Alfred, Cicilia, Jeffery and Jeff

“I know your afflictions and your poverty- yet you are rich!” (Revelation 2:9).

Depending on this verse Smyrna Youth Fellowship was started Pastor Alfred Biplob Biswas and his wife Mrs. Cicilia Fernandez founders of Smyrna Youth Fellowship (SYF) had been involved in Church Youth Program and some other youth ministries. Pastor Alfred Biplob Biswas had been involved in youth ministry, he had opportunity of mixing with the youth and traveling through the different places of Bangladesh. Therefore he was able to gain valuable experience and efficiency in the matter. In course of his visit, he was able to know the various problems of the youth of Bangladesh which are as follows: Drug addiction, Despair, Idly wasting time, Suffering melancholy, Want of educational opportunity, Lack of proper leadership, Financial want, Want of peace of mind, disunity among the youth etc.

Knowing all of the above problems existing with the youth, Pastor Alfred Biplob Biswas with his wife was praying and thinking of organizing the youth into groups so that they can prepare themselves and share the gospel with the students of High schools, Colleges, Universities, workplace and local community. In sharing the idea with Mr. Stig Sperrevick being his close friend and his wife (Pastor Alfred's wife) Mrs. Cicilia Fernandez maintained the same opinion with Pastor Alfred Biplob Biswas. In consequence, Smyrna Youth Fellowship was born on the 14th September 2002. Since then Mr. Stig Sperrevick has been supporting our youth fellowship in various ways. At the same time he is the Advisor of Youth Fellowship, Bangladesh.

Our journey started with these words from the Lord Christ as our theme on September 14, 2002. This is the journey of the youth organization called Smyrna Youth Fellowship. Our objective is to reach the young people from our Society who are getting lost day by day with various allurements and distractions from the Christian values so that their lives are transformed by the power of Christ and can be used by Him for His glory and praise. We are committed to this cause of harnessing and channeling the talents of our young brothers and sisters for various forms of Christian ministries right now.

With this aim in view my wife Cicilia and I started this ministry and committed our lives to Christ and His ideals. We are aware of all our limitations and the external hindrances that are there on the way of realizing our objective. But we are sure of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises in and for our lives which He can effectively use for His glory and praise inspire of any limitation on our part. He is all powerful and gracious, if we are willing to obey Him.

We are grateful to our Lord God and Christ for the promptings that His spirit gives us so that we come forward to facilitate in the process of the renewal and transformation of the lives of our brothers and sisters. This is His work; we are just tools in His hand. We are weak in this work. Without His guidance, counseling and empowerment we cannot proceed any length. We need the prayerful support of all our friends and colleagues so that we can do what God wants to accomplish in our lives that will eventually bring glory to His name.

Smyrna Youth Fellowship has stepped to its eighth year since inceptions up to now. There are 37 groups with over 650 members spread all over Bangladesh. Smyrna Youth Fellowship held its first Annual National Camp in 2003 at the Prayer Garden of Rajendrapur under Gazipur district. A number of participants were 70 male and female youths from Smyrna Bible Study Groups, different churches and interdenominational Christian organizations. With a view to giving brief idea of the subsequent Annual National Youth Camps, Regional Camps and Leadership Training, relevant photographs are attached here.

Pastor Alfred Biplob Biswas and Mr. Stig Sperrevik