It was about the time for the annual youth conference held in Life Renewing Word Church. There were always representatives from every state in the country and also from some other countries. As a result of the number of people that usually came, the very large compound space of the church was always filled with tents where participants could lodge and where the overflow could watch the programme. The lodge inside the office building was reserved for guest ministers. The teen church participated fully in the conferences. Pastor Kingsley was the youth fellowship president and as such was in charge of the team that planned and organised the programme.
In a bid to make the programme unique, the youth conference organisers met with Pastor Justice and requested that Chidi would join them in the organisation and he agreed.
“The youth fellowship leaders met me today. The annual youth conference is in a month and they requested that Chidi joins in the planning. Chidi, that means that you’ll go to church every day after school and you’ll not be able to attend SU Fellowship again till the programme ends. The first meeting is tomorrow by 8 am,” Pastor Justice announced during Friday’s dinner.
“Why me?” Chidi asked.
“Why not you? The youth fellowship president is your pastor. He must have noticed your unique ability to organise. Just a few days ago, you planned at the spot how to stop the sexual assault on your friend, didn’t you? Besides, you are given out to ministry. You have to learn, as soon as possible, the intricacies involved in planning a programme,” Pastor Justice replied.
The committee that was to plan the programme included the following: Pastor Kingsley as president, the associate pastor’s wife as vice president, another pastor as general secretary, one of the church’s accountants as financial secretary, Lawrence as organising secretary, all unit leaders and Chidi. With regards to the upcoming programme, Adebayo was also to meet with the youth technical team the next day.
In the first meeting, Chidi felt very out of place. The meeting lasted for two hours, then everyone took a break, during which most of the unit leaders met with their members, including the meeting Adebayo had. The five main leaders of the committee also had a meeting together. Chidi rested, reading one of the spiritual books given to him by Pastor Justice. Afterwards, they resumed the meeting for another two hours and took another break. Pastor Kingsley led the teenagers and children out for evangelism during that time. When the children came back, the committee members resumed the meeting again. This time, they were given refreshments.
That evening, after dinner, Adebayo met Chidi in his room.
“How was your first meeting?” Adebayo asked Chidi.
“How was yours?” Chidi asked back.
“Well, though this is not something I would say at dinner time in front of our parents, I did not like it so much. Rather than bring ideas for good lighting and sound, many unit members preoccupied themselves in dictating for me how to organise my unit members. They emphasized over and over again that I should make sure that the teens don’t spoil anything. One of them was so blunt and said that left to him, teenagers should not join the youth technical team because teenagers are always careless and don’t know the worth of things and all that.
“And those that spoke don’t even have much tech skills. There was a programme that my unit leader asked me to join the adult technical unit members. He assigned me to work with the sound. Someone touched a wire unknowingly which resulted in annoying sounds. The guest minister became exasperated and asked the technical unit to do something. I watched as they were doing things they don’t know. They shut me up when I told them the solution. After all, they made it worse and asked me to go and call the unit leader who was very busy with something else. I did not imagine going to meet the unit leader for something so trivial and so I refused.
“The member, who was blunt today, began to scold me and threatened to deal with me for being stubborn. He said he didn’t care that I’m the pastor’s son. The guest minister still mounted pressure for good sound and I refused to go anywhere. So, he went looking for the unit leader himself. And then, I corrected everything. Members there kept saying that teenagers always feel they know it all and I shouldn’t spoil anything. Some asked me why I joined them. Yet, in less than a minute, everything was okay. Now, they tell me to make sure my teenagers don’t spoil anything. Let us just hope that they themselves don’t spoil anything. It is not that what they are saying is wrong but the way they are saying it is annoying,” Adebayo said.
“This means that you’d have been unable to survive in my former school. We had many ITK’s (I-too-know) and yet I was one of the best students. If the ITK’s could not beat me, and I felt like a failure when I came to your school, you’ll understand how much they did not know much. But they were always forming. One thing I noticed, however, is that their kind is the easiest to work with a perceived leader. They are less likely to disobey if they see you as an authority and will put in their best effort in everything just to be recognised. On the other hand, they bring you down if you’re a competition, as a way to make them feel relevant and important. Their actions and opinions don’t matter to you or the programme. What matters is what your unit leader thinks. And from what you said, he trusts you. You can meet him and explain the situation of things and avoid arguments with them. When you have conflicting opinions, call your leader. Thank God for ICT. He does not have to leave his duty post to meet you. He just needs to give the instruction. They won’t obey you but they’ll obey him. In the end, all that matters is that the programme is successful. Philippians 1:18, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached and so I rejoice,” Chidi said.
“So, how was your meeting?” Adebayo asked.
“Fine. It is just that I kept asking myself what I was doing there. They’ve figured everything out. Which opinion can I give? And by the way, Uncle Lawrence was terrific. He is the epitome of wisdom and humility. He had the answers to almost all the questions raised,” Chidi said.
“Yes, I know. He is a deacon and a member of our unit. When daddy needed more drivers for the ministry, he applied since he was jobless. He was not the only driver that was employed at that time but his unusual obedience and humility took him beyond his peers. Do you know that daddy once called him at midnight and he came? He’s the only one that can do that. And he taught me many things I know technology-wise but you can never hear him boast of his knowledge,” Adebayo agreed. “Anyway, I believe God has a reason that he put you among the organisers. You just have to ask God to open your eyes to see it and put in your best.”
The planning and organisation were hectic. The committee had meetings every day. They also fasted for one month for the programme. When Chidi had issues with the teen ushering unit leader, he phoned Adebisi. She promised to come back days before the programme would start to organise the ushering unit. In the meantime, she gave Chidi instructions on what to do. Unit members to serve in the programme were from every state and country represented. Adebisi organised the ushering unit members at her campus church. No one in her school knew her identity but she revealed that she was an usher at the headquarter church. So, the leaders agreed to let her lead. She also faced detractors, people who felt that as a young first-year student, she could not know much about ushering, but she demonstrated her wealth of knowledge. Adebisi came back as she had promised days before the programme commenced. Once the programme began, however, Adebisi left the house and camped in church with her campus members.
The programme themed ‘You are strong’ from 1 John 2:13-14, began on a Monday and ended on Saturday, with Sunday as thanksgiving service. Monday’s service was a welcoming service held from 7-10 pm. Chidi kick-started the programme with a powerful prayer session. As usual, anointing came down as the youths prayed from their hearts. Pastor Kingsley gave a welcoming charge and instructions, urging the youths to maximize the season. He also introduced the guests. Next, the host pastor, Associate Pastor Emmanuel Gbenga, preached so powerfully on the theme that the youths cried for forgiveness and consecration on their knees and made the promise to go wherever God would send them to ‘overcome the evil one’.
Prayers held every morning by 5 – 6 am and night from 11 pm – 12 am throughout the programme. Morning services, tagged Victory services, held by 7 – 10 am. Pastor Emmanuel and other pastors taught extensively about the strength of the youth as regards the revival in the church and defeat of the enemy. They highlighted features of youths that made them God’s special weapons to destroy the strongholds of wickedness. There were slots for a variety of presentations from members. The afternoon services had two specialized sessions; 12 – 2 pm and 3 – 5 pm. These sessions were based on the mountains of influence and were anchored by guest facilitators from all works of life, who were very popular among the youths. A group of comedians, a drama group, a dance crew and a spoken word minister entertained the youths in these sessions.
Many students from Chidi’s school attended the evening sessions tagged Power services which held by 7 – 10 pm. The population of people that came for these services was mind-blowing, mainly because those unable to camp because of work or school came for those services. More time was allocated in those services for prayer and worship. The Word sessions were very prophetic. Many youths received visions about what God wanted them to do and in tears surrendered.
Apart from Wednesday when Chidi led the youths in the worship sessions, worship ministrations were done only by guest worship leaders, the most well-known in the country. Chidi gave the charges on Tuesday and Friday, the only non-pastor to do so. Everybody wondered how a boy, so young, would demonstrate such wisdom. On Thursday, Chidi led the youths in a powerful prayer session, also done by only pastors.
By making sure that Chidi ministered every day, a privilege that no other person or pastor was given, the fellowship’s leaders planned for what they termed, ‘the message beyond the message’. Beyond the words of the prayers that Chidi led the youths to make to God, of the songs he sang and of the message he preached was a very young man, younger than most of the youths, who showed everyone that ‘he is strong and the Word of God lives in him and he has overcome the evil one’. And God, in His faithfulness confirmed Chidi’s words with signs and wonders following. Chidi also worked hard to make sure that the programme was organised and then spent the night communing with the Holy Spirit and so, challenged other youths.
Saturday had only morning service, impartation service. It was anchored by Pastor Justice, as a father to the youths. This service had the highest population. Chidi led the youths in a worship session before handing over to Pastor Justice, setting the platform for him to operate in the prophetic. Miracles, deliverances and healings and impartation were common.
Before the delegates from Adebisi’s campus church went back to school after the Saturday service, Adebisi informed them that Pastor Justice wanted to see them. Everyone wondered as they did not know how they were recognised by the senior pastor. They all gathered at Pastor Justice’s office. Also in the office were Pastor Emmanuel, the five main committee leaders, Mrs Justice, Chidi and Adebayo. They had gathered to thank God for the success of the programme and to give Pastor Justice a quick report of the just-completed programme before the detailed report would be ready. Pastor Justice asked the campus church leaders to introduce themselves after which he blessed them separately before blessing all the delegates and those unable to attend the programme. He charged them to carry the fire that they had gotten wherever they went. As they all left, they did not notice that Adebisi stayed back at the office to hug her parents, her brothers and the pastors there and to bid them goodbye before joining them at the bus.
“There is about to be a transfer of leadership at the campus church and with all I did in the ushering unit, I’m sure I won’t be able to escape a leadership position in the church,” Adebisi said.
“God’s grace is sufficient for you, dear,” her mother replied.
