“The only restriction in life is the lack of faith in yourself and in God”
Bishop Dr. M. Raphael Massiah
“Celebration Day is executed each year because we believe in people,” posited keynote speaker Bishop Dr. M. Raphael Massiah, as he addressed the awardees and those in attendance at First Assembly of God’s 16th Celebration Day exercise, hosted under the theme ‘Dare to Dream’. The event was held on Saturday, December 11, 2021, in the fellowship’s Durban St, Wortmanville sanctuary, which was exquisitely decorated.
The celebration commenced with the wailing sound of the Shofar and a spoken word by Assistant Pastor Joshua Griffith through which he reflected on Joseph’s journey to success – daring to dream despite the circumstances. The poem encouraged the awardees to, like Joseph, “dare to dream” and “if you did not get what you aimed for, try again” because that is the only way through which they can be someone of value. Following this inspiring poem was a beautiful rendition by the First Assembly of God Combined Dancers and worship led by Pastor Paul Benjamin. The attendees were then formally welcomed by chairpersons Imani Mc Kenzie and Lemar Williams, who seamlessly managed the programme, keeping the audience engaged. The programme included many thematic segments that added to the richness of it.
Nuggets of Encouragement
At various intervals, there were nuggets of encouragement by four members from varying professions, who shared a little about their journey to success.
The first was by Sister Noscilla Layne, who despite not attaining her desired grade at the CSEC examination, continued to dream. Her pursuit to success did not end. Through hard work, she elevated herself from an ordinary to a specialised nurse, giving her the opportunity to work abroad. Her encouragement to the awardees was to “work towards your goal, have a detailed outline of where you want to go…” and to remember Philippians 4:13 which states that with God’s help you can do anything.
“Stay true to your calling and when faced with challenges take comfort in knowing that God did not bring you this far to leave you” was Sister Marissa Gordon’s encouragement to the awardees. She shared that her journey was not easy and there were many times that she felt like quitting but with God’s favour and faithfulness, along with the support of her husband and family she was able to persevere. She also encouraged other females to hold on to their dreams and keep pressing forward even if they are the only women in a boardroom of men.
Finding his calling at a young age, Brother Yaphet Jackman expressed that his experience while serving in the church and going further to pursue academics, helped to hone the gifts that the Lord had given him. His encouragement to the awardees was, “Find ways to use the gifts God has blessed you with to serve in His kingdom because if it was not for Him, you would not be here…”
The final nugget of encouragement was given by Dr. Fitzroy Tyrrell, who shared that the Lord has been faithful to him. Education has taken him from nothing to something, and for this he is grateful. According to Dr. Tyrrell, he has learnt that as you dare to dream, God will provide you with opportunities. However, we must prepare ourselves for those opportunities. He further stated that through these opportunities we will achieve our purpose. In closing, he encouraged the awardees to influence others wherever they have been planted.
Prizes and Awards
Supported by overwhelming donations by the members and friends of the congregation, both local and overseas, the organising committee was able to recognise the academic accomplishments of 74 awardees. Appreciation was also shown to 5 long standing members who have, and continue to serve with excellence in the area of Christian Education within the local church. Each awardee received warm applause as they proceeded to the stage to receive their prize, as their photograph and achievement were displayed on the multimedia screen.
For the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) category, the three top performers were Rhiann London, Yeshua Hutson and Akeelah Roberts, each receiving a laptop. Upon hearing that they had been selected as the first and second place top performers both Rhiann and Yeshua said they felt a mixture of excitement, nervousness and relief while Akeelah was surprised yet grateful for the gifts received.
For the first time in sixteen years, four (not three) top performers were selected for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) category. The top four performers were Aretha Fraser, Michael Watson, Tashaia Leonard and Molica Gadsby. They also received laptops. Upon learning that they were amongst the top four positions, they felt a range of emotions including feeling ecstatic, nervous, validated and shocked.
They are flanked by L to R: Head of Christian Education, Rev Dr. Marcel Hutson; Senior Asst. Pastor Rev. Winston Assanah and Presiding Bishop, Dr. M. Raphael Massiah.
Aretha Roberts (Inset).
As a result of the generosity of members and friends, for the first time, the top performers from the Parfaite Harmonie, Prosperity, Hopetown and Judah Outstations, received either a laptop or a tablet.
The event also recognised those who were successful in their pursuit of certification at Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level as well as from Tertiary institutions such as the University of Guyana, University of the West Indies, the Hugh Wooding Law School and the Government Technical Institute.
Five special awards were given to members in good standing within the local assembly, who have had at least a Christian Worker Certificate or Diploma from a recognised institution and have served for over 25 years in different departments in the local church. These special awardees were Elder Emily Cumberbatch, Reverend Randolph Singh, Sis. Iris Morgan, Minister Claudia Fraser and Sis. Hazel Young.
The Charge
With reference to Genesis Chapters 37-40, Bishop Dr. M. Raphael Massiah charged the awardees “to develop a vision bigger than Guyana.” Further, he urged them to see like Joseph saw. (Joseph saw himself so big that the moon and stars bowed down to him). However, Bishop Massiah cautioned that even as we dream big, we should develop a humble attitude like Joseph.
“I charge you to value your dream,” Bishop Massiah urged. He stressed that even if you are the first in your family to attend the University, this should not discourage you from pursuing your dream. According to him,“the only restriction in life is the lack of faith in yourself and in God.”
“Develop a vision that you will see yourself not only being an employee… but an employer…”, urged the Bishop, daring them to set up businesses where they can be their own boss whilst earning.
Using a portion of poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow titled The Ladder of St. Augustine, the Bishop challenged those in attendance to work hard. He reminded the awardees that success does not happen overnight and that in order for you to see the fruits of your labour, you have to put in the work, which at times may mean toiling through the night.
Respect Yourself, Respect Others
Dr Massiah emphasised that the awardees must not use their academic success as an excuse to ‘walk’ over people. He also reminded them that God did not make them inferior to anyone. Rather, they were fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image.
He also encouraged the awardees to believe in God and be like Joseph who, even though he was in prison and faced many trials, still dared to dream. Due to the trials, “your success will be as a result of serving at every level.” In closing, Dr Massiah encouraged the awardees to give back to humanity when they would have achieved.
A Great Success
Celebration Day is an annual observance that has been celebrated for the last sixteen years at First Assembly of God Wortmanville. This initiative was birthed in 2006 from a need “to create a space where the church could engage with the community and as a means of using education as a tool to empower students. This was the reason it was first held outdoors, in the parking lot,” stated Deaconess Celicia Paraug, former coordinator of Celebration Day.
Over the years, with the help of generous donations from the members and friends, Celebration Day has grown, benefitting not only NGSA and CSEC students but Tertiary and other categories, which are created each year.
According to Deaconess Adele Farrier, present coordinator of the Celebration Day, though the COVID-19 pandemic came with some challenges, the organising committee continued to devise innovative ways of including everyone while still observing all health protocols.
We thank God for making this Celebration Day a success and for what He has and will continue to do in the lives of all the awardees and special awardees. The First Assembly of God family congratulated all awardees on a job well done and encouraged them to be like Joseph and dare to dream regardless of their present circumstances. We also thank all those who contributed to making Celebration Day 2021 a great success.
