Situations usually do not happen overnight. Certainly, a situation such as exists in the Laventille / Morvant communities could not have just happened.

These situations would be the result of years of negative inputs. It is really a case of sowing and reaping. In other words, there was a time of sowing and we are now reaping the results of what we have sown. We sow not only in what we do but also in what we fail to do.

Any good analysis would show that sowings to the Laventille / Morvant situation was not just the work of the residents of those communities as some would tend to think. Few things, if any exist in isolation. It is worth repeating, that sowing also involves doing nothing about a situation; thereby allowing things to happen that otherwise would not have occurred had we done our duty. In other words, if I neglect my responsibility or oversee a situation deteriorate; when I could have influenced the outcome otherwise, I am guilty of contributing to the eventual outcome. In this regard, there are sins of omission just as there are sins of commission. (James 4:17)

Surely, if we can know where we erred, not only would we avoid it in the future, having learnt from our mistakes, but we would know what we ought to do now to correct the situation.

A look at the criminal activity in those areas would show that they are generally committed by young men of those areas.  But then, that is generally true of most of the crimes committed in other areas of the country as well. It implies, therefore, that Laventille and Morvant, like several other communities suffer from a common social problem and are reaping the fruits resultant from the neglect of our young people. That, coupled with other existing spiritual and social conditions in these areas would have resulted in the situation that presently exists.

The question the church, as an institution within the society, needs to ask is in what way it has neglected its responsibility towards the young people. Has the church also taken the position of the worldly communities that “once it is not happening in our community we do not have to care about it?” Surely, the church is itself a part of the society and would have to share in society’s blame for social ills.

Sunday Schools

In this regard, after our repentance in this matter and, indeed as a sign of such repentance, the church should consider a comprehensive outreach programme targeting especially the very young ones in the Laventille /Morvant area.

While in our last article it was advised that the church as a national body should make an approach to local churches within those communities with a view to determining how it can assist in strengthening their outreach, it would also be good to approach them with some suggestions and plans of our own to which they can add.

It would also be advisable that this programme especially target the young from the level of the Sunday school. This would ensure that the neglect of our young people is halted and in so doing we would be on the way to reaping a better harvest in the future.

It is also amazing how; once we get involved with lives, further opportunities for ministry are opened to us as we understand their condition. We may find, as an example, that once we begin interacting with our young people, the need would arise to minister to other social conditions existing in their lives. After all, it was while our Lord was ministering in spiritual things to people that he saw the need to feed them. The result was the miraculous multiplying of the loaves and fishes.

The church, in targeting the young, should consider a comprehensive (indepth) and community wide Sunday school programme. A Sunday school programme has the effect of not only teaching the young ones but, to some extent, raising the awareness of the adults who send their children to the programme. It also provides an opening for communication with parents similar to how the schools of the world are able to communicate with the parents of children.

Such a programme must be wide ranging and sustainable. In this regard, thought should be given both to training teachers and to offering, as is necessary, some kind of financial stipend to teachers in a plan that would encourage them in a Sunday school outreach.

One can hardly think of a more noble and satisfying way to invest the finances of the Kingdom. (To be continued).