What an amazing online youth conference that we had on the 20th of February. Above you can see the great testimonials from some of our attendees. We thank God for the church media outreach team: Olivia and Valentina – who hosted the event. They did such an incredible job!
Discussion: Challenges facing young people during the pandemic
Topics: Loneliness & how it affects young people mentally
Meet the media team: Olivia Eneje is a Graphic Designer. Valentina Morales is a Social Policy student and studies at the University of Nottingham. Olivia spoke about loneliness and Valentina spoke about how this pandemic has affected young people mentally.
Loneliness
As young people based on what we have seen on the media about coronavirus and the feedback from our friends. We have come to realise that people need hope, upliftment and encouragement. This is why this conference was created to bring people together, to use it as a platform to discuss the challenges facing young people during this pandemic.
- Loneliness is defined by Google’s definition as “sadness because one has no friends or company.”
- We have been seeing on the news huge cases of young people suffering from loneliness and that have been affected mentally by this pandemic.
- Many young people have suffered depression and isolation during this lockdown period.
There are several factors that have contributed to this increase:
- Specific activities such as going out with friends, going out to restaurants, going to gyms have been put to a halt.
- Many students has suffered from a loss of physical interaction – they are unable to see their friends.
- Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have suffered too – some don’t have access to the internet.
- Young people fear they may be falling behind on their education.
A lot of people are suffering this period.
- A lot of affliction everywhere: mourning the loss of loved ones and concerned about their safety.
- Young people are fearful about their future careers.
The Government are aware of how much the pandemic has affected young people’s education.
- Restrictions are being lifted on the 8th March to allow students to go back to their various schools, colleges and universities.
- Online resources are available on various websites such as BBC Bitesize.
- Universities this period are offering online support to their students too.
The world has a lot of helplines through charities and different organisations. These helplines may help us to a certain extent but the only helpline that will give us full satisfaction is God’s helpline. So how do you we connect to God’s helpline? The answer is in the book of Matthew.
Matthew 11:28 NLT “Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
- God wants us to have a personal relationship with Him.
- He wants to give us a peace that surpasses all understanding.
- God is here for you and wants to carry your heavy load.
The attendees were encouraged to surround themselves with their loved ones and they were made aware that the church is there to support to them all.
Olivia’s testimony: The church has helped me a lot and I don’t know where I would be right now if it wasn’t for the messages of encouragement that I have received from the teachings. The church is here for you all and God will surely direct your steps and He will bring people your way that will help you in every aspect of your life. Don’t fear about your future for your life is in God’s hands!
How the pandemic has affected the youth mentally
For many youths during the pandemic, there have been experiences of uncertainty around education, loss of loved ones, witnessing their family struggle and learning to navigate a new level of isolation that is completely new to them.
The BBC recently found that between 63 – 64% of young people are currently experiencing surging levels of stress and anxiety, uncertainty and overall loss of purpose and demotivation. In these challenging times let us release our worries unto God so we can enjoy His perfect peace.
1 Peter 5:7 calls us to cast our anxieties onto Him, because He cares for us.
- When we know the perfect power of God, we are able to rest in the knowledge of His great love.
- Let us redirect our perspective toward heaven and place our trust in God.
- This change of focus shifts our thought life and allows us to experience rest and peace.
Don’t be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV).
During this period of lockdown, it is important to leave the house often and spend more time away from the screens; go outdoors – exercise and enjoy the fresh air.
- Keeping our minds focused on God, spending time in prayer and meditating on God’s Word daily.
- No influence from the world can challenge our feeling of purpose and motivation.
- The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives (Psalm 37:23 NLT).
Always remember that God is our anchor – although troubled waters abound and the storm around us is raging, He keeps us firm and in one place. When our thoughts begin to cloud with worry, let us make an effort to speak to God.
Valentina’s testimony: I can honestly share with you all that God has done for me! He has sustained me and assured me so much during this time, it is in Him that I’ve found the certainty that I cannot find in my external environments. His peace is a great and awesome gift and I can only pray that you would open your hearts to Him so you can experience His great peace!
We encourage you to reach out to others who are lonely and who have been mentally affected by this pandemic. If you know anyone who needs extra support or counselling or if you are lonely and need support contact our pastor via the link below:
To access our prayer request page please click on this link
We hope this article has blessed you! Thanks for reading!