The Apostolic Faith Church in Wharton, New Jersey, held its annual youth rally on April 16-18. The theme was “The Power of Choice,” taken from Joshua 24:15, and the theme song was “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”

The Friday evening service began with a recording of Paul and Tobi Odulaja playing “Hallelujah” on the violin and cello, followed by a recording of the youth choir singing “I’ve Got My Mind Made Up.” Testimonies included young people present at the church thanking God for His keeping power and protection during the pandemic. Before the sermon, Jennifer and Kola Ajayi sang “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” The guest speaker was Olusola Adesope, the pastor in Pullman, Washington, and he took his texts from Joshua 24:15 and Deuteronomy 30:19. He admonished the young people to follow the examples of Moses and Joshua in choosing God above everything else. The message was well received, and following the service, the young people gathered to pray in the sanctuary and online.

On Saturday morning, a prayer session led by Robert Makasi preceded two seminars. James Timbilla, the pastor in Wharton, led the adult session on the topic of “Career,” while Sola Omolayo, from Richmond, California, taught the youth on the topic of “Godly Youth in an Information Age.” That evening, the youth gathered on an online forum for a testimony service.

The Sunday morning service began with a piano duet by Daniel and David Agosu, followed by recordings of the youth orchestra playing “Deeper, Deeper,” and the choir singing “All Are Welcome.” A group of youth present at the church then sang “As for Me and My House.” Samuel Bamgbose read the Scripture reading from Matthew 25:1-13, and before the sermon, Ruth Mhundwa, Christine Osirike, Jennifer Ajayi, and Tanya Makasi sang “I Choose Christ” (pictured above). Brother Olusola took his text from Hebrews 4:1, and spoke about the importance of not coming short of the glory of God and catching the flight to Heaven. He encouraged everyone to strive to make Heaven their eternal home.

On Sunday evening, a recorded service from the 2018 youth rally was played. Everyone who participated in the 2021 youth rally is thankful for the blessings received, and grateful that at least a limited number of young people could gather in the church building. The prayer is that God will continue to help the young people hold fast during these challenging times as they look forward to another youth rally next year if Jesus tarries.