On Sunday, February 25, 2024 more than 530 teenagers gathered at the Adventist Institute of Southern Cross (Instituto Adventista Cruzeiro do Sul - IACS) in Taquara, Rio Grande do Sul, to participate in the training for the "Gideon's 300" project, an Adventist Church initiative in Southern Brazil led by the South Brazilian Union (USB).
The goal is to prepare boys and girls to give Bible studies, strengthen the faith of young people, and engage them in the mission to teach and prepare generation passionate for ministry. The event had 120 registrants in the city of Passo Fundo (covering regions 4 and 5), and 530 at IACS (covering regions 1, 2, and 3). The programs took place in January and February.
Gideon's 300
In the Book of Judges, chapters 7 to 9, the Bible tells the story of Gideon and the 300 men chosen to fight an enemy army of 120,000 soldiers. The story recounts that, of the 32,000 men initially gathered, 22,000 chose to give up the fight and did so. Of the 10,000 that remained, God asked Gideon to test them, leaving only 300 men. The end of the story is the victory of these men in the war, using wisdom and divine instructions to protect God's people.
Júlia Cardoso, Children and Youth Ministries director for Southern Brazil, states that "Gideon's 300" are a group of missionary young people. "This group conducts Bible studies not in a revolutionary way, but in a very simple manner, using just a Bible and the Bible Study. Our idea was to have 300 teenagers in each association (headquarters that coordinates the church's activities in a certain geographic region), but now they are much more than 300 everywhere," reports Cardoso.
According to Cardoso, this generation of young people is indeed connected with God and concerned about their friends and peers. "They do want to populate heaven, and I praise God for this, for the awakening of the 300. Teenagers having class on a Sunday morning is nothing more than the Lord touching their hearts and them opening their hearts to the Holy Spirit. May God be praised even more for this missionary group that are 'Gideon's 300'," Cardoso exclaims.
Involved in the Mission
The "Gideon's 300" project began at 8 a.m. with check-in and material distribution. This was followed by moments of praise, worship, and training given by teachers and pastors on how to conduct Bible studies and bring the message of Jesus to new generations. After lunch, participants were free to enjoy recreational activities, such as games and swimming. The event concluded in the late afternoon.
Throughout the training, the teenagers showed commitment and focus, rarely being interrupted by side conversations or requests for silence. Their presence evidenced that they were there not just for fun, but to absorb all the shared information and knowledge.
Geovana dos Santos says she learned a lot from the training and hopes to fulfill the project's purpose, which is to bring the love of Christ to other people. "I had very high expectations for the training, and it has been very good and very blessed. I intend to give Bible studies to my school friends and hope to bring the love of Christ to them," said dos Santos.
Focus and Discipline
During the training, each teenager received a T-shirt with the project theme and a kit containing a Bible, a Bible Study, and a highlighter. This way, they could put into practice what they have learned. Through "Gideon's 300," the teenagers embark on a journey of spiritual and missionary transformation, determined to make a difference in their communities and beyond.
Vicente Alves says he came to the training "very eager to learn how to give Bible studies and look for someone who wants to learn more about the Bible." He already has family members in mind to put the content into practice with. He believes that this program would be one of the best he would experience year.
A Very Present Future
Cláudia Graeep, Children and Youth Ministries director at the North South-Rio-Grandense Union (ANSR) and the person responsible for implementing the project in northern Rio Grande do Sul, stated that the department has several projects, but that this year it intends to give "an even greater emphasis in equipping young people to give Bible studies and get involved in the local and even international mission."
Graeep emphasizes that "teenagers are often thought of as the future of the church, but today they are already a very present future, with the potential to go out and give Bible studies."
The original article was published on the South American Division's Portuguese news site.