Hearts of Sacrifice – CFCI Youth Regional Conference 2014

Goa hosts 1st CFCI Youth Regional Conference

The Regional Youth Conference 2014 was held from 23 to 25 October, at the King’s School, Goa. The theme of the conference – HEARTS OF SACRIFICE (Galations 2:20), aimed to equip the young disciples for future ministries and enable them to take their first steps on a journey to discipleship.

Hearts of Sacrifice - RYC 2014 — Hearts of Sacrifice – RYC 2014

Delegations from Mumbai, Gujarat, Mangalore and various parts of Goa attended the conference. FAITH, the gospel band from Goa, was the official music ministry that added a notch to the atmosphere of praise and worship.

Basil Rodrigues and Erushka de Sousa, CFCI Singles, were the hosts for the event. The first session given by Bro Kelvin Santis from the Bombay Diocese spoke about the Marks of being a Disciple. In the session he explained who a disciple is and what it takes to be a disciple. The session was followed by mass celebrated by Fr Aleixo Fernandes who urged the youth to play an active role in the Church and inspire all the youth around them.

Following this was a session given by Deidre Fernandes from Goa, whose spoke of how God invites us to a Life of Sacrifice. She also enlightened the delegates on the sad reality of our convenience which triumphs over our covenant. The day ended with a time of sharing where delegates spoke of how God had been working in their lives.

After this, a fashion show called ‘Walking the Word’ was held wherein the delegates walked the ramp to depict biblical characters. Their personal twists to various biblical events bought new life to their respective characters.

The next day started off with mass celebrated by Fr Edson who enlightened the youth on giving their hearts of sacrifice to the Lord. This was followed by the third session delivered by Joshua Cordeiro. He picked up where Deidre left off and spoke on how we can live a Life of Sacrifice. This session ended with delegates making their own St. Thérèse de Lisieux Sacrifice beads which were aimed to encourage small sacrifices in their personal lives.

The conference competitions included the Double Treble, the duet singing competition, J.A.M. (just a minute), the impromptu elocution competition, free kicks and treasure hunt. Spirits were high as these competitions were thoroughly enjoyed by the participants.

Post lunch, the delegates sat before the sacrament to assess their conscience and prepare for a fruitful confession. The monsoon added to the serenity and time of deep prayer.

This was followed by a session by Tita Ana. She spoke of intercessions and the Power of Intercessory Prayer. She stressed on the fact that no matter how small a difference, we can still do it and make a difference. She called intercessors as Gods prayer warriors. Post this session, the night was filled with games and entertainment aimed at enabling the Youth to showcase their creative side.

The last day of the conference began with mass celebrated by Fr Richard Gomes who shared his near miss with death experience when he was a missionary in Togo for 23 years. This was followed by the final session of the conference given by Reuben Carvalho. Through this talk he spoke of surrendering to the Holy Spirit so as to follow the marks of the disciples with its added grace. A laying of hands for the invoking of the spirit captured the essence of the session completely.

The conference concluded with an energetic praise fest led by Valdo Fernandes and concluding words given by the CFCI Country Servant A.V. Jose and his wife Maria. They spoke about how suffering has to have a heart of sacrifice. This was followed by the prize distribution of the various competitions and vote of thanks.

Report by Denver Fernandes
Photography by Trevor Fernandes & Raynol D’Souza