Youth volunteers to act out miracles of Christ

Published 12:01 am Saturday, March 29, 2008

NATCHEZ — A man lays dead in his grave. His friend, a religious teacher in the area, commands him to rise up alive — and he does.

That scene, along with six others, is part of the “Seven Miracles of Christ” Program orchestrated by Young Women of Faith Ministry and performed by youth volunteers, which will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Greater St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church.

The members of Young Women of Faith serve as mentors to the youth of the church, and mentor them on everything from pregnancy prevention to table etiquette.

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The group of 14, ranging in age from 24 to 43-years-old, has existed for approximately two years, and during that time they have conducted workshops to direct the younger members of the church in the right path, program committee member Kesha Johnson said.

“We might teach them how to dress appropriately, so they can know the difference between what you should and shouldn’t wear,” Johnson said.

Members of the group also try to bring wayward sheep back into the fold.

“We may have some of the younger ones who have dropped out of church, and we go to them and try to get them to come back,” Johnson said.

St. Mark Pastor Maurice Irving had the idea for the group because a similar group already existed at the church for older women, Young Women of Faith President Elaine Galmore said.

“The idea is for us to get involved with the younger people because we can relate better to them,” Galmore said.

The other miracles of Jesus the group will portray include Jesus turning water into wine, the healing of a lame man, the healing of a blind man, the healing of a woman with a years-long hemorrhage, Jesus walking on water and Jesus miraculously feeding thousands.

Though other miracles will be portrayed, the group decided to focus on healing miracles, Galmore said.

“We chose those because some of us are sick, and Jesus healed people who had faith back then, and we are standing in the faith that he will heal us,” she said.