship Chapel is the church on the NVM compound in Haiti. And there is
something exciting happening at the church. Young people are showing up every
Friday at 3 in the afternoon and look forward to coming each week. What can create such
enthusiasm? Brigade! This is a wonderful youth program being conducted in
churches around the world. Some have characterized it as a "Christian Boy
Scouts." However, it is quite different and so much more powerful.
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| Marching in a Brigade Day celebration |
On June 10th of this year the Brigade program celebrated its 47th
anniversary in Haiti. And on January 18 of this year the Brigade program
started at NVM. On September 9 there is another celebration. It will mark the
39th year that young ladies have been involved in the program in Haiti.
The Brigade ministry in the United States and Canada is for boys
and young men. However, in Haiti it has been expanded to include young women
and girls. However, the mission is the same. The mission of Brigade is to build
godly men and women for tomorrow. And
this mission is accomplished by:
•
Training,
equipping and encouraging men and women for ministry in general and ministry to
young people specifically.
•
Empowering men
and women to use their gifts, talents and experience to teach the truth of
God’s Word with insight and enthusiasm.
•
Encouraging
young boys and girls to grow in Christ-likeness through relationships with
godly leaders, through fun Bible-related activities that are exciting and
relevant to them, through applying Scripture to daily life, through
opportunities to serve Christ together, and through memorizing God’s Word.
•
Discipling young
people for Christ so that they develop mentally, physically and spiritually to
become better members of society and strong members of God's Kingdom.
•
Providing good
role models through positive Christian adult relationships.
At
Nehemiah Worship Chapel nearly 200 young people show up each week to be
involved in the program. It started just 6 months ago and the momentum is
building. Clerice Attis is the Brigade commander. Speaking of the programs impact
and purpose, Clerice says, "The Brigade program helps train kids to come
to Christ and see God as the source of living water for others. The program is
based on the Bible and focused on Jesus." Clerice goes on to discuss the
physical aspects of the program. "The young people also do
marching drills and play games such as soccer and basketball. These physical
activities help them think more clearly." And finally he makes mention of
the social and intellectual aspects of the program. "The social aspects of
the program are also important. The kids are learning how to cook, sew and how
to act around others. Being respectful is important. For example, they learn
how to act when invited into a home and are eating a meal around the table. And
finally they receive help with their schoolwork. Tutoring is available for
math, grammar and social science."
And
Clerice has help. Since its start, nine adult leaders have joined the
ministry. The local committee is a board of leaders from the church. Pastor
Pierre is the Brigade president and he serves with eight others to make up the
board. Then there is the Brigade committee who work directly with kids.
Clerice is the Chief of the Brigade and he works with six assistants. The
assistants work directly with students in small groups. About his leaders,
Clerice says, "They are my right hand! I could not work with the kids
without them. We are offering ongoing training and seminars to improve our
skills."
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| Clerice leading a Brigade meeting |
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| Small group sessions at the meeting |
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| Having fun playing a game |
Here
is what one student says about Brigade. "This is a new thing for me
and my friends. We are excited about the program. We are memorizing Bible verses.
We learn one each week. And we are learning new songs. They are teaching us
about the importance of education and how we can be better leaders for our
country. And learning to be respectful to each other is important. I am not
more important than others. As I draw closer to Christ I learn how to treat
others and be respectful. This is especially important with older people and
our parents."
And
here is what one parent had to say about Brigade. "Since being involved in
Brigade, my boy is more respectful and definitely obeys better. They treat
others better and even give the Brigade salute to each other. He tells me that
the 3-finger salute means Jesus comes first, others second and me last. That is
a good thing!"
Please
be praying for this exciting new ministry. It is making a tremendous impact on
the lives of the young people here. This program will contribute to their
personal development and it will develop future leaders. Pray that these young
people grow up to be the future leaders of churches in Haiti and in the country
itself.
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| Getting ready to play soccer after the Brigade meeting |
And
there are ways you can help. If you are interested in discovering how, contact
Clerice Attis directly. He can be reached at: adcan2012@hotmail.com.
Serving
on your behalf in Haiti,
Jim
& Cheryl Warner
