Almost 500 teenagers from cities in the central region of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul were called on March 29, 2025, to collaborate directly with the evangelism work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Symbolically, they are part of the army called “Gideon’s 300”, an initiative that has been taking place regionally in the three southern states of Brazil.

In the biblical story recorded in the book of Judges, chapters 7 to 9, the character Gideon surprisingly saw the Israelite battle forces reduced from 32,000 to just 300 soldiers after a selective process guided by God. Even so, with an unexpected strategy and without having to engage in direct confrontation, they achieved victory against an army of 120,000 soldiers by using the surprise factor, causing panic among the enemies.

Inspired by this biblical story, the teenagers were not only led to dedicate their lives but also motivated to be bold and use all kinds of resources available to spread God’s message to the world, starting with those closest to them. They took classes on how to invite someone and offer Bible studies, practical public speaking tips, how to form a small study group, and ways to share the gospel of Jesus on social media. The seminars were taught by district pastors and Adventist leaders linked to the Church’s main missionary fronts in the region.

The Youth Ministry Director for the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Samara Zabel, emphasizes that the initiative takes advantage of the characteristics and particularities of this age group so that the message of salvation reaches new people.

“The purpose of this project is precisely to prepare this new generation that arrives with so much willingness, vigor, strength, and joy in being able to speak about Jesus. However, most of them still don’t know how. Therefore, the way forward is to teach them,” she explains.

Along the same lines, the pastor and President of the Adventist Church in the region, Ilson Geisler, emphasizes that preparing the youngest for evangelism is an urgent matter of the present and must contribute to the future of the Church.

“They [the teenagers] are not the church of tomorrow. They are the church of today, and today they need to learn to be missionaries. When they become young people or even when they reach adulthood, they will continue to be missionaries,” the leader points out.

Influence for the Younger Ones

Considering how young people are comfortable with technology, the event brought digital influencer Ana Ju to share her life story. She runs a ministry through her personal Instagram profile and has inspired many people to connect with God in their daily routines, which is the way she has chosen to preach the gospel since the pandemic.

“A Christian with his arms crossed is not compatible with a God with his arms open, but we must remember that we share what our hearts are full of. The more I know about God, the more I see how kind and loving He is, and my desire to share Him with others increases. This makes me want to know Him more and more so that I have more to offer,” says the young woman.

At the end of the event, each teen was asked to make a commitment to spread the good news of God's love to their friends. To this end, participants were given personalized Bibles for Bible studies. And there are already people who are super motivated to put this learning into practice.

Nathália Pacheco, who attends the Adventist church in the Esplanada neighborhood of Caxias do Sul, plans to increase her missionary involvement soon.

“Every Sunday night, I have been studying the Bible with a friend of mine who was also at this event, and now I am praying for other people I have in mind to conduct a Bible study with,” she says.

Teenager Felipe Becker, from the Lajeado Central Adventist Church, was happy to have learned ways to talk about Jesus to those around him.

“I have a friend who is leaving my school and going to another one, but after what the pastor [Jefferson] taught in class, I am going to pray for him for five days, try to get money to give him a chocolate – and then offer a Bible study,” he concludes.

The original article was published on the South American Division Spanish news site. Follow ANN on social media and join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news updates.