Peace Starts With Me: Las Vegas Revival Workshop
The Youth and Young Adult Ministry (YAYAM) kicked off their series of Peace Starts With Me: Las Vegas Revival workshops on June 19 at the International Peace Education Center (IPEC) with a total of 36 participants registered for the 7-day, 225 for the 3-day, and 21 for the 1-day workshop. One of the main purposes for this workshop is for the youth to make the My Hyojeong Promise, a commitment to receive the Blessing in the future and pledging to devote themselves to a thriving relationship to God, to integrity, purity and fidelity for their future, and to positively impacting the world.
During orientation, Rev. John Jackson, Southwest Subregional Director, shared about True Mother’s heart and determination for America after traveling an exhausting 22 hours from South Africa. He emphasized the importance of young Unificationists taking responsibility to bring about national restoration.
Naokimi Ushiroda, National Director of Youth and Students Ministry, described the purpose and intention of the workshop as the start to a Divine Principle Unleashed and Applied leadership experience where participants will share core principles from Unificationist faith with their friends through a 12-minute personal testimony on how Tribal Messiahship applies to the youth. Naokimi further illustrated that the goal for young people is to become confident in the Unification faith with their peers and to fulfill Tribal Messiahship.
Divine Principle and Unification Thought lecturer Gerry Servito gave a Napkin Lecture demo covering five main topics; the Purpose of Creation, the Human Fall, the Messiah as a teacher and model for relationships with God, God’s multiple attempts at restoration through Messiahs, and this day and age being the era God can restore our position. Participants learned and practiced how to deliver a 12-minute lecture covering these topics.
The 3-Day Youth Revival Workshop began on Friday, June 21 at IPEC where youth were visited by President of Family Federation International, Sun Jin Moon. She started the day with a Hoon Dok Hwe reading which stated, “A perfect individual is completely attuned with God.”
“You are closer to God than many people before,” Sun Jin Moon said to the group.
The session continued in question and answer form where she answered questions about each individual’s relationship to God, such as “What has helped you most in developing your relationship with God?” Sun Jin Moon replied with, “The most important thing is to surrender to God. The ultimate happiness is to become one with God.”
Friday evening ended with a Summer Solstice Concert, prepared by the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) Las Vegas Band, with the purpose of glorifying God beyond faith and background, and making a determination together to honor God and be one family. Three bands played several songs, keeping the energy high and the audience engaged. Between songs, testimonies and spoken poems were presented.
To read the full story and reflections from the 3-day workshop, click here