12/02/2025
AN ADDRESS BY THE NATIONAL YOUTH FELLOWSHIP PRESIDENT ON THE 2025 LEADERSHIP RETREAT AT UNIT LEVEL
Dearly beloved, I bow my knees to the Omniscient One in praise and gratitude for availing us another opportunity to draw near to Him, especially collectively although at unit levels. We are confident that this spiritual venture, operationalized with unfeigned and hearty commitment, will not be in vain.
This retreat, like the previous year's, holds across all units answerable to the National Youth Fellowship. It is hoped that every unit will have testimonies of the impact of this retreat, sponsored by the Holy Spirit, in the lives of participants. Although it is tagged as a leadership retreat, other members of the Fellowship may be graciously allowed to take part.
In this year's retreat, God calls us to seek Him. He beckons us to draw ever closer in our walk with Him. If we must be a people of power and of praise that will move by His Spirit and glorify His precious name, He invites us to be a generation that seeks His face. Our response to this invitation is crucial. Will we say like the Psalmist, "When Thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek" (Ps 27:8) and in another place, "This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Jacob." (Psalm 24:6)? We want to be that generation that seeks God, not first for the derivable benefits, but for God Himself and what He could do with us for the expansion of His kingdom in these last days. And as long as we seek Him, we will experience good success.
May the Lord pass through the various resource persons, hymns and sessions, and galvanize a hunger in our spirits that will drive us to yearn for Him even after the retreat, for no man can seek the Lord if he is not first hungry for Him.
Therefore, let not this retreat be approached casually and halfheartedly for then shall we be unfortunate, receiving nothing, achieving nothing. Let much praying put our hearts in a position to be encountered by the Lord. Let us banish distractions in every way.
As we seek Him during and after this leadership retreat, He shall shower His blessings upon us and we shall have good success.
The Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Your brother,
Etopobong Etuk
12/02/2025