24 Jul 2025, 12:15Tegemea ChampandaReading, Reading, England, United Kingdom
Youth-Led Drum Corps from Reading SDA Churches Energise Whitley Carnival Parade
Sunday, 20th July 2025, marked another milestone in community engagement endeavours at Reading Angaza SDA Church. This summer, our local government (Reading Borough Council) organised one of its community events, namely Whitley Carnival 2025. They extended an invitation to our church drum corps to take a drumming lead during the carnival procession. I was told by one of the organisers that the invitation to the ‘SDA Young Drummers’, as we were known, resulted from community demand around the Whitley area.
Last year, 2024, Reading Angaza SDA Church, in collaboration with the local authority, conducted a very successful health expo event in which the Reading Angaza drum corps, coupled with their peers from Reading West SDA Church, played a crucial role in making the event a great success.
In the Whitley Carnival 2025 event, once again, our drum corps teamed up with their peers from Reading West SDA Church, nicknaming themselves the Angaza-West Drum Corps. Once more, the community around the Whitley area was electrified with jubilation. The theme for the event was Our Beautiful World and our young people’s drive stated Community Heartbeat, reminding all of three important ingredients for health and wellness:
Keep HOPE alive
Keep FAITH alive
Keep COMMUNITY alive
The procession started from Reading Girls’ Secondary School around 12:00 p.m. and concluded at South Reading Leisure Centre around 1:00 p.m. Our church Personal Ministries Department arranged for books to be handed out during the event. A box of 100 Health & Wellness books by Mark Finley and Peter Landless and 10 The Great Controversy books by E.G. White proved to be inadequate. All books were finished even before the procession began. Lessons have been learned for future events of this sort. We are very thankful to God for opening such a wonderful door for sharing the good news in the communities around us.
As one elder from Area 5 commented during our church’s 18th anniversary (1st July 2025), he said, “Reading Angaza, you are 18 years old. Remember you are considered an adult now…”
Yes, with this mountain-top experience at Whitley Carnival 2025, we are strongly urged to do more as adults for our Master. We thank God for the opportunity this year to serve in His vineyard via our communities.
Sunday, 20th July 2025, marked another milestone in community engagement endeavours at Reading Angaza SDA Church. This summer, our local government (Reading Borough Council) organised one of its community events, namely Whitley Carnival 2025. They extended an invitation to our church drum corps to take a drumming lead during the carnival procession. I was told by one of the organisers that the invitation to the ‘SDA Young Drummers’, as we were known, resulted from community demand around the Whitley area.
Last year, 2024, Reading Angaza SDA Church, in collaboration with the local authority, conducted a very successful health expo event in which the Reading Angaza drum corps, coupled with their peers from Reading West SDA Church, played a crucial role in making the event a great success.
In the Whitley Carnival 2025 event, once again, our drum corps teamed up with their peers from Reading West SDA Church, nicknaming themselves the Angaza-West Drum Corps. Once more, the community around the Whitley area was electrified with jubilation. The theme for the event was Our Beautiful World and our young people’s drive stated Community Heartbeat, reminding all of three important ingredients for health and wellness:
Keep HOPE alive
Keep FAITH alive
Keep COMMUNITY alive
The procession started from Reading Girls’ Secondary School around 12:00 p.m. and concluded at South Reading Leisure Centre around 1:00 p.m. Our church Personal Ministries Department arranged for books to be handed out during the event. A box of 100 Health & Wellness books by Mark Finley and Peter Landless and 10 The Great Controversy books by E.G. White proved to be inadequate. All books were finished even before the procession began. Lessons have been learned for future events of this sort. We are very thankful to God for opening such a wonderful door for sharing the good news in the communities around us.
As one elder from Area 5 commented during our church’s 18th anniversary (1st July 2025), he said, “Reading Angaza, you are 18 years old. Remember you are considered an adult now…”
Yes, with this mountain-top experience at Whitley Carnival 2025, we are strongly urged to do more as adults for our Master. We thank God for the opportunity this year to serve in His vineyard via our communities.
