More than 400 Adventist youth from the southern region of Rio de Janeiro celebrated Global Youth Day (GYD—or World Adventist Youth Day, as it is known in Brazil), with good deeds for the community of Volta Redonda. The commemorative event occurred on Sabbath, March 18, 2023.

The theme "Love is a Verb" set the tone for the activities and reflected the idea that the Gospel is not just words but should be expressed with practical actions, attention, and care for others.

Earlier in March, Barra Mansa suffered from the strong storm that devastated the city and rendered many families in the region homeless. With the purpose of joining love and practice, Adventist youth from Barra do Piraí, Barra Mansa, Penedo, Resende, and Volta Redonda, gathered in a mega social action on the streets of Volta Redonda, spreading the Gospel through the collection of food, delivery of books, and prayer with people who passed by one of the main avenues of the city.

The practical action reached José Carlos, who, upon observing the attitude of the young people, approached them, curious to know more. "It is very nice to see young people active with the purpose of bringing a little bit of love to others. I was passing by here and won a book. I want to know more about the church and even visit them. I even got the address," commented the man, smiling.

These and other actions were repeated in all the regions of Rio de Janeiro, reinforcing the importance of youth for the church and the community where it is present.

For the Adventist Church's youth directors for Espírito Santo (Minas Gerais) and Rio de Janeiro (Pastor José Venefrides), the youth were motivated to love everyone in a practical way and live the mission. "The 'I Go' for the youth did not stay only in the slogan. They preached, sang, visited nursing homes, homeless people, and donated blood," he exemplifies. "Youth ministry is relevant when young men and women live the mission intensely. Our society needs you, and when you go, the light of Jesus transcends and reaches hearts. This is how people understand what the Gospel is. That's why every action on this day was a call for young people to live 'I will,' making a difference in this generation.”

GYD is ON

To close Sabbath's activities, the 400 young people gathered in a program entitled "Encounter," which involved praises with Dilson and Débora, motivational messages shared by Pastor Gustavo Marques, Adventist Youth director for southern Rio de Janeiro (Rio Sul Association - ARS), and the presence and participation of pastors Geovane Souza, president of the church headquarters for the same territory, Marco Antonio, treasurer for ARS, Giuseppe Alves, director of Personal Ministries for ARS, and teacher Raquel Souza, director of Women's Ministries for ARS.

The event was also marked by the investiture of new leaders for Youth Ministries who fulfilled the requirements of the leader class, pre-established by the Youth Department. The candidates were invested with the JA uniform in a ceremony for this purpose. The actions also challenged the participants to get involved in Hope Impact, a free book distribution campaign. This year and next year, nearly 32 million copies of The Great Controversy will be handed out in eight South American countries. In 2023, the action takes place on April 1.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.