Written by Christine Kwapong of Toronto, Ontario
What is the one thing that over 200 young people from across Canada had in common? What is the one thing that these young people desired? What is the one thing that these young people knew they couldn’t live without? The answer to that question is God.
For four days in August, 2016, over 200 youth and young adults gathered at All Nations Full Gospel Church, located in Toronto, Ont., to seek out God at the “One Thing 16” ANY Goodlife International Youth conference. The conference featured guest ministers, Pastor Derrick Marshall from the United States and Elder Sheldon Neil from Toronto. The “One Thing 16”, an international youth conference was held by ANY Goodlife, the youth ministry network of All Nations churches. On the last day of the conference, Pastor Derrick Marshall talked about the love of the Father.
He spoke about how Jesus Christ came to seek what was lost—us.
The youth learned that in Isaiah 64:8, it tells us we are the clay and God is the Father, and we are the workmanship of His hand. During the One Thing 16 youth conference, Pastor Marshall pointed out that we were made to be sons and daughters of God, and that no matter what we do, no matter where we go, God’s love still chases after us.
Pastor Marshall emphasized God is an amazing Father, and no matter what sin you think is too big for Him to forgive, or no matter how far you feel like you are from Him, He is always there, waiting with His arms outstretched. Just like the story of the Prodigal son, Pastor Marshall taught the youth that the Father is telling us that it is time to go back to our homes, so that God can restore everything that we left with, and more. The ANY Goodlife youth this holiday season will be putting into action God’s love and what they learned at the conference by going into their community to share acts of kindness, and to tell individuals that Jesus was sent for all of us in hopes that they will come to know Him.
