July-September
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
Is it possible to experience heaven already here on earth? And if so, in what ways? This summer, young people from around the world had the opportunity to explore the answers to these questions. The International Youth Convention 2024 took place in southern Poland in the heart of the Silesian Beskids in a beautiful, picturesque mountain town called Wisla. The location of the hotels and the rented hall allowed participants to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation every day. We were surrounded not only by mountains, but also by meadows and forests—and a river flowed nearby. Isolation from the city center helped us better focus on the conference theme “Heaven on Earth.”
Among the more than 340 participants, there were young people from 34 different countries. We are grateful to God for each person who was able to attend the conference and study the Word of God with us. We know that many people had to travel a long distance, and to sacrifice their money and free time to participate in the program, so we are sure that with God’s help all this effort will be rewarded—and the blessings of participating in this event will be long-lasting. We are also grateful for the dedication of our sisters from Poland and Ukraine, who cooked delicious meals for us throughout the week.
Our main speakers were Brother Pastor Liviu Tudoroiu, John Baer and Adrian Finaru. Each of them presented in a different way how heaven on earth can be an experience for every one of us. We studied the issue in terms of prophecy, history, health and our daily lives. Through this we discovered the way how to represent Jesus in this earthly life. During the Q&A (Questions and Answers) session, conference participants also had the opportunity to learn the answers to their questions about Christian living, how to prepare for baptism or how to start a relationship. It was a very interesting and inspiring time.
Both morning and evening services were led by young people coming from different countries and continents. However, each of these young people had in common the desire to share the word of God and seek ways to become more like Christ. It was a moment in which the youth could actively participate in the program.
This was the first time such a conference was held in Poland, and it was an opportunity for many people to visit the country and learn about its culture and history. On Wednesday, July 31, there was a trip to Auschwithz-Birkenau and to Krakow. Auschwitz has gone down in history as hell on earth. It is a museum commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust and the mass extermination of other peoples during World War II by the Third Reich. Visiting the largest German Nazi concentration camp could help many young people realize how terrible and cruel the world is when it lacks principles based on love for God and our neighbor. This is because all the rules in the camp were a “reversed decalogue.” This sad history lesson could make us realize how grateful to God we can be for our lives and that we should take advantage of the time of peace when we can share and keep our faith with others without danger.
Later in the day, conference participants had the opportunity to visit the former capital of Poland, Krakow. On the way back, our bus drivers asked many spiritual questions about the conference as well as about our denomination. It was another opportunity God gave us to tell about our church and to share the Gospel.
A trip to the mountains took place on Friday, August 2. The youth once again had a chance to get to know each other better, to integrate and have edifying conversations in nature. The beauty of God’s creation and the number of young people ready to serve God were extremely inspiring and made many people better understand what Heaven on Earth means and how this heavenly atmosphere can positively affect our lives.
Each day the platform was filled with instrumentalists who accompanied the songs presented by the congregation.
In many ways it was one of the most musical youth conferences in Europe in recent years. In just a few days we were able to form a string orchestra, a brass orchestra and a choir. Each day, with their singing and playing of instruments, various international groups, duos and ensembles praised God and brought our hearts closer to Him. It is worth mentioning that one of these groups was the female vocal ensemble from Moldova known as Re-Voice, which several times graced the time of lectures and services with its singing.
We decided that we wanted to share the music performed with people outside the church who live in this region of Poland. On Sabbath afternoon we organized a concert to which a great number of visitors came. It was a wonderful time, full of blessings because we were able to share the gospel and our faith with others through music. Among the performers was the international choir prepared by Brother Isaac Terceros. The songs sung by the choir, “People Need the Lord” and “By Faith,” are available for viewing on the Church’s Polish YouTube channel (Sdarm Poland) and are still a wonderful tool in reaching out to people from other religious communities in Poland.
We believe that every moment spent in the lectures and other parts of the program brought people closer to our Heavenly Father and inspired them to continue creating Heaven here on Earth. We are also glad that this convention strengthened the church in Poland and helped spread the gospel in this part of the world.
We encourage all young people to attend more International Youth Conventions that will take place in other countries in the future. May God bless us and help us to develop His work!