[ ON FAITH ]

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GEORGE F. LEE / STAR-BULLETIN
A video image of Schoen Ioane towered over the congregation
at the Nuuanu Seventh-day Adventist Church at Wednesday's
Youth Evangelistic Meeting.

Youth Crusade
embodies spirit
of teens

The Seventh-day Adventist
sessions teach listeners about
the last days of Christ

>> A VIEW FROM THE PEW
>> ON FAITH -- RELIGION BRIEFS

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By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

THE STORY Matthew Kane told about the "supernatural heavyweight title match" had the crowd enthralled.

Joanie Schliewen belted out "The Warrior Is a Child" to a recorded karaoke-style background.

Armando Hernandez and a group of teenagers were slightly daunted by the crowd of 100 as they started to sing, but they gained volume and confidence as the audience sang along.

With the endearingly amateur atmosphere and spirit of a school program, it was Day Three of the youth crusade at the Honolulu Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nuuanu.

The "He's Alive" series of nightly meetings, which will continue tonight and tomorrow, is under way at 25 Adventist churches statewide. All are open to the public.

GEORGE F. LEE / STAR-BULLETIN
From left, Christian Domingo, Helen Yoshida and David
Matsuoka pinned heart-shape prayer-wishes to a
cross at the youth event.

Some 205 teenagers and young adults are producing and starring in the evangelistic programs.

From television commercials that have played on the local network stations to the individual handshake greetings at the door, it is the young folks' event.

"This is for everyone," said Ivy Rose Garcia, one of several Hawaiian Mission Academy student participants. Garcia was going to Lanai to speak at the next night's session there.

The series of biblical lessons takes a listener through the last days of the life of Jesus -- with a modern twist in scripts by Mission Academy teacher Neal "Skip" Johnson.

Kane, an Academy freshman, quoted passages from the Gospel of Mark, then told about challenges to Christ's authority in terms of the boxing ring:

>> "The gang he's fighting has gathered like a wolf pack."

>> "He draws first blood" when Jesus' thoughtful answer sends a challenger away.

>> The Pharisees and Herodeans are "a tag team -- call them the Scissor Boys."

GEORGE F. LEE / STAR-BULLETIN
Youth Evangelistic Meeting participant Jennifer Hernandez sang
praises Wednesday night at the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Kane told the crowd: "Tonight, if you will go with Jesus, you must let him know he is the champion of your life. He lives within your heart.

"He's in love, he wants us, he's got it bad. Why do you think this is called Passion Week?"

Hernandez, an assistant leader of the youth group, said: "Being a Christian is not like, you get baptized and that's it. You got to live it."

Adult lay minister Iolani Kaleikini chimed in with an "amen" no matter what a youngster said or sang.

"For me it's a new insight to hear from the youth, a special kind of Christian warmth," Kaleikini said. "They are the future of the church."

The crusade will continue at 7 p.m. today at the church at 2313 Nuuanu Ave. and other Seventh-day Adventist churches.

It will end with 7 p.m. sessions tomorrow.