On March 9, 2024, more than 70 people gathered at Guntersville State Park for a day of youth and young adult revival under the theme, "Ignite." It was remarkable to witness both English and Spanish-speaking churches from the Guntersville and Rainsville Seventh-day Adventist Church Districts, and Fort Payne, Guntersville's Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church District, come together to serve their young people.
According to Pr. Agnes Lucas and Pr. Jose Lache, organizers of the event and pastors of the represented churches, planning for the event began in November 2023 with a focus on discovering ways to engage 2nd and 3rd generation Seventh-day Adventist young adults and teens. “Today is the result of what we have been working on for months. We appreciate the help we have received from our churches and the conference. This is the future of our church, and our future is today,” said Pr. Lache, pastor of the Guntersville and Fort Payne Districts.
This gathering included inspiring worship from the United in Christ worship team (Chattanooga, TN), biblical reflection time, breakout discussion groups, a questions and answers panel and ample time for networking and connecting. The location was awe-inspiring and provided a retreat-like environment. The Gathering Place is situated on a beautiful, serene lake where participants spent quality time in nature with God and each other.
This gathering was also part of a new emphasis in the Young Adult Ministries. This emphasis aims to provide support in planning, funding and supporting young adult-related events throughout the Conference. “God is moving in the Gulf States Conference, and we know that Jesus is coming soon. We understand the dire necessity to fully invest in our young adults, not tomorrow, but right now. This is not a time to measure efforts but to use every available resource at our disposal to serve this generation,” said Pastor Marcelo, speaker and Young Adult Ministries director.
Ignite provided a place for young people to strengthen their relationship with God and to bring this newfound passion back home. “Though we are different churches, we live in the same area. It is good to have these moments to engage and interact with our young people. God has been glorified here in this place,” Pastor Agnes Lucas.