Ten years before Heidi Cartagena helped design the visual identity for a global Creator Summit, she sat on the floor of her home in Chiapas, Mexico, with a Bible, paper, and a marker.

Facing disappointment, she opened Scripture and began turning a verse into hand-lettered art. The exercise became a refuge and the foundation of a digital ministry.

In July, Cartagena saw the logo she developed with the General Conference communication department displayed at Creator Summit, held at the General Conference office in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States. She was among 10 content creators and influencers representing the Inter-American Division (IAD) at the summit.

The group is expected to help build a regional network as OneVoice27 moves forward. Plans include an upcoming Creative Disciples gathering via Zoom and a Creator Summit in April 2027. Members will be equipped with digital skills to use their influence intentionally to share Jesus and support local evangelism.

For Cartagena and two other creators interviewed at the summit, that responsibility is personal. Their ministries emerged from different experiences, but each said digital mission must lead people beyond views and followers toward Christ.

Cartagena began creating Christian content in 2016, at age 19, while attending university. She did not consider herself a preacher and felt uncomfortable speaking before groups, but she wanted to share Jesus with her friends.

“Creating content was a way for me to express my creativity while also speaking about Jesus,” she said.

Her early designs were simple, Bible verses lettered by hand on paper. As her skills and audience grew, the work moved into digital design and opened opportunities to collaborate with publishers, create coloring books, contribute to book projects, and design a Bible cover. She now shares her work through @hdcartagena on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Seeing her summit logo at the world church headquarters brought her journey into focus.

“More than seeing the logo or my work, I could see how far God had brought me,” Cartagena said. Her designs may encourage others, she added, but the ministry has also changed her own life and deepened her trust in God.

The summit challenged her to think beyond improving technique. What mattered most, she said, was the message creators carry and the trust they establish with their audiences.

“People follow content creators because we build trust,” Cartagena said. “They see our lives as a testimony. If they see what God has done in us, they can believe that God can do something in their lives too.”

That influence brings responsibility. Cartagena returned to Chiapas determined to share what she learned with the growing network of creators there. As a designer, she also sees an opportunity to produce materials that pastors, congregations, and members without specialized design skills can easily share.

“I can create designs that others can use,” she said. “A church member may not have the tools to make something, but I can create it so that person can share it with someone else.”

David Andrés López of Colombia, a finance professional, launched his Instagram channel in March. Each day, he selects a Bible verse and explains it in a video lasting one to one and a half minutes, applying it to grief, worry, uncertainty, or important decisions.

“I saw that many people wanted to understand the Bible and know God,” López said. “But when they opened it, they found it difficult or filled with references they could not understand. I realized I could create content that would help them understand the Bible in a simpler, clearer, more practical, and more direct ways.”

Preparing the videos transformed his devotional life. López and his wife now study each passage’s historical setting and linguistic roots so they can explain it faithfully and simply.

Although the account remains small, it has opened connections. A viewer contacted López through Instagram, received information about the Tierra Linda Adventist Church in Bogotá, and began attending. After attending for two Sabbaths, he requested Bible studies.

“I did not want to say, ‘You have to follow God’ or ‘You have to believe this,’” López said. “I simply wanted them to know that God is there.”

Reflecting on the summit, López said, “Do not become stressed because a reel or post did not take off. What matters is that it reaches the right person at the moment that person needs it. Be consistent, and God will take care of the rest.”

As youth director in his congregation, López plans to help young members direct their social media skills toward sharing the gospel.

For Kirk Campbell of Jamaica, the summit reinforced the importance of continuing even when results are not immediately visible.

Campbell began creating content for his congregation in 2018 and launched SDA Corner in 2021. The digital ministry helps Adventists understand biblical and denominational subjects that are often difficult to understand or widely misunderstood, including Creation and the writings of Ellen G. White.

“Sometimes you might have the urge to stop because you put in so much work and do not see the immediate results,” Campbell said. “But keep posting. Keep sharing your faith. One person might see it, and that is enough.”

SDA Corner has a team of seven, although Campbell remains its principal writer and handles much of the editing and design. He hopes to involve more writers and video creators while helping mentor others in Jamaica.

Campbell said the country has many creators, but some lack consistency, support, or a community that understands digital ministry. Church leaders may also need creators to explain why digital outreach sometimes uses methods different from traditional communication.

“There is nothing wrong with changing how we do it without changing the message,” he said.

Future creator gatherings should emphasize practical training, he added. When Campbell asked another Jamaican creator what she wanted from a local summit, she called for fewer lectures and more opportunities to create, collaborate, and learn by doing.

During the global summit, Campbell delivered a morning devotional based on the call of Moses. He told participants that fear and feelings of inadequacy do not disqualify them from mission because God equips ordinary people who are willing to serve.

The invitation tested Campbell’s own willingness to move beyond fear. Earlier this year, the self-described introvert had prayed that he would accept every opportunity God gave him to serve the church, especially those that frightened him.

“I am going to have to put aside my fears as an introvert,” he said during an interview at the summit. “My fear has to be pushed aside.”

Campbell plans to work with conference leaders and other creators to strengthen a creator community in Jamaica.

Together, their plans—to equip members, mentor young creators, and build local networks—reflect the broader strategy taking shape across the IAD.

Cartagena, López, and Campbell are part of a 10-member IAD group expected to collaborate on the initiative’s next phase. On October 22, the division plans to hold a virtual Creative Disciples gathering on Zoom to engage thousands of young content creators, influencers, and other church members, including some who may not yet consider themselves creators.

A gathering in April 2027 is expected to bring core teams from each union together for training and coordination. Those teams would strengthen creator communities and connect digital outreach with Bible study, local congregations, and personal follow-up.

Abel Márquez, communication director of the IAD, said the church has promoted Creative Disciples for several years—members who use their creativity, talents, and available tools to speak about Jesus.

“OneVoice27 is an opportunity for local churches and fields to identify, train, and support more Creative Disciples across Inter-America,” Márquez said.

“We are not looking only for people who can produce good content,” he added. “We want members who learn from one another, work together, and collaborate with their local church and its mission—not only in 2027, but beyond.”

The original article was published on the Inter-American Division news site.