At home worldwide: the Church of tomorrow gathers

If you want to get a glimpse of the future, all you have to do is look at the youth. Following are three recent youth events on three different continents.

“You are not only the future of the Church, but you are also shaping the Church of tomorrow.” This is what Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider said at the youth convention in Australia in September 2013. “The Church of tomorrow will be like the circle of the youth today.”

Active in Europe

“Getting involved” was the idea behind the day of the youth in the south of Germany which took place this past Sunday in Stuttgart. It all started with vocal warm-ups for the entire congregation of 6,600 young people and ministers on Saturday. There would be no choir on Sunday: instead, everyone was invited to get involved and sing along. In preparation for the divine service the next day, there was a presentation of chat messages and emoticons by District Apostle Michael Ehrich. And in the afternoon there was an extensive programme: a sing-along event, various stage events, and a panel discussion spanning the generations.

Emotions in South-East Asia

“Having fun together” was the motto of a youth weekend on the island of Negros in the Philippines this past weekend. Some 300 young people came together. It started with a day at the beach and lots of games and sports. On Sunday the young people came together again—this time in the congregation of Hinobaan. District Apostle Urs Hebeisen stopped by. On the day before, he had dedicated the new church building of the Asia a Barrio congregation.

Cross-border youth convention in South America

The Bolivian-Argentinian youth convention in Cotoca in eastern Bolivia over the past weekend was all about fostering fellowship across borders. For three days, 120 young people from Bolivia met with 30 young people from the northern part of Argentina in Cotoca—the two countries share a border. There were numerous activities on such themes as photography, literature, psychology, dance, singing, and sports, as well as question time with District Apostle Raúl Montes de Oca. On Sunday, after the divine service, the Argentinian youth had to say goodbye, but not before extending an invitation to their Bolivian friends for the coming year.

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