Glasgow SDA Church, along with all Seventh-day Adventist Churches around the globe, celebrated the 73rd World Pathfinder Day (WPD) on the 16th September 2023. The theme of this year, “Go with Jesus and Beyond,” encourages all Pathfinders (PFs) to embrace a sense of purpose and commitment to sharing their faith and the love of Jesus Christ with others.
After the divine service and fellowship lunch at church and in their wish to share God’s love, the PFs along with their officers and a couple of Adventurers hurried to the Orchard Grove Care Home to put a smile on the faces of the elderly. Immaculately dressed in their beautiful uniform, the group of youth took the worship right to the residents. The event was joyful and interactive as the PFs did not only sing songs from their repertoire, but also sang special requests from the care home residents.
Another highlight of the visit was after the PF choir’s performance when Elder Sipho Ncube, the PF Director, treated the residents with a snack hamper - a gift prepared with lots of love and care by the club. The Pathfinders were also blessed with a surprise money donation from the care home. Both the staff and the residents were satisfied with the visit, and the Pathfinders were honoured and gratified to have shared God’s love with them.
Anne Buchanan, one of the care home’s seniors said to have enjoyed the beautiful singing and was so happy to see the residents joyfully clapping their hands as the PFs were singing. “It brought a smile to their faces and that’s what matters to them because they don’t have opportunities to go to church. So it’s good you came to them to brighten their day,” Anne said.
Yvonne, 90, a resident who devoted her entire life to church was nostalgic. She could not contain her joy and she praised the PFs for their blissful performance.
Feelings of nostalgia inspired poignant memories as the praise session brought two generations together; the youth and the elderly.
Two other residents, Dorothy and Susan, who also loved this precious intergenerational moment of praise, revealed that they particularly enjoyed the fact that there were children singing to them.
Yvonne Darcey, another care home’s senior also “loved thebeautiful singing and the children,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to seeing them again for Christmas. Yvonne expressed their desire to host the PFs choir once again in December 2023.
The PFs were so excited and pleased with the invitation of coming back in a couple of months to minister with singing to the elderly. “I am satisfied with the visit as we came to give them a taster, hoping for more opportunities to bring praise and worship to the care home,” Elder Sipho said. “It was a blessing to see the happiness and fulfilment in the faces of the residents; we truly praise God for that,” he added.
Earlier in the morning, the youth had led the divine service at church. The PF Director did a short presentation on the Club’s aims and objectives. Elder Sipho praised the perseverance and dedication of the youth, some of whom have been in the Club since they were 4 years old. He advised parents that the PF Club is the safest place to be for our youth. He also shared a picture slideshow on the recent PF camporee trip in Hungary that took place in July 2023.
The service was lively, the PF choir led an outstanding praise and worship session! The theme song, “I have decided to follow Jesus,” gave the floor to the two PFs who boldly broke the bread of life.
The theme of the day stressed the church’s commitment to spiritual growth and development among its youth. Sylvester Odiagbe firstly reminded the church of the importance of training “up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” He also reminded the church that God will never leave them nor forsake them. Matthew Muvwanga, the second speaker of the day, shared examples from the disciples, to exhort the church to follow Jesus and stand up for him no matter what. “I have decided to follow Jesus, may it be a message that will carry us all, all the day of our lives,” he concluded.
