The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) is preparing to mobilize young people for evangelism through a Friendship Camp, known as LIFE-Camp, a proposed division-wide initiative for summer 2027 designed to strengthen relationships, nurture faith and create opportunities for young people to encounter Jesus Christ.
The initiative, presented for approval during the division's year-end meetings, seeks to integrate youth camping with intentional evangelism and discipleship as part of OneVoice27, the global Adventist movement encouraging members and institutions to unite in sharing the hope of Jesus Christ.
Under the proposal, unions, missions, conferences and Adventist institutions across the division's 11-country territory would be encouraged to organize friendship camps that combine recreation, leadership development, spiritual nurture and opportunities for participants to explore the Christian faith.
Unlike conventional camping programs that primarily emphasize fellowship and outdoor activities, LIFE-Camp would intentionally create opportunities for Adventist young people to invite friends, build meaningful relationships and introduce them to Christ in a welcoming environment.
Friendship as a Pathway to Evangelism
The proposed initiative recognizes that friendship and personal relationships can help young people engage in meaningful conversations about faith.
Pastor Heshbon Buscato, SSD Youth Ministries director, is helping advance the division's emphasis on mobilizing young people as active participants in the church's mission.
"We want our young people to understand that evangelism does not always begin behind a pulpit. Sometimes, it begins with a friendship, a meaningful conversation or a simple invitation. Through LIFE-Camp, we want to create an environment where young people can experience genuine Christian friendship and discover the hope found in Jesus Christ."
The initiative seeks to encourage Adventist youth to become more intentional in reaching their friends while providing opportunities for those unfamiliar with the church to experience its community and explore biblical teachings.
Beyond the camping experience, the proposed approach would encourage local congregations to maintain relationships with participants through youth fellowship, small groups, Bible studies and other discipleship activities.
Ministries Unite to Support Youth Evangelism
LIFE-Camp is envisioned as a collaborative initiative involving Youth Ministries and other church departments and institutions.
Hope Channel's established role in OneVoice27 provides opportunities to support the initiative through Christ-centered media resources, digital storytelling and content that young people can share before, during and after camping activities.
The division's Nurture, Discipleship, Retention-Integrated Evangelism Lifestyle (NDR-IEL) Department also provides an important connection between evangelistic outreach and continued spiritual nurture.
Through coordination with local churches, NDR-IEL can help strengthen pathways for participants who express an interest in Bible studies, spiritual guidance and continued involvement in church activities.
Other ministries, including Communication, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries, Family Ministries, Children's Ministries and Adventist Education, can contribute through leadership development, mentoring, family engagement, spiritual resources and follow-up activities.
This integrated approach reflects the broader OneVoice27 strategy of connecting media outreach and personal relationships with local church involvement and discipleship.
"LIFE-Camp is not intended to be just another youth event. Our vision is to make every camp an opportunity for mission, where young people are equipped to reach their friends and where every meaningful connection can lead to continued spiritual growth. With the support of Hope Channel, NDR-IEL and our other ministries, we hope to build a pathway that extends beyond the camping experience."
Preparing Leaders for Effective Implementation
To ensure that participating fields are adequately prepared, the recommendation calls for extensive orientation programs and benchmark training initiatives, particularly in unions that require additional exposure to the LIFE-Camp approach.
These programs would equip youth leaders, camp directors, facilitators and local church volunteers to organize friendship-based evangelistic activities while maintaining consistent program quality.
Training would also emphasize the importance of intentional follow-up, helping local churches sustain relationships established during the camps.
By strengthening leadership preparation, the division seeks to make LIFE-Camp more than a seasonal activity and encourage congregations to integrate friendship evangelism into their continuing youth ministry programs.
Child Safety Remains a Central Priority
A significant provision of the proposal requires all LIFE-Camp activities, training programs and related events to comply strictly with the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Child Safety and Protection policies.
Participating organizations would be required to implement appropriate screening procedures, supervision, reporting mechanisms and safeguarding measures to protect children and young people from abuse, exploitation, misconduct and other forms of harm.
The requirements emphasize that spiritual development and evangelistic engagement must take place in a safe, nurturing and Christ-centered environment.
Preparing a Generation for Mission
The proposed LIFE-Camp initiative comes as the Adventist Church strengthens preparations for OneVoice27, which encourages members to use personal relationships, media and community engagement to introduce others to Jesus Christ.
For the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, the initiative presents an opportunity to connect the enthusiasm and creativity of young people with the church's broader evangelistic and discipleship objectives.
By integrating friendship camping with coordinated ministry support, leadership training and continued spiritual nurture, LIFE-Camp seeks to encourage young Adventists to recognize that sharing their faith can begin through everyday relationships.
As preparations for summer 2027 move forward, the initiative reinforces a central message of OneVoice27: Every member, including every young person, has a role in sharing the hope of Jesus Christ.