20 November 2024 | Budva, Montenegro [Vanesa Pizzuto]
Young creatives took centre stage at GAiN Europe 2024, captivating over 280 global church leaders with their fresh approaches to sharing the Gospel online. During the Sunday afternoon programme, these digital pioneers showcased how they are using social media and other innovative methods to spread hope in the digital world.
Through the “Young Creatives Competition”, the Trans-European (TED) and Inter-European Divisions (EUD) sponsored eight inspiring young influencers to attend GAiN Europe and share their journeys with church leaders from more than 42 countries. Recognising that media conferences can be cost-prohibitive for younger influencers and media enthusiasts, TED and EUD established a special fund to support their participation. Applicants were invited to submit two-minute videos detailing their creative strategies for sharing the Gospel on social media. The most inspiring submissions were selected, granting these young creatives an all-expenses-paid opportunity to attend GAiN Europe, bring their innovative insights to a wider audience, and network with other professionals.
This year’s Young Creatives are…
Liubov Zamorska, a 25-year-old Ukrainian (now living in Poland), captivated the audience with her augmented reality books, designed to let young readers use their phones to access vivid animations of Daniel’s statue or the inside of Noah’s ark. “Augmented reality provides a more engaging and immersive experience,” explained Zamorska, who is a graphic designer and illustrator. “As soon as [readers] point their phone camera at a page, they witness something amazing. Augmented reality brings Bible stories back to life right before their eyes!”
Zamorska, who recently opened a TikTok account, is using the platform to share the Gospel, and one of her videos already has 25,000 views. “How many years would it take me to reach this many people personally?” reflected Zamorska, encouraging attendees to use social media to reach the hearts of millions.
Ryan Daly, a 24-year-old from England and an award-winning filmmaker, shared how he is using his social media and editing skills to create reels for his local Croydon, London church (both for TikTok and Instagram). Thanks to his work, they now have over 62,000 followers in their TikTok account, and their most viewed video has more than 3 million views on Instagram.
Nemanja Jurišić and Miljan Dukič, from Serbia and Montenegro, introduced their new YouTube channel “NT Podcast”. The channel, created in 2023, already has close to 7,000 followers. In NT Podcast, Jurišić, a 27-year-old student of Microcomputer Electronics, and Dukič, a 24-year-old Biotechnology student, explore the connections between science and religion. They interview Bible scholars and scientists to explore various topics like archaeology, creationism, health, and more. The duo, who held their own creation seminar, translated into Serbian the book “Creation? Really? A Conversation” by Leonard Brand to help people better understand the Bible and to bring “Biblical values and God closer to people.”
Timi Bahun, a 21-year-old from Slovenia, currently studying Business and Management, shared how he decided to start using his personal social media accounts (TikTok and Instagram) to share the Gospel, rather than for his “personal gain.” Bahun says that the content he creates is based on “Bible verses that have helped me or uplifted me… because I believe they will also resonate with other young people on social media.” Bahun has received positive feedback from people watching his videos, with some saying his videos were “an answer to prayer.”
Elisa Ghiuzan, who recently finished her Theology studies at Villa Aurora University, decided to use social media to share the Gospel. When she felt called to do this, she started reading books like “The Gospel According to TikTok” to learn the best way to speak to younger people. “I cannot expect people to understand me if I use a language they don’t speak,” she shared, explaining how she developed an authentic way to communicate online.
Viktoriia Levina, a young creative from Ukraine, received recognition in absentia for her children’s book project, as she was unable to attend GAiN Europe.
Erik Hook, an animator and video game producer from Spain, shared his project last. Hook is the founder of 3:16, an animation and video game production company aimed at supporting Christian initiatives. Hook is currently working on 3D animation films for children and shared stunning trailers from his latest productions, a Pathfinder-based story “Universal Club” and his nativity story “Crown of Life”, which inspired the audience.
Empowering Innovation
“The Young Creatives initiative represents a significant step towards a crucial goal: involving church members in the digital mission,” said Paulo Macedo, EUD Communication Director. “These digital natives demonstrated the creativity and breadth of their mission in action,” he concluded.
“You know what I love about this group of digital missionaries?” asked David Neal, TED Communication director. “Three things: firstly, they have a heart for the gospel. Secondly, they use their imagination to connect with people and thirdly, they get it big time – that we only connect with people when we speak their language!”
As these young digital missionaries demonstrated on stage, the Gospel message can reach hearts in transformative ways when creativity and courage are welcomed, and when there are deliberate and mindful efforts to foster inclusivity.
[Photos: Adventist Media Exchange, Nikolay Stoykov and Tor Tjeransen]
Video: Liubov Zamorska
Featured image, left to right: Paulo Macedo (EUD Communication director), Erik Hook, Ryan Daly, Timi Bahun, Vanesa Pizzuto (TED Communication Associate director), Elisa Ghiuzan, Nemanja Jurisic, Miljan Dukic, and David Neal (TED Communication director).
