Youth With A Purpose: My Life, My Family, My All

I was going out yesterday to Computer Village. I needed to get a new charger so I could get my laptop back on course. On my way, I entered a bus filled with nagging old people who were just complaining over nothing. I was getting really frustrated but I was trying to just look ahaed and face my destination. On my way, I saw a billboard of Soul Quest (you know they won the Malta Guiness Street Dance Africa Competition in Nigeria), they were called the CHAMPS! Really, a smile came on my face. I was so amazed and filled with joy that people from my Youth Group were representing. To all of you who don't know, Soul Quest is the dance team of YWAP.

Youth With A Purpose is a faith based organization. It is a non-denominational christian group of young people who strive to impact their generation positively for Jesus Christ through unorthodox ministrations.Numerous young people have been delivered from self-destructive lifestyles and restored to loving relationship with God and their families.

Youth With A Purpose encourages young people to pursue spiritual growth. Through our programs, our members develop leadership skills, receive training to become young entrepreneurs and learn ways of resourcefully & productively using their natural talents for the Kingdom of God .

Youth With A Purpose has a vision to see its members utilize their gifts, skills, & ideas to cause positive changes in the world through the power of Jesus Christ. Our activities and programs are characterized by a commitment to excellence and an unorthodox approach that greatly appeals to young people. At our events, exciting visual productions of dance, music & drama are usually used to present a positive message to the young people of the 21st Century.

Youth With A Purpose recognizes that the Christian faith is the greatest force for change in the world today; and we therefore present the Christian message at every opportunity

Sometime in 1999 the Spirit of God began to impress it upon the heart of Dr. Charles Ononiwu , a consultant maxillofacial surgeon , to bring young people together and start a youth group that would reach out to other young people.

In obedience to God, Dr. Ononiwu spoke to a few young people and discovered that God had been preparing their hearts beforehand. On Wednesday the 27th October 1999 the first meeting was held, a name was later adopted by consensus and Youth With A Purpose (YWAP) was born that day in Kaduna , northern Nigeria.

YWAP is about "PEOPLE" - Young people. Since we are about affecting our generation for Christ,we believe that anyone who becomes a part of this mission must identify their gift and find where they can fit into the group to acheive the Vision. Our People are identified by Teams and Departments. These Teams and Departments are duplicated at the center level.

THE DEPARTMENTS
Administration: This department shoulders the responsibility of documentation of our every activity, and functions as the secretariate of Y-WAP. Nuru-Joshua Agbaje is the DeputyInternational Chief Coordinator Administration (DICC Admin).

Finance: This department handles accounting, budgeting allocation and investment of Y-WAP funds.

Care: This department oversees the Spiritual, Mental, and physical well being of Y-WAP members.They go the extra mile to show practical love to both members and non-members alike. Samaila Yahaya is the DeputyInternational Chief Coordinator Care (DICC Care).

Networking:This department builds and manages the relationships with friends, churches, partners and business associates of Y-WAP .

Operations:This department is primarily about Event Management of YWAP activities.It also handles the technical arm of Y-WAP events.Jerry Bangoji is the Deputy International Chief Coordinator Operations (DICC Operations).

Education and Entrepreneurial development: This department promotes youth empowerment through the development and acquisition of various skills. Seyi Mathew is the Deputy International Chief Coordinator Administration Education and Entrepreneurial development (DICC Education and Entrepreneurial development).

Creative Ideas: Here is where many Y-WAP ideas are born, molded and given flesh to enhance our presentations, keeping them up to standard with the world around us, and setting the pace for others like us. Akinlabi Akinbulumo is the Deputy Chief Coordniator Creative Ideas (DICC Creative Ideas).

YWAP is further split into teams which are basically the ministry arms. Apart from our everyday lifestyle as christians, these teams are our voice to our generation and our hands touching our world.

These teams include:
Soul Squad: This is the evangelism/outreach teamof YWAP , involved with direct/ one-on-one soul winning and outreach to schools (speaking on the power of purpose) and taking the word of God as it is to those who are in need. Prince Thomas is the International team leader

Soul Quest: This is the dance team of YWAP.Dance is a unique and contemporary form of ministry.it is about expressing worship,praise,warfare,prophecy,love and joy.The team is simply involved in putting the word of God into a language that our generation can understand- the language of Dance.Ibrahim Suleiman aka Capt. Quest is the International team leader

Soul Rhythm: This is the music arm of Y-WAP. Music is one of the most powerful information tools. It takes advantage of the power that lies in music and harnessing it to bring in young people into the kingdom of God through writing, composing and production, of music..Praise Adejo is the International team leader .

Soul Flame: This is the "Rap" music team of YWAP. People often wonder why it exists outside the music team.Our answer is that,amongst many things we have observed the damage that this form of music has caused our generation because of its wrong use and hence we are on a mission to use it to bring victims of this damage to Jesus..Bankole Ojo aka QRU-CY-FYDE is the International team leader .

Soul Vision: This is the dynamic and colorful theatrical arm of Y-WAP that puts together dramas, musicals, skits and, short films and movies.Uche Eze is the International team leader.

Soul Expression: The art team. Here, ministry is done through any form of art, particularly visual art and literary art.

Soul Media: As the name implies, this is the media arm of Y-WAP that deals with publishing, television and radio production.

Soul Digital: This is the computer,ICT taem of youth with a purpose. It is generally involved withusing technology to reach out to our generation with the message of jesus Christ..Ope Fasanya is the International team leader.

Welfare: A subsidiary of the care department that closely and cautiously watches and monitors the spiritual, physical, social the wellbeing of members.Eyza Icha is the International team leader .

Prayer and Counseling: The prayer and counseling team engage in intersession with and on behalf of the entire Y-WAP body. It also caters to the “someone to talk to” and “a shoulder to cry on need” for young people in need of proper word- informed encouragement, direction and guidance. Counselors are also split into visitation teams that cover different parts of the city for fellowship and a close follow up on the progress of members.Micheal Gwabin is the International team leader.

Business team: Encourages and oversees budding business initiatives and youth empowerment in the business world.Tolu Olafimihan is the International team leader .

Academic team: Organizes seminars that are aimed at encouraging academic excellence and success as a tool of ministry.

Sports team: Organizes sport events such as matches, tournaments and festivals that are open to a large audience in order to preach the word of God.

Y-WAP Panacea: Which is from a greek word meaning "cure for all" is alternatively known as the health team.It ies run by a group of doctors and is involved incatering for the health of our people,providing free medically consultation in our rural outreach missions, combatings HIV/ AIDS and other killer diseasesand other health issues as affects young people. It is headed by Dr Tete Okatahi
See more about panacea

This is us. The Y-WAP body. We belive in friendship, fellowship and Family.
Y-WAP…Affecting our generation for Christ

This is just a 'brief' intoduction of who we are. I belong to the Ota AKA Down-.South Center. it is located in Covenant Univeristy. The Center Coordinator is Odiba Victor. I am also on the Leadership team of YWAP. I serve as the Head of the Administration department as well as the Networking Department for my center. Also, I am the editor of our blog http://ywap-downsouth.blogspot.com

It is amazing how far God has brought YWAP in general and my center. It fills my hear with so much joy when I see how far we have grown and how far my life has changed because of this awesome family.

For more information contact me or visit the YWAP website at www.ywaponline.org

We have many centers including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ilorin. Just contact me if you want to join my family. hoping to hear from you.

The Talkaholic

Trotcha!

PS- Did I also tell you that Praise Adejo of Project fame is a YWAP member? Yeah he is...