A Launching Pad for Transforming Lives

Catalyst is an exciting opportunity available to Seventh-day Adventist young people and others searching for their purpose that will change the trajectory of their life, South Pacific Division leaders recently shared.

Those who wish to participate will now have a chance to step back from everything, tune out to all the distractions and noise of life, and simply focus on Jesus and His plans for them.

And they won’t be doing it alone — walking alongside them will be a team of international and local educators and presenters who will make it an unforgettable and enriching experience.

Heading up the program is Gilbert Cangy, who has spent the past four decades leading youth and ministry for the Adventist Church in Australia and abroad, including at the General Conference.

“We are really excited about this program, which we’ve called Catalyst — we believe it will be the launching pad for changing many young people’s lives and engaging them in the life and mission of the church,” he said.

“It is an immersive experience, beginning with a week in the wilderness — a week of adventure, team building, and self-discovery focused on exploring the foundations of discipleship as Jesus modelled it and experiencing genuine and purposeful community.”

The participants will then head to Avondale University with a continued emphasis on immersive and exploratory learning opportunities designed to foster a genuine relationship with Jesus, a deep understanding of the Scriptures, the development of Christian history, and the uniqueness of the Adventist message. 

Catalyst is an initiative of the new South Pacific Division Centre for Discipleship. The first group of participants starts in August, with the program running for three months. A modular version that will be taken to local conferences is also being developed.

“We believe Catalyst will see the emergence of a new culture of engagement for our young people in the church, so they are equipped and empowered to take their place at the center of the life and mission of the church,” Cangy said.

“With their new skills and mission focus, the young people will have a deeper sense of who they are, their identity in Jesus, and what discipleship is. They will be equipped to serve in leadership roles and contribute to the ministry goals of their local church. 

“They will be a huge asset to growing our local churches and church plants — this is a tangible way to future-proof our church.”

Local churches and individuals will have an opportunity to share in the Catalyst journey by participating in the “Adopt a Disciple” campaign — sponsoring young people to attend the program.

“This type of mentoring and equipping of young people is in the DNA of the Adventist Church,” Cangy said. “In the past, they would attend Avondale for a year and return to their local churches, going on to serve as elders and in other senior leadership roles. They made an incredible contribution to their churches.”

The original version of this story was posted on Pacific Record.