The countdown is now dripping, just a few hours to the beginning of a congress that will bring together more than 1500 youth leaders from around the world.This Global Youth Leader Congress will be held in the Congress Palace Kassel, Germany, from July 31 to August 4, 2018.The purpose of this congress is to equip, empower, engage a generation of Spirit-Filled leaders to pass on the legacy of Reformation. And this is a valuable challenge!
All divisions, unions, conferences, churches, and educational institutions have been urged to mobilize their youth leaders for this life-changing event.
CD-EUDNews asked the organizers to express their personal feelings, expectations and wishes. Their passionate contribution is already a sign of an announced success.Among those interviewed we have World and European youth leaders, assistants who often work in the backstage, but do an immense job, and finally a greeting by Seventh-day Adventists Church President, Ted Wilson.
Alex and Isaac, Inter-European Region (EUD) Youth Department Assistants.As a family, Alexandra and Isaac have always been involved in youth ministry somehow. Isaac formerly served as the Spanish Union Pathfinder director (2008-2016). Alexandra has been active in the church volunteering in different areas, most recently as the president of AEGUAE (the organization for Public Campus Ministries or AMiCUS in Spain) (2011-2015) and as a volunteer in the Center for Youth Evangelism (Andrews University) (2015-2016). In 2016, they started working in the EUD Youth Ministries Department.CD-EUDNews: We often talk about youth leaders, but … what about the Assistant of the Youth Leaders, mainly involved in the basic organization of such worldwide events?
Alex and Isaac: Everyone involved in youth ministry can undoubtedly benefit from an event like this. It provides the unique opportunity of connecting with youth leaders and practitioners from the globe to learn from them and be inspired by their faith stories and experiences, and also sharing your own.
In our perspective and experience, youth leaders and their assistants work closely together as a team with the goal of enabling young people to be “engaged, equipped and empowered” to be disciples of Jesus and to give witness of His presence in their lives.
So, attending a training event like this helps both directors and assistants grow in youth ministry to better serve and be more effective in their respective positions, while sharing the same vision.
It is true, we work behind the scenes to make sure the congress runs as smoothly as possible, and the work was really very engaging! From the search for a place to the distribution of roles, conveniently informing all the youth leaders for the registration of the delegates, organizing the spaces and times for the speakers' interventions, the location of the booths, and whatever else can be considered as support for the general organization.
Specifically, as the host Division, we worked closely with the GC Youth Ministries and the North and South German Unions’ Youth Department together with the GYLC Steering Committee to make sure all the logistics and program items are taken care of.
We also connect with all of our Unions to make sure they are informed of all the details to make their experience at GYLC the best possible.
CD-EUDNews: According to your experience as Youth Leader Assistant, what does the youth really need?
Alex and Isaac: We would like to highlight three needs:
To have mentors who are true followers of Christ and exemplify it in their everyday life, that is, to make it practical. To be rightly trained, not only in global events like this one, but in their local Unions/conferences/churches, so they can discover their gifts and use them to edify the church.
To be given the opportunity in their local church to use their talents, creativity and vision to forward God’s Kingdom on this earth.
We hope and pray the congress is a vibrant place for all attendees, where they learn, network and most of all, have a personal encounter with Jesus, to be truly “engaged, equipped and empowered” in His mission.
sEUD Youth Leader Jonatan Tejel.
CD-EUDNews: In what extent will this congress give a “push” for our Youth Leaders?
Jonatan: I was representing Spain in 2001 when we had the first World Youth Leaders Congress in Aguas de Lindóia, Brasil. Baraka Muganda was the GC Youth Director at that time and he had an extraordinary vision of putting all the Youth Leaders from around the world together, to have the possibility to enjoy the beauty of this ministry, to share the happiness of working for the youth, and to realize that, everywhere in the world there are challenges to face.
I still remember talking with the leaders from countries I never would have imagined I would talk with, and in those conversations I got a big “push”. I realized that I’m not alone, that there are many more fighting the good fight and that we can be in touch through Social Media and more importantly, through prayer…
I hope this Congress will also give this spiritual push and the conviction that we can count on one another in the work we do.
CD-EUDNews: Which are your expectations in terms of innovation for a young generation that is always demanding?
Jonatan: We live in a very changing world, but I still believe that the youth will finish the divine mandate of taking the “good news” to the world.
So I would love to see openness to new ways of sharing Jesus, I would love to see creativity at work and to transform words and vision into action. I would love to see how we allow our young people to be the ones innovating and we are the ones supporting them.
CD-EUDNews: You have been in the worldwide youth leadership for 12 years. You know the differences and the similarities among the youth around the world. Can youth contribute to a more united church and to what extent?
Jonatan: Everywhere I’ve been (and the Division I serve, EUD, is not an exception), I’ve found a strong committed youth that is waiting for an opportunity to serve. If we could cast the vision for the need of sharing the gospel with the world, not in the way we want, but in the way they can, I’m certain that their contribution would be more powerful than the contribution we can give. Young people are not looking for fights among themselves but for an opportunity to have meaning in their Christian life. I strongly believe in “Give Them the Keys”, not as an slogan, but as a reality that we leaders should live in our everyday ministry.
CD-EUDNews: Your wishes for the congress.
Jonatan: I would love to see my leaders spiritually empowered and with the feeling that they belong to a global church that cares for them and their lives. I wish for a strong Spiritual content. Spiritual inspiration. I would love to have the feeling that we are all rowing in the same boat and sailing in the same direction, of course, with our differences. And these differences make the church a beautiful global church, where everybody has a role to play in the mission of sharing with others how much we love following Jesus.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Youth Leader Gary Blanchard
CD-EUDNews: Which are your personal feelings organizing this special congress where youth leaders of the world will be together under the same purpose to improve their leadership?
Gary: I am very excited since this is a historic moment! To me it’s a fulfillment of God's promise to send "Elijah the Prophet" just before His return (Malachi 4:5-6). Elijah was one of the greatest Youth Leaders in the Old Testament. He modeled Christians living to young people, he mentored them through the school of the prophets and he mantled them for ministry leadership as seen in his calling of Elisha.
So I am excited to see what God will do through these Elijah like youth leaders following this great event.
CD-EUDNews: Surely, you have many expectations. But which is your personal top ONE?
Gary: I am hoping to see a mighty insurgence of youth lead city evangelism as our youth leaders are equipped and knowledgeable in regard to GYD, Pathfinder Sabbath, Mission Caleb and One Year in Mission (OYiM). We will be specifically challenging our youth leaders to conduct a OYiM in every Union of the world church from now until Jesus returns!
CD-EUDNews: You represent the worldwide youth leadership. You know the differences and the similarities among the youth around the world. The church suffers under a certain ‘polarization’. Will there be room for a recommendation to the new generation to build a real unified church?
Gary: There are two reason why the church is suffering polarization. First because we have forgotten our message and second because we have forgotten our mission. We will be challenging our youth leaders regardless of their differences to rally behind our common mission and vision as a church. This mission is preach the gospel and to make disciples in the context of the three angels message and our mission is to urgently reach the cities of the world setting up centers of influence (OYiM) and church plants.
As Ellen White (American Adventist Writer of the 20th century, ndr.) put it, we are to go like "Jets of light." I believe that we can finish the work we were given if we help our young people have three experiences:
REVIVAL. If our young people are taught how to grow Spiritually (bible study, pray and Spirit of Prophecy) they will experience the Holy Spirit baptism Ezekiel describes in Ezekiel 37.
RIGHT TRAINING. Young people need to be trained to give bible studies, hold evangelistic meetings, plant and lead local churches. They also and most importantly need to be taught the good news of the "crucified and risen and soon coming Savior." This is the "everlasting gospel" of the 1st and 3rd angels message.
REDEMPTIVE MISSIONS. The role of youth leaders of the Adventist Church is to then lead these young people in real and risky adventures for Christ i.e. "redemptive missions." Interestingly, the Bible describes youth as "Arrows in the hands of a warrior" (Psalms 127). This means they were designed to live dangerously like an arrow sent into the enemy's frontline and they were designed to be sent by "warrior" like youth leaders!
CD-EUDNews: What are you trying to "pass on" to the younger generation?
Gary: There are three things we would like our youth leaders to pass on to the younger generation...hence the theme pass it on.
First we want them to pass on IDENTITY (IN CHRIST). It is important that our young people do not find their identity in their nationality, skin color, sexual orientation etc. but in Jesus Christ. This is the only way to unite our young people around the world.
MISSION (aS Seventh-day Adventists), it is also important that our young people understand the special and unique calling they have as Adventists. Ellen G. White wrote that the message given to our church is the "most solemn message ever given to mortals." Young people need to understand the three angels message and the essence which is found in Christ our righteousness!
LEADERSHIP (in the local church)---through observation, participation and activation young people can become amazing leaders in the Adventist Church. It is critical that the older generation make "passing on" leadership to the younger generation a top priority (like Jesus, Paul, Moses etc). This does not mean that the younger generation is more important than the older, it simply means we need each other! Interesting that Elijah the prophet turned the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers – intergenerational (see the very last Bible verse of the Old Testament). God's last day youth leaders like Elijah are to unite not separate the generations!
Pastor Ted Wilson’s Message for the Global Youth Leaders’ Congress.
“Seventh-day Adventist youth leaders from around the world will soon be gathering in Kassel, Germany for the Global Youth Leader Congress. What a special privilege and responsibility these leaders have in mentoring and guiding our precious young people today.
I would like to encourage the youth leaders, as they move forward in their vital and challenging role, to continue relying on God for wisdom and strength. Encourage young people to focus on the Bible and prayer, and then guide them in putting what they have learned into action through service.
God will bless this approach enormously!
May the Lord pour out His blessings upon you, empowering you through His Spirit and strength to carry out His calling today.”
For all further information regarding this Congress, see youth.adventist.org/GYLC
