BRAZIL’S JUNIOR NATIONAL CONVENTION ATTENDED BY 546 PEOPLE
Attendees learned "Man is a child of God
and has infinite power"at the Convention
Promotional Medium Changed from Pamphlets to Internet
In Brazil, the Junior National Convention (Portuguese) was held on April 19 at the annex building of the Brazil Missionary Headquarters and was attended by 546 people.
This year’s Convention was the 19th one. It has been held every year since 1989 under the sponsorship of the Brazil Youth and Young Adult Association. The theme of this year’s Convention was “I Am Super! I Have God’s Power.”
The lecturers were Rev. Carlos Alberto da Silva (Assistant Minister, Chief of Youth and Young Adult Association), two Regional Lecturers and one Enlightenment Leader. There were four lectures.
Rev. Silva lectured: “I Am a Child of God and Have the Supreme Power.” He stressed that we are one with God and that it is important to love our families and those around us and live in harmony with them.”
This year, the use of hard-copy promotional pamphlets was discontinued. Instead, the General Office of the Youth and Young Adult Association sent promotional E-mail to all the leaders of Missionary Branches and encouraged attendance. Also, the advertising video for the Convention was posted on the Internet’s Seicho-No-Ie Youth and Young Adult Association Community. These promotional activities were also designed to help environmental protection.
On April 20, the Junior Speech Contest (Portuguese) was held at the same annex building. There were five contenders, who were divided by age into Group A (ages 13-14) and Group B (ages 11-12). They delivered speeches under such themes as “I Believe Firmly that I Am a Child of God.”
Comments received from the participants included: “I was taught that I can materialize anything”; and “I understood that both my family and I are wonderful children of God.”
Remarks by Rev. Yoshio Mukai, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“Since it is very important to nurture the Junior group, who will shoulder the next generation, the Brazil Missionary Headquarters holds the Junior National Convention and a speech contest every year. The members of the Youth and Young Adult Association try hard to help the Junior group, which grew out of the Children’s group, join and become members of the Association. I hope that the children move on naturally from the Children’s group, Junior group to the Youth and Young Adult Association and help Seicho-No-Ie expand further.”