From May 13 to 17, a joint camporee (Himmelfahrtslager, HiLa / Ascension Day Camp) of Adventist Pathfinder groups from Germany's coastal federal states took place in Luhmühlen, Lower Saxony (near Lüneburg). Around 800 young people participated in the event.
The event was organized by the Christian Pathfinders of the Advent Youth (Christliche Pfadfinderschaft der Adventjugend – CPA) North, the youth association of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The approximately 800 participants came from 31 local clubs (Stämme).
The central theme of the camporee was "Esther – You Are Not Alone", based on the Old Testament book of Esther. The story chronicles how Esther, a Jewish exile in the ancient Medo-Persian Empire, becomes the wife of King Xerxes I and thus queen. Through her courageous intercession for her people, she prevents a massacre of the exiled Jews.
Although God is never explicitly mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament book of Esther, His handiwork can still be discovered, explained Dennis Safonow, a pastor from Salzgitter. He picked up this story during the joint gatherings in the large main tent, drawing parallels in his messages to specific life situations faced by children and teenagers. These included insecurity, rejection due to "being different", and loneliness. Pastor Safonow encouraged the youth to stand up for others while trusting in God. Each of his messages was introduced by a skit that portrayed the story of Esther dramatically and, at times, humorously.
Activities and Highlights
During the Ascension Day camporee, there were numerous activities, including wide games (outdoor night/terrain games) for various age groups, creative workshops, campfires within individual groups, and times for singing together. Each Pathfinder group arranged their own catering, with groups occasionally inviting one another over for meals.
A major highlight of the camporee was the baptism of a young adult Pathfinder who is actively involved as a counselor in a local club. Additionally, a farewell was held for Pastor Alexander Vilem, the director of Advent Youth North, who will take on a new role starting this summer. He had been leading the CPA Ascension Day camps in Lower Saxony/Bremen since 2014, and continued to do so for the broader region following the merger with the state associations of the other coastal federal states—from which came the formation of Advent Youth North.
Christian Pathfinders of the Advent Youth (CPA)
Organizationally, the Christian Pathfinders (CPA) are part of the Advent Youth (Adventjugend), the youth organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It supports around 13,000 children, Pathfinders, teens, youth, young adults, and university students through regional groups and supra-regional events.
In addition to the Advent Youth North Ascension Day camp, other youth and Pathfinder camporees take place across various regions of Germany during Ascension Day, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi—such as the Connected youth festival from May 22–25 in Friedensau near Magdeburg.
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