The Voice of Youth (VOY) is a preaching and teaching component of Adventist Youth Ministries. It is an initiative of the General Conference Youth Ministries Department designed to help young people proclaim the three angels’ messages in their local communities and provide them with the opportunities and resources needed to effectively make disciples for Jesus.

In keeping with this project, the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) launched its “Unstoppable” Voice of Youth Campaign in the Central and Southern Philippines. Unstoppable involved young people in mission, mobilizing over 14,280 youth, divided into 557 teams, to conduct public evangelism from March 18 to April 1, 2023. This evangelistic effort was organized and conducted by public college and university students, young adults, ambassadors, and Pathfinders. Together, with the Holy Spirit, the effort welcomed 8,119 new disciples to Jesus and the church.

Dr. Pako Mokgwane, associate director of Youth Ministries for the General Conference, was there to personally witness the zeal, dedication, and involvement of young people in the Central Philippine Union Conference (CPUC) and South Philippine Union Conference (SPUC). He heard the young people preach. He prayed for each team and visited and encouraged them to continue fulfilling the Gospel commission.

“I return to the office with a full heart and excitement about what God is doing through young people in SSD and the ability of youth directors to mobilize young people to go. My interactions with the young people, conference leaders, institutional leaders, and church members have left deep impressions on me. It is indelibly clear to me that the youth will finish this work and that leaders are happy to give them the finances, space, and time to use their gifts to win souls. No doubt, the youth are more than ready to be sent as arrows to [light] the [world] with the three angels’ messages," Mokgwane exclaimed.

Keith Nemenzo, one of the youth speakers in the Central Philippines, testified, “Being one of the speakers of the VOY effort in their target community, I feel privileged to be the mouthpiece of our living God.” He also invited others to do the same. He appealed, “To all the young people, let us continue making ourselves available [to do] God’s work until His glorious appearing.”

Lester Eldan, one of the thousands who accepted Jesus and was baptized, shared his joy in a video testimony. With teary eyes and sobbing voice, he stated, “Honestly, I am very thankful for this very moment, wherein I have accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I could hardly express it because of the joy of having God in my life. To those who conducted this evangelistic effort, thank you so much. On behalf of those who have accepted the good news, I thank you and I thank God so much who worked in me, through the Holy Spirit, that I may be His new creature, a part of the work of serving the Lord.”

Pastor Von John Sanchez, CPUC Youth director, and Pastor Jemsly Lantaya, SPUC Youth director, together with their counterparts and the VOY team members will continue to nurture, disciple, and assimilate them to the church through the Christian Life Cycle (CLC). CLC involves four cycles: (1) Bring the people to Jesus, (2) Build them up through God’s Word and other spiritual disciplines, (3) Train them how to serve using their spiritual gifts, and (4) Send them out to fulfill the Gospel commission. This nurturing aspect of newly baptized people is an integral part of the Voice of Youth program. The SSD envisions Exponential Advancement through Nurturing and Discipleship (EXPAND). Here are a few facts about the most recent Voice of Youth projects:

1. Voice of Youth Unstoppable 2023 is part of the Quinquennial I Will Go initiative of SSD Adventist Youth Ministries.

2. The 2021 Voice of Youth initiative, “IGNITE 2021,” involved 939 prayer networks, 1,006 VOY teams, and 12,072 young people and resulted in 10,586 Baptisms.

3. Voice of Youth EXPAND 2022 mobilized 1,581 prayer networks, 1,234 VOY teams, and 34,420 young people, which led 23,207 new disciples to baptism. 

Through this loving effort of young people, the SSD gives the glory to God, who has called and empowered His young people to witness for Jesus. Adventist Youth Ministries also expresses its deep appreciation for the financial support that came from all levels of the church organization: local churches, missions/conferences, unions, division, and the General Conference.

The original version of this story was posted on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division website.