Pastor urges churches to help youths in communities

CHURCHES should help people who isolate themselves and abuse drugs to be part of the church family, a pastor says.
PNG Bible Church Pr Timothy Kera said isolation could lead to addiction and mental illness which would impact society.
He said churches needed to be integral players in helping youths in villages and communities that struggled with these issues.
Six youths in the Kilunili village in Imbonggu, Southern Highlands, uprooted their marijuana trees as a sign that they were committed to changing their lives.
“The youths confessed their wrong doings and promised to be good citizens and participate in church and community oriented activities,” he said.
“This is the work of Christians at the church that continuously prayed, encouraged and helped them to be better citizens.”
Pr Kera said many communities saw marijuana addicts as liabilities and feared them as they were unpredictable.
“Churches and communities can work together to change them, they are part of our family, our ignorance will make them to live in isolation with their colleagues,” he said.
Church member and community leader James Temane thanked church members for their prayers and the community for helping the youths change their lives.
He said this was one way youths involved in other illegal activities could be changed.
Temane said the increasing law and order problems created by the youths were a result of ignorance by authorities and leaders should help the youths live meaningful lives.