The Seventh-day Adventist Church must tap the potential of its youth, says Baraka Muganda, youth director for the Adventist Church worldwide. “Over 75 percent of the Adventist Church is under 30,” said Muganda at an international youth leaders’ conference in Brazil last week. “That statistic alone demonstrates the incredible opportunity for the Church to make a real impact on this world. With 400 youth leader delegates from 80 countries, this event has made it possible to chart the course for youth leadership in the Church for the next five years.”

In response to the growing challenge of meeting the needs of youth, Adventist young people and leaders met in Aguas de Lindoia, Brazil, March 22 to 31.  The event brought together the Church’s top leaders in youth ministry for ten days of intensive training and sharing, says Muganda.

“We’re looking at the global needs, and shaping the future of youth ministry under the theme ‘Salvation and Service,’ he adds. “We want youth to take the lead in fulfilling the Church’s mission of sharing the good news all around the world. It’s very evident from our time here in Brazil that leaders and youth definitely have ownership of the program.”

The conference met and exceeded its three primary objectives, says Robert Holbrook, associate youth director and one of the principal planners of the event.

“We wanted to provide training, give direction and focus in youth ministry, and develop a world-wide network of youth leadership,” he explains. “That’s all happened, and in ways beyond our expectations. Through workshops, worship, and participants simply working together, this has been a great experience, achieved in a superb facility at minimal expense.”

Regional youth director Clive Dottin, based in Trinidad, commented that for him the spiritual aspect of togetherness was most significant.

“I met daily with a group of other youth leaders from all over the world,” Dottin said. “We prayed together, we shared our ideas and concerns in youth ministry so that we felt a strong mutual bond. This conference made it possible to achieve what would be so hard any other way.”

The conference also worked extensively on youth strategic planning, developing several plans, and voting resolutions to ensure targeted progress for the future of youth ministry in the Adventist Church.