Young people in the United States have been involved in a major outreach project for five years. Every summer, high school and college-aged youth concentrate on one metropolitan area, going door-to-door and holding evening meetings for several weeks.

“Youth for Jesus” was the idea of Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries, an organization of Adventist lay men and women who provide support for church programs from their businesses or outreach ministries. The Youth for Jesus program, held in conjunction with the annual ASI Convention, focused on reaching the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, this year.

Two organizations partnered with ASI: A team from the Adventist-run Mission College of Evangelism began in January in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe metropolitan areas, introducing people to Christianity and following up Bible study leads. In April, two teams from the Amazing Facts School of Evangelism, a branch of this well-known media ministry, established a program with church members to reach into New Mexico communities. More than 300,000 pamphlets were mailed to Albuquerque residents, inviting people to study the Bible and attend the meetings to be held in the summer. This year the Youth for Jesus program expanded to include 10 sites in these areas.

“I’m addicted to knocking on doors. It’s the best thing in my life,” says Jacob Gibbs, a Youth for Jesus participant. “I swapped doing drugs for knocking on doors and finding people.”

In July, 40 young people from all over the United States, as well as from several other countries, arrived in New Mexico. By day, they attended classes in evangelism and knocked on doors, introducing people to the Bible and Jesus Christ. In the evenings, they held programs for people who showed interest in learning more about the Bible.

“This ASI Youth for Jesus program has been the biggest blessing of my life,” says Jonathan Miller, a 16-year-old from Collegedale, Tennessee. “I have learned two important things: prayer is the basis for the presence of the Holy Spirit; and the Bible has an answer for every human question.”

“I just felt God’s power in me and I just thank God I was able to hide behind the cross and share His message with people who are searching for Him,” says Stephanie Jaeger, a Youth for Jesus participant and one of the speakers for the evangelism programs.

“Sometimes they are a little nervous because they have not made public calls before,” says Louis Torres, ASI evangelism director. “I sit down with them and go over what they need to do. For some, it is their first time speaking.”

Fifteen-year-old Sara Santos, one of the youngest participants this year, says, “I’m thankful that God is so willing to teach me His way instead of letting me waddle in mine. My job is to follow what God wants me to do [and] having confidence that He will do the rest.”

“It has been really inspiring to come and watch these young people,” says Debbie Young, ASI president. “Their enthusiasm, their energy, their commitment in service is just amazing. They have such devotion and passion about what they are doing. It’s a real lesson for all of us that if we put our hands in the hand of God, there isn’t anything that we can’t accomplish.”

“So many times we think that God is asking us to give up everything that we dream or hope for,” says another. “But so often all He’s asking for us to do is make a decision to set aside our plans and work for Him and give Him our hearts and our lives and our great aspirations we may have. And in so doing, many times God will give them back to us and give us those same dreams that we had and turn them into something a hundredfold greater than what we would have had ourselves.”

The Youth for Jesus program concluded Aug. 7 during the ASI Convention in Albuquerque. Several hundred people were introduced to the Adventist Church for the first time.

With the New Mexico outreach behind them, attention is now being turned to Cincinnati, Ohio, where next year’s ASI Convention will once again be preceded by a Youth for Jesus program. Past sites include Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Orlando, Florida.