YOUTH

CONNECT ISSUE 1 VOL 1 / MARCH 2021

Photo: St. Ann's Youth Trip

to the Raptor Center 2020

“A vibrant and engaging ministry that fosters the spiritual

development, formation and support of youth for service in the
church and to all God’s people.”
 CONTENT
THE BISHOP'S MESSAGE
1. Rt Rev Philip Wright M.A.

2. GREETINGS
Youth Commission Co-Chair
~Rev Barbara Rosado
Diocesan Youth Coordinator
~Ms. Keisha Laing
Youth Chaplin
~Deacon Rudolph Dawson

ANGLICAN FACTS
3. Who is an Anglican?
Pillars of the Anglican Church
DIOCESAN YOUTH MINISTRY
Roles & Purpose

4. COUNSELOR'S CHAT
Who is a school counselor?
Reasons to see a school counselor

5. YOUTH AND YEAR OF CREATION

6. Article by Lay Minister Sue Harris

BIBLE CORNER
7. Fun facts & Memory verses
HOLY WEEK ACCORDING TO
8. MATTHEW
Bible stories & verses

9. ACTIVITY PAGE
10. Word search, puzzles & coloring fun

11..- FEATURE FRIDAY YOUTHS

13 Youth profiles from across the Diocese

14 BUILDING RELATIONSHIP

YOUTH LESSON
15 Let's talk about Friendship

16. HOLY WEEK

Online schedules of programs and services
17.
BULLETIN
18. Social Media Information

Photo: Science Summer Camp, Mahogany Heights-2018

ISSUE 1 VOL 1 / MARCH 2021
The Bishop's
Message
Greetings my sisters and brothers in
the Faith,
I trust and pray that all remains well
with you and your family. I am
delighted to bring you greetings in this
first edition of the Diocesan Youth
Connect Magazine. Congratulations to
our Diocesan Youth Coordinator, Ms
Keisha Laing, and her team, for this
wonderful initiative.
Building on the word “connect” as part
of the title for your magazine, I would
like to emphasize how important our
connections in life can be. First of all,
our connection with God is a must.
Without this, all other connections
run the risk of being faulty, misplaced,
misused, abused and ineffective.
As you know, with many of the electronic
devices being used these days, some will simply
not function if the right connections are not
made. It is always wonderful to have what can be
called a ‘universal’ connector that connects to
just about any device. When it comes to spiritual
and other matters, God can be our ‘universal
connection’. However, as I am sure you are also
well aware, a Samsung charging cable will not
work with an Apple device, and vice versa. It
means that our connections with each other are
also unique. They require personal and
individual attention in order to be life-giving,
meaningful and purposeful.
So, I invite you to make the effort to ensure that
your connections with God and each other are as
strong and as good as possible. Make use of this
magazine to stay connected with each other by
sharing your stories of faith, your testimonies of
God’s actions in your life, and of your labour to
make this world a better place for all God’s
people.
God’s richest blessings on you and your family.
In Christ,
Rt Rev Philip Wright M.A., OBE
Lord Bishop of Belize
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Greetings and Salutations,
I am blessed and greatly honoured to share my congratulations on this new
initiative of our Diocesan Youth Department, "Youth Connect”.
It is an endeavour to do exactly that, give young adults a way to stay connected to
God, The church and each other in a world in which it is easy to lose such
connections. We pray that through this medium we will be able to meaningfully
engage and inspire our youth to become even more active in the life and ministry of
the church; and that in subsequent issues they will use this avenue to share their
concerns, questions and ever-growing faith in God.
Youth work is not an easy task. I congratulate our Youth coordinator, Ms Keisha

Rev. Barbara Rosado contributed to bringing this initiative to life.

Laing, Deacon Dawson, The Youth Commission, the Diocesan office and all who

Co-chair As you peruse the pages I pray that you will be enlightened, engaged, encouraged
Diocesan Youth Commission and above all else extremely blessed.

Hello, everyone!
It gives me extreme joy to introduce this exciting, new venture to you! The Lord
truly works in wonderful ways. Despite our circumstances, there is so much to be
thankful for, and I am indeed thankful that the Youth Ministry gets to connect
with you via this Magazine. It was thoughtfully created just for you! I hope that
you enjoy it and that you will be inspired! Soon enough, when the time is right,
we will be able to physically meet again and share in delightful fellowship with

Ms. Keisha Laing

each other, so don't lose hope. Remember Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may
abound in hope." Stay safe and keep the faith! God Bless.
Diocesan Youth Coordinator

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the

days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will
say, “I have no pleasure in them." Ecclesiastes 12:1
Greetings! In the name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ! It gives me great
pleasure to greet you through this medium, as we give God thanks for science and
technology that has continue to bind us together even through these difficult
times. We pray that this magazine is a source of inspiration and a reminder that
our wider church family embraces you, remembers you, and continues to pray for
you. Like the verse from Ecclesiastes reminds us that we must give the best of

Rev.Deacon
ourselves to God and that is our youthful years, as God himself gave us the best
part of himself revealed in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us continue
to be safe, and remain close to God as he remains close to us!

Rudolph Dawson
Youth Chaplin
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Anglican
Facts
Who is an Anglican?
* A member of the Anglican Church is a
member of the Worldwide Anglian
Communion; derived from the Church of
England and sharing with traditions of fair
and order as set forth in its Book of Common
Prayer.
* One whose traditions include attitudes that
are Protestant and Catholic, ancient and
reformed, liberal and conservative.
What are the three pillars of the Anglican Church?
* It has been said that the beliefs and practices
of the Anglican Church rest on the pillars of
Scripture, Reason and Tradition.
Scripture (The primary source of doctrine)
The Holy Scripture was written by people
inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are
the word of God, proclaiming that Jesus- both
God and human being- is Christ, the Messiah.
Reason (The gifts of the Holy Spirit)
Reason helps us to penetrate the full depth of
God's truth. The Anglican Church does not
control interpretation and practice. Instead,
members are encouraged to use reason to
explore and comprehend God's works; to make
responsible moral decisions under the guidance
of Scripture, the ordained ministry and response
to sincere prayer.
Church Tradition (wisdom of generation past)
The church tradition is the development of the
Church under the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Tradition helps us to interpret Scripture; lets us
share experiences of early Christians and
believers of every era. Through its continuity
and consistency, tradition helps preserve
essential truths through liturgy.
Roles &
Purpose
~Youth Ministry’s major focus is to assist young
people to know Jesus Christ and to develop an
abiding relationship with Him as their Lord and
Savior. The relationship that they share with
Christ, will cause them to become involved in the
Mission of Christ. Youth Ministry is aimed towards
assisting young people to live out their Baptismal
Covenant both now and in the future. Also, it is
about equipping them with the necessary skills and
tools they’ll need to confront spiritual challenges as
well as overcoming threats of the present world.
~Youth Ministry is about nurturing young people
in a safe environment. These safe spaces will
advocate Christian values and holistic human
development. They will be places to grow the
body, mind and soul that’s free from harm both
physically and emotionally.
~Youth Ministry is to help youths find their identity
in Christ.
~Youth Ministry should allow young people to be an
essential and operating part of all aspects of the life
of the church.
~Youth Ministry is to offer young people Christian
alternatives that will empower them and give them
a sense of belonging.
~Youth Ministry is to ensure that youths across the
diocese have the opportunity to participate in
workshops, camps, clubs, retreats, etc. to help them
build their spiritual needs as well as social needs.
~Youth Ministry is to produce young leaders that
will lead people to God, as well as lead future
generations in the church, and in all positive walks
of life that they may choose.
~Youth Ministry is to celebrate those youths who are
doing good and commendable work of God in their
church and community.
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Counsellor's Chat
Who is
a
counsellor? Reasons to See
A counsellor is a School Counsellor
someone who listens Worrying about anything
and doesn't judge how Having conflicts
you speak. A person Feeling down/depress
who will provide Need help to make a de
cis ion
guidance. Someone Having trouble managing
who provides vision. A your time
respectful and d loss
Suffering from grief an
responsible person.

What does a A counsellor ....

school The Anglican School Counselling
counsellor *Provides group and Program provies a comprehensive
do? individual sessions.
*Promotes positive attitudes development counselling program
*Assists students with the that involve all students in the
growing process.
development of academic, career
*Help with life skills
development and personal/social life.

Counsellor
Counsellor
Shanda Caniquie Shemika Bennett
Email:
scaniquie@gmail.com
Email:
shemikabennett2@gmail.com
Remember, information
Telephone: +501-613-0248 Telephone: +501-608-5490 shared with counsellors
+501-227-3029 +501-227-3029
are kept confidential unless
required by law or school
policy to share it.
Counsellors follow the
counselling guidelines in the
Belize School Counselling
Association Code of Ethics.
YOUTH CONNECT / V-1

ISSUE 1 VOL 1 / MARCH 2021
020 was declared the Year of Creation by the
youth of St. Ann’s and St. Agnes. Little did we
know that it would be a year like no other. A
year that would focus us all on the things that
really matter to us – our family and friends, the
ties that bind our society, and the future of
God’s earth.
We intend to continue with the Year of
Creation theme as soon as circumstances
allow. In the meantime, this is a short account
of some of the cool things that we were able to
do together, and also some ideas for what we
might do in the future.
Three Aspects Of Creation
We decided to divide the year into three parts
and to focus on Air, Earth, and Water. The air
was our first theme, and we decided to take a
closer look at birds, symbolizing the air.
Our first visit was to the Belize Raptor Center.
This is a wonderful place where birds of prey
are cared for and studied. Injured birds are
taken there for specialist care, and those that
can be are released back into the wild. Those
that won’t be able to survive in the wild, for
whatever reason, are used for demonstrations.
It was wonderful to see beautiful and rare
birds at very close quarters, flying right over
our heads!
We were especially excited by the vulture we
met. Did you know that vultures:
Live to be forty or more years old
Mate for life
Youth & Year
of Creation
Mourn if their eggs are damaged or
their chicks die
Can be taught to recognise simple
colours and shapes.
Have the intelligence of a three-year-
old human
Can eat dangerous things like Ebola
and clean them up in their digestive
system so that they become harmless
Vomit over their attacker as a means of
defence (we especially liked this one!)
We had a short service at the Raptor
Center when we read bible verses featuring
birds. There are lots – birds are important
in the bible both as symbols and as part of
everyday life.
Our next visit was to Belize Bird Rescue in
Roaring Creek. Here they specialise in
looking after parrots and other non-
predatory birds, with a focus on rescuing
pet birds and training them to go back into
the wild. Many of the birds are kept away
from visitors because it’s important that
they don’t get used to human beings.
Some birds that aren’t able to be released
back into the wild are keen to have visitors,
and we enjoyed seeing the beautiful
colours of the parrots in particular.
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At one time, parrots were common in

Belizean skies. Now, they are becoming
rare, but the Belize Bird Rescue has
released over a thousand birds back into
the wild, where hopefully, they can breed
and thrive.

Our hope is that we can go back to both of

these wonderful places and offer service in
the form of clearing paths and so on.

Future Plans

For the future, we plan to do more tree

planting (our initial planting was rather
spoiled by the huge amounts of rain we
experienced last year), to hold Jungle
Church outside in the wild, to visit the
Cayes, and yet more exciting things!

St Ann’s and St Agnes’ youth will be joined

by St Andrews’, St Hilda’s and hopefully
others as we explore together God’s
beautiful creation, and learn how we can be
a positive force in preserving the natural
world with which we are so abundantly
blessed here in Belize.

Article Written by:

Ms Sue Harris
Lay Minister & Youth Facilitator
at St. Ann's Parish Church,
Belmopan

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Bible
Corner
Did
Did you
you know?
know?
The church celebrates the
Season of Easter for 50 days
ending at Pentecost.
Genesis never said Adam and
Eve ate an apple, only that they
ate the fruit.
Memory
Memory Verses
Verses
John 14:6 -Jesus answered, “I am
the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except
through me.
John 11:25-Jesus said to her, “I am
the resurrection and the life. The
one who believes in me will live,
even though they die;
Fun
Fun Facts
Facts
The Word "fear not"
appears 365 times in the
bible.
Live your life without fear
every day of the year!
There is a talking
donkey in the bible!
The story of
"Balaam's Donkey" in
Numbers 22: 21-39
The longest verse in the
bible is Esther 8:9
Journal
Journal
Reflection
Reflection
I’ve given stuff up for Lent,
but is there anything
additional I can take on?
What is one question that
you think God might ask
you?
Which Biblical character
do you most relate to or
identify with? Why?
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Holy Week according to Matthew

Palm Crowds cheer Jesus' entry to Jerusalem
Sunday Matthew 21: 1-11

Holy Jesus angers leaders by throwing vendors out of the

Monday temple.
Matthew 21: 12-46
Holy Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders.
Tuesday Matthew 23: 25

Holy Judas is bribed to betray Jesus.

Matthew 26; 14-16
Wednesday
Maundy The Last Supper. Judas betrays Jesus. Peter denies Jesus.
Thursday Matthew 26: 17-65

Good Jesus' crucifixion- The chief priest rally the people to

chant "crucify him!"
Friday Matthew 27:11-61

Holy Guard at the tomb.

Saturday Matthew 27: 62-65

Easter Jesus has Risen!

Sunday Matthew 28: 1-15

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ACTIVITY
PAGE
Learning is fun!

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ACTIVITY
PAGE
Learning is fun!

Word Search

WORD BANK: cross, easter, gardener, Jesus, linen,

Mary, napkin, sins, spices, tomb

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Feature Friday Youth

Student at the Memorial University of Newfoundland

in St. John's, Canada
Analiese has sung both Alto and Soprano in the choir. She played
guitar and piano for musical accompaniment. She participated in
outreach programs to feed the homeless, performed in concerts
and helped to raise money for the church. She also wrote and
Analiese Young, 24 produced music as well as music videos for the All Saints' Praise
All Saints' Parish Church
Team.

Third form student at Anglican Cathedral College

Deroy was the first acolyte inducted at St Agnes Mission Church. He
is a former Police Youth Cadet Corps. Deroy is always willing to help
others, especially people in his community. Deroy is admirable for
his humbleness, his self-motivation and his determination to always
strive for the best.
Deroy Guttierrez, 16
St Agnes Mission Church

A second-year student at the University of Belize pursuing an

Associates Degree in Biology.
Ranai is a faithful member at St Andrew's Church since an infant.
She was a member of the music ministry, assisted and lead
Vacation Bible School, and participated in the church youth
ministry. Ranai also served as an acolyte for a few years. In her
Ranai Gonzales, 17 leisure time, Ranai enjoys baking and adventuring outdoors. She
St Andrew's Church
also loves music as she is a trained musician in piano, recorder and
guitar.

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Feature Friday Youth
Veronica Ruano, 23 -Annunciation
Church In Santa Elena
Ernest Walter Peters, 16
At. Matthew's Mission
Deanni Laing, 19 -
All Saints' Parish Church
Recent Graduate of Sacred Heart Junior College
Veronica has always been an active member of the Hispanic Mission
Churches. She coordinated Bible School and Christmas gift drives for the
children of the churches. She was the secretary of the Annunciation
Church and she represented the Hispanic Mission as a Synod
Representative at the past Synod. Veronica partakes in outreach
activities to the ones in need. Also, she does the cleaning and gardening
at Annunciation Church in Santa Elena, Santa Crus in Selena Village and
Santa Trinidad in FranksEddy. In her free time, Veronica enjoys bird
watching, taking nature walks, caring for animals and spending time
with children.
Final year student at Kaina Online High School
Ernest is a committed member who regularly assists with the preparation of
church services. He was instrumental in the organizing process for the church
to meet its requirements for the Covid-19 protocols. He assists with online
productions for both St Matthew's Church and School and recently completed
the school's new website. He is an active member of the Del Oro site
neighbourhood watch and assists with community church outreach programs
such as the feeding of senior citizens. He was an active member of the Police
cadet until last year when the Covid pandemic caused the group to become
dormant. He has a keen interest in mechanical engineering.
A first-year student at the University of Belize pursuing a
bachelors degree in Marketing
Deanni is a faithful young member of All Saints' Church. She has been a
singer in the All Saints' Praise Team since March 2012. She's also
participated in diocesan youth camps, and youth retreats, as well as
volunteered in outreach initiatives, such as feeding the homeless,
visiting the sick and shut-in, participates in church fundraising
activities and assists her church in any way she can. Deanni is a positive
role model as she is a young entrepreneur who keeps herself active by
creating her own personal jewellery line, Janae's Collections and hosting
her own business show, 5 Minutes with Dee.
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Feature Friday Youth
Christopher Broaster, 18 -
St Ann's Anglican Church
Paige Indira Garcia, 16
The Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist
Jerris Valentine 111, 16 -
Christ the King Parish
A second-year student at the University of Belize pursuing a
Bachelors Degree in History
Christopher is a devoted young member of the church He is a senior
acolyte who has been serving for over five years. Currently, Christopher
is a Lay Minister in training. He always shows great enthusiasm to
engage in various church activities. On occasions, he accompanies the
priest to serve and assist with youth work at St. Agnes Mission Church.
Christopher is a member of the Belize Track Club doing long-distance
runs (800m and 4 x 400 relay). He is also interested in leadership and
governance and engages in community activism.
A senior Science Major at Saint Catherine Academy High School
Paige is a faithful member of the Cathedral. She serves as an acolyte
for several years. She is a Peer Helper at her school who offers
support to other students. Paige is in the photography club and also
a member of the Mercy Outreach. She is very talented as she enjoys
singing and dancing, as well as playing the steel pan. Additionally,
Paige also loves to read, and she ensures she offers herself to read
lessons at church.
A senior at Stann Creek Ecumenical College
Jerris is a humble young member of Christ the King Parish who is
very helpful and willingly volunteers his time to assist. Over the past
years, he has attended youth retreats and was a member of youth
groups. He was also a member of the Dangriga Child Advisory
Board. Last year, during the summer months, Jerris volunteered
and was a guest host at the Diocesan Virtual Vacation Bible School.
In his free time, Jerris enjoys playing basketball as well as studying
basketball analytics.
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FRIENDSHIP
Bottom Line: We can’t do life alone. We need Christian friendships
where we can encourage and be encouraged. -Carrie Busch
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one
will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift
him up!"
Now, let’s make a note of one of the benefits of Christian friendship. Verse 10 tells us that having a
friend is important because when we are working hard towards a goal, we have someone to help us
through it. And because we have received the help that we so desperately needed, we get to share
in the reward with someone who knows and understands what we’ve accomplished. Think about it…
Have you ever been excited to share the good news with someone – a parent, a sibling, a friend –
and have been disappointed when they responded to your news without that same excitement?
What a let-down! All you want is for someone to feel the same way you do. For someone to come
alongside us and “get it.” When we go through life’s obstacles with a friend, and when we help each
other through, we have someone to celebrate with when we have victory. That’s awesome!

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day
drawing near."
Your job is to encourage your friends to do good things. To love, show compassion, make good decisions
and strengthen one another’s relationship with God. Sound easy? It’s not. Sometimes it’s difficult to be an
encourager, especially when things are not going well in your own life. You may have noticed that it’s
tempting to hide from your friends when times get tough. Maybe you don’t want to talk about it. Or maybe
you know they’ll give you the advice you don’t want to hear. Or maybe you don’t want to appear weak. But
verse 25 says that we should not neglect meeting together.
Why? Because, even though we may not want it, we need the encouragement that comes from a good
friend. By shutting out those who love us, we miss out on the very thing that could pull us out of our mess.
1. Do you have any friendships that exhibit one or more of these traits – help,
encouragement, and accountability? Is that something you want? Why or why
not?

2. Letting people into your personal space can be difficult. What, if anything, is
hard for you when it comes to friendship?

3.How can a good friend help your relationship with God?

4. Do you fear ending friendships that aren’t good for you?

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 BULLETIN
ISSUE 1 VOL 1 / MARCH 2021

If you know a young person you'd want us to feature, or if

you have an article for us to share, then send us an email or
give us a call. @ang.youthdirectorbz@gmail.com
+501-626-1821 / +501-227-3029

Follow us on our social media

pages and keep undated.

Belize Anglican Diocesan Youth Commission

https://www.facebook.com/Belize-Anglican-Diocesan-Youth-
Commission-232960390243772

Youth Ministry of Belize or

Anglican Diocese of Belize
https://youtube.com/channel/UCL37qSmhXwGC2gWVcJrVGIA

@youthministry_bze
https://www.instagram.com/youthministry_bze

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