6 August 2026 | Valencia, Spain [Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]
Made for More.
It took just a few seconds for main speaker Ivana Mendez to erase all traces of novelty from the theme selected for the 2026 European Adventist Youth Congress in Valencia, Spain, on August 5.
Made for More? Hardly an original phrase, she said, as a quick internet search leads us to companies and ads that zero in on precisely that idea. You, whoever and wherever you are, were made for something more, something you’re lacking now (but that you could presumably acquire if you do this or that or purchase this or that product).
“You didn’t need to come to Valencia to listen to the message that you were made for more,” Mendez said. The question, however, is “What is that ‘more’?” she asked. That’s the key of the matter.
In the following half hour and based on the Bible story of God’s call to Abraham, Mendez sought to explain what that ‘more’ is and what is important for everyone—especially young people—to never settle for less.
Belonging to God, No Matter What
The 2026 European Adventist Youth Congress gathered almost 3,500 participants from around 50 countries for five days of spiritual reflections, active discussions, and social, art, and sports activities in and around Valencia. Participants sang, prayed, and studied the Bible together, as they got to know other young people with similar interests, dreams, and goals.
The opening night program on August 4 welcomed participants to Valencia and Spain with a cultural program, congregational singing and moments of reflection and prayer. The evening’s main speaker, Damian Chandler, a pastor and marriage and family therapist serving in the U.S., led participants to accept that God is inviting them to the table because every one of His children “is still His” no matter what.
Based on Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep and His experience as a husband and father of three, Chandler emphasised that God does not forget His sheep, because “we are His no matter what.” He explained, “A shepherd didn’t just visit His sheep—He lived with them…. It was a relationship…. He was willing to risk His life for His sheep.” And a good shepherd knew where one of His sheep was missing.
In the same way, “God knows us individually,” Chandler said. “And He knows when one of His sheep is missing.” So, he added, “I pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, that when He calls your name, you will come running.”
Personal and Collective Growth
During the event, participants were able to choose from dozens of workshops on topics related to theology, faith and science, relationships, and witnessing. They could also attend other workshops connected with creativity as a way to express faith, use of technology for growth and mission, and discipleship.
For the 2026 gathering, organisers also added a Masterclass category, where “some of Europe’s best theology teachers” will teach “their very best class” during the event. These classes “are an opportunity to explore Scripture in greater depth,” organisers said, “and discover what studying theology is really like.”
All in all, plenaries, workshops and activities reinforced the idea that every one of us was made for more, especially in the light of God’s plan for our individual lives and His calling on each one of us to follow His will.
Made for More, According to God
On August 5, Mendez reminded thousands of participants that as God showed Abraham after calling the patriarch, He is a faithful God who fulfils what He promises. “What God offered to Abraham and is offering to us is unique—a covenantal relationship with Him, of which He alone is the guarantor…. No other god that is out there is offering anything like this.”
Mendez explained that “God is offering Abraham a long-term plan instead of immediate satisfaction.” But “you will never understand it unless you go through the whole Bible.”
It is something that implies understanding God’s plan of redemption, which includes the Creation story, the Fall, and the Solution to the broken relationship. “God sent His son so He could achieve the most significant victory,” she reminded young people. It also includes God’s Church, “a group of followers who are to proclaim that the blessings are for all nations.” Then, there’s Judgement, when God will proclaim what is right and what is wrong. Finally, the New Creation, because “as it was good at the beginning, so it shall be at the very end,” Mendez said. “This is what you must know from your Bible…. This is our story.”
In that sense, Mendez called every participant to remember that before “the abundance of offerings of more, please choose wisely. Choose well.” This is the ‘more’ that God is offering each one of us, she said. “Never settle for anything less than this.”
[Photos: Marcos Paseggi]
