Lake Region

Eshay Banks, age nine, Daja Ellis, age ten, and Darion Durr, age 15, answered "Yes!" loud and confidently to each of the baptismal vows. They stood at the front of Inkster Sharon (Michigan) Seventh-day Adventist Church, where the Motor City Youth Federation (MCYF) gave them a chance to act on the message, "The Call to Discipleship," they had just received.

On that Sabbath afternoon, March 29, Eshay and Daja became members of Detroit Center Church and Darion became a member of the Ecorse (Michigan) Church. Members of the respective churches were there to welcome them warmly.

In choosing to follow Jesus, these three young people made all of Heaven rejoice. There were many more rejoicing, too. Their baptisms were the result of a new initiative and vision of MCYF president, Robert Johnson II. He introduced a new format to the federation last fall—a "sow, reap" arrangement that would plant seeds of discipleship in youth and return to reap the harvest.

In November 2007, youth attended workshops on how to strengthen their faith and share it with others during the "sow" federation. Having done that, the March 2008 "reap" federation provided an opportunity for them to commit to becoming disciples, and then hit the streets with their message. Each church conducted a youth week of prayer leading up to the federation day, and Pathfinders distributed more than 500 copies of Steps to Christ and the Eight Laws of Health pamphlets during their parade on Sabbath.

Darion is currently a Pathfinder at Ecorse Church, and Eshay and Daja stated that they wanted to act further on their new faith by becoming Pathfinders at Detroit Center.

Kristina Penny, youth communications, City Temple Church