A youth-led Literature Ministry initiative that began in Australia is now expanding into the Pacific, with plans underway to launch the first-ever Youth Rush programs in Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

Three Youth Rush leaders from Australia and one from New Zealand will travel to the Pacific in May to work alongside local mission youth directors and Literature Ministry leaders. Their goal is to provide training in each territory, laying groundwork ahead of the Trans Pacific for Christ campaigns.

Brenton Lowe, Literature Ministry coordinator for Australia and New Zealand, said the training will model what Youth Rush looks like while equipping local leaders.

“The idea is to prepare the way for Trans Pacific for Christ as well as leaving the young people out there better equipped to continue Youth Rush in the future.”

Lowe said Youth Rush also provides a practical pathway for young people who may not yet feel ready to serve as presenters during Trans Pacific for Christ.

“Youth Rush gives them a powerful way to be involved,” he said. “When baptisms happen later and they see the photos, they can say, ‘I played a part in that.’”

Launched in Australia in 2021 with just three conferences and about 20 participants, Youth Rush has grown rapidly. Last year, 211 young people across Australia and New Zealand were involved.

While organizers acknowledge that the Pacific context will require adaptation, including working closely with local leaders and respecting village protocols, they believe the model will translate well.

“We’ll assess it when we get there and be guided by the local leaders.  We need to find what works in their culture,” Lowe said. “I think we’ll find that young people everywhere respond the same way: they thrive when they work together.”

Beyond TPUM for Christ, the long-term vision is to leave Pacific youth better equipped to continue Youth Rush independently.

“The hope,” Lowe said, “is that along the way, young people will experience for themselves how life-changing it is to serve and help others.”

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.