Young people let their light shine in Canada

“I don’t know if you noticed, but we’re wearing the exact same T-shirt.” — “Wow, we should definitely be friends!” A picture on the Instagram account of the Pan-American Youth Summit 2024 illustrated with a wink that whenever two young people met on the grounds of Brock University in St. Catherines, Canada over the weekend, they would feel connected by their faith and the joy of being part of this event.

From 2–5 August 2024, nearly 1,000 young people from Australia, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, the USA, Germany, and Canada participated in this event. It was in the above order that a drone show presented the flags of the participating countries during the opening ceremonies. Amid enthusiastic applause, the drones also formed the emblem of the New Apostolic Church and the motto of the Youth Summit, namely “SHINE”.

Getting to know each other at the speed of light

The motto, which was based on Matthew 5: 16 (“Let your light so shine before men…”), was put into practice from the very first day. At the opening event, the young people worked together to build large towers out of cardboard, balloons, and lights that shone far into the approaching night.

Languages were no barrier. If necessary, the youth communicated with their hands and feet. It was easy to get to know other people, whether playing football or basketball or board games or computer games. And if any of the youth ever managed to lose their way on the large university campus, one of the many helpers wearing a SHINE hat would come along with a smile before they even realised there was a problem.

Learning how to shine together

In one of the workshops, the young people used a personality test to figure out how they could let their light shine in their congregations. And in order to be able to shine at all, one needs to be in good mental health. That was what the talk “Loving Yourself Enough to Never Give Up” was all about. Here the participants were asked to put their hands on their hearts and say, “I am worth it—I am enough”. “The love of God was palpable in a relaxed atmosphere and I felt a deep connection with all the participants. It all felt like true pastoral care,” said one of the participants.

More than just a glimmer of hope

The days began with yoga, morning devotionals or, for those who enjoy their sleep in, a typical Canadian breakfast. “When you spend the day together with people from all over the world and start the day with the Lord, you simply notice that the love is the same wherever you go,” said one of the young people enthusiastically.

Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider also came to Brock University over the weekend. He took the time to talk to the young people. What SHINE moments had he had in his life? After thinking about the question for a while, he stated that it wasn’t the big moments in his life that had left a lasting impact on him. Rather, it was his encounters with fellow believers who had to bear heavy burdens and yet did not give up. That had always motivated him to carry out his duties.

Shining can be loud or quiet

On Saturday evening, the agenda called for what it called a SHINE experience. For this event, the approximately 1,000 Youth Summit participants were carted to the nearby Central Community Church in yellow school buses. To start off, a video about the creation of the world set the mood for the young people. Suddenly, a number of brightly lit drums appeared in the dark hall. A band played some musical pieces, glowing balls bounced over the crowd, and Brandon Leake, one of the winners of “America’s Got Talent” in 2020, was welcomed with thunderous applause before going on to perform a Christian poem he had created. The young people also let off some of their energy by dancing and singing together.

By contrast, the candlelight vigil later in the evening on the university grounds was quieter and more contemplative. Over candlelight and music, the young people also took time to commemorate the departed.

A shining example

On Sunday, the young people met up once again in the Central Community Church for an evening service. With the band onstage, all the youth in the audience formed a single large choir. The only exceptions were special performances by the South American and German guests, who performed “Brillará” and “God’s Love, God’s Grace.” During the service, the Chief Apostle explained how to become like Jesus in order to radiate the love of God.

Afterwards, all the young people once again boarded their buses, this time to go to Niagara Falls, where a large light show with fireworks awaited them. Although it was not staged specifically for the Youth Summit, it almost felt as though it was, because wherever you looked, you would see young people with the same glowing bracelets and the same white T-shirts bearing the SHINE logo.