George Henry - Sherna Cunningham

GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer

Sherna Cunningham believes that children should be introduced to the Lord from an early age. According to her, we are living in a changed world where the tactics of Satan are shifting and are more advanced.

"The tactics of the Devil are more dangerous and so children need to be placed in a sort of survival mode. So they need to know from early that they need to have a relationship with God. You can talk to God about anything; you can commit things to Him, you can ask Him about things and He can be your friend," said Cunningham.

Cunningham is a member of the Spring Ground Missionary Church in Manchester. She serves that church as president of the youth group and has two daughters - Jodi-Kaye and Kimberly. The woman, who is married to Donavan Cunningham, said God can be the companion of all young Christians, and will be there for them because they can always depend on Him to be faithful.

She believes that children should be introduced to Lord from the womb, as they cannot be too young to know about God. She said the youth need to understand that if they are living in a world that is cruel and which does not love them, then they must understand that there is a God who will accept them for who they are.

"When this is instilled in them, I am of the opinion that when they grow with that, their self-esteem will be built and everything they do will be so centred around the fact that God has an impression of them. God has a notion of who they are to Him as God, and it should mean everything to them in everything that they do," said the youth leader.

"It is important for persons to surrender their life to Christ, because it is the safest way to live. I believe that because we are living in a world that has so many things happening that just distort your mind - just blow your mind all the time - and you need to have that peace. When you have a relationship with God you have that peace that says, 'whatever comes He is there for you and He is going to carry you through,' said Cunningham.

She said a relationship with the Lord guarantees one of a place with Him in eternity. She added that whatever one's faith is He is in control of it. This she said gives believers a sense of peace at all times.

The youth president, who pointed out that she accepted God as her Lord and Saviour at age 12, said that although she has been saved for many years, there are still some things that she is still learning. She pointed out that with the many challenges she encounters on her Christian journey, she learns something different about the Lord.

"Your faith is challenged, your character is built up; and as you learn these things you improve and become a better Christian," said Cunningham.

She explained that as a child growing up in a Christian home where her mother was an Evangelist, she and her siblings, who all grew up in the church, were expected at all times to abide by the teachings of the Bible.

"We were exposed from very early about having a relationship with God and just knowing that that was the only way, that regardless of wherever life led you, then you have to go there with God; and that was instilled in us from we were very young," said Cunningham.