Kenneth Martinez

“Both my churches are big on community, since they are young,” shared Martinez. “Young adults crave Jesus, even if they don’t know it. They crave community, purpose, hope, impacting their community; Jesus is the way to all those.”

“Young adults and youth have been taught to love values such as inclusion, diversity, social justice and authenticity,” he continued. “To the extent our local ministries can inform or leverage such values, young adults will find familiarity in the church.”

“Doing effective ministry for young adults is not so much about being creative and innovative,” said Martinez. “Instead, it’s about getting out of the way, and letting them come to Christ unhindered, coming to Christ in their context, cultural milieu and generation-specific form.”

Young adults are not only the future of the Adventist Church, they are also the present. Providing young people with a safe space to grow in ministry and connect with others will help them build a longlasting relationship with the church and additionally assist in the guarantee of the church’s longevity.

These six Northwest young people are prime examples of what can happen if young Adventists are given the opportunities and guidance to grow in ministry. By providing a young adult with a chance to lead, other young adults will follow, in turn building and enriching the church community.

MAKENA HORTON North Pacific Union assistant communication director and Gleaner managing editor