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The Voice of Youth (VOY) is a preaching and teaching ministry of Adventist Youth Ministries. It is an initiative of the General Conference Youth Ministries Department and is designed to help young people proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages in their local communities and to provide them with the opportunities and resources needed to effectively make disciples for Jesus. In keeping with this project, the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) launched their “Unstoppable” Voice of Youth Campaign in the central and south Philippines areas to run March 18 – April 1, 2023.

Unstoppable involved young people in mission and mobilized over 14,280 young persons, divided into 557 teams, to conduct public evangelism in the central and south Philippines from March 18-April 1, 2023. This evangelistic efforts organized and conducted by students in public campuses, young adults, ambassadors and Pathfinders. Together, with the Holy Spirit, the effort welcomed 8,119 new disciples to Jesus and to the church. 

Dr. Pako Mokgwane, Associate Youth Ministries Director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was there to personally witness the zeal, dedication, and involvement of the young people in Central Philippine Union Conference (CPUC) and South Philippine Union Conference (SPUC). He heard the young people preach. He prayed for each team visited and encouraged them to continue fulfilling the gospel commission. In his own words, “I return to the office with a full heart and excitement about what God is doing through young people in SSD and the ability of Youth Directors to mobilize young people to ‘go.’ My interactions with the young people,

"Conference leaders, institutional leaders and church members have left deep impressions on me. It is indelibly clear to me that the youth will finish this work and that leaders are happy to give them the finances, space and time to use their gifts to win souls. No doubt, the youth are more than ready to be sent as arrows to burn the veld with the Three Angels’ Messages," Mokgwane added.

Keith Nemenzo, one of the youth speakers in central Philippines testified that “Being one of the speakers of the VOY effort in their target community, he felt privileged to be the mouthpiece of our living God.” He also invited others to do the same. He appealed, “To all the young people, let us continue making ourselves available [to do] God’s work until His glorious appearing.”

Lester Eldan, one of the thousands who accepted Jesus and was baptized, shared his joy in a video testimony. With teary eyes and sobbing voice, he stated, “Honestly, I am very thankful for this very moment, wherein I have accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I could hardly express it because of the joy of having God in my life. To those who conducted this evangelistic effort, thank you so much. On behalf of those who have accepted the good news I thank you and I thank God so much who worked in me, through the Holy Spirit, that I may be His new creature, a part of the work of serving the LORD.”

Pastor Von John Sanchez, CPUC Youth Director, and Pastor Jemsly Lantaya, SPUC Youth Director, together with their counterparts and the VOY team members will continue to nurture, disciple, and assimilate them to the church through the Christian Life Cycle (CLC). CLC involves four cycles: (1) Bring the people to Jesus, (2) Build them up through God’s Word and other spiritual disciplines, (3) Train them how to serve using their spiritual gifts, and (4) Send them out to fulfill the gospel commission. This nurturing aspect of newly baptized is an integral part of the Voice of Youth program. The Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD)  envisions Exponential Advancement through Nurturing and Discipleship (EXPAND). Here are a few facts about the most recent Voice of Youth projects.

1.    Voice of Youth Unstoppable 2023 is part of the Quinquennial I Will Go initiative of SSD Adventist Youth Ministries. 
2.    The 2021 Voice of Youth initiative, “IGNITE 2021” involved 939 Prayer Networks, 1,006 VOY Teams, 12,072 Young People, and resulted in 10,586 Baptisms.
3.    Voice of Youth EXPAND 2022 mobilized 1,581 Prayer Networks, 1,234 VOY Teams, 34,420 Young People, which led 23,207 new disciples for baptisms. 

Through this loving effort of young people, SSD brings back the glory to God who has called and empowered its young people to witness for Jesus. The Advent Youth Ministries also expresses its deep appreciation for the financial support that came from all levels of the church organization: local churches, missions/conferences, unions, division, and the General Conference. 

Dr. Petornio Genebago, SSD Youth Director