An "ambitious" youth satellite evangelistic program has given Seventh-day Adventist young adults in the South Pacific a renewed sense of identity, says one of the organizers, Pastor Gilbert Cangy.
An “ambitious” youth satellite evangelistic program has given Seventh-day Adventist young adults in the South Pacific a renewed sense of identity, says one of the organizers, Pastor Gilbert Cangy.
Reaching 13 countries and an average of some 25,000 viewers each night, the series of 10 live broadcasts was “the biggest youth evangelistic program in Seventh-day Adventist history,” says Ray Coombe, satellite ministries coordinator for the church in the region.
Organizers say the series, known as “REZ10,” aimed to encourage young people to be involved in “hands on” ministry through teams or groups of friends. The series began in Adelaide August 16 before traveling to Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane, where it ended August 31.
“The single main purpose of REZ10 was to get young people into groups where they can find and do ministry,” says Cangy, who is also associate youth leader for the Adventist Church in the South Pacific. “It was more than a show, it was a call to worship.”
Cangy says he will measure the success of REZ10 in two ways: the number of young adults recommitting their lives to Jesus, and the number of young adults joining the so-called “Underground”—a “Christ-centered small-group movement” that began in the South Pacific in early 2001.
“I confess, though, that the greatest blessing of REZ10 is an intangible one,” Cangy says. “It has helped our young adults feel proud of their church and their God. In an age of rugged individualism and of distrust in organizations, we’re seeing a sense of unity and purpose emerge in the Adventist Church.”