17 December 2025 | Pravets, Bulgaria [Patricija Oberte with tedNEWS]
The annual GAiN Europe conference brought together more than 250 communication, media and IT leaders from 37 countries in Pravets, Bulgaria, from 12 to 16 November. The event also highlighted the growing role of young professionals, with 65 participants under the age of 35, reflecting their increasing involvement within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many of them serve as department directors, associate directors and social media managers.
During the event, these young professionals gathered on several occasions to worship, fellowship and spend time together. For Daniel Daoud, Hope Channel Manager for the Swedish Union of Churches Conference, these moments offered a space of understanding and mutual support. He said it was “a nice place to meet people that think like you and understand you”, adding that being at similar stages of life made it easier to relate to one another and exchange advice. He also noted the value of having “a group of friends to relax and have fun with after a long day of intense meetings”.
Evenings during GAiN Europe were spent together in varied and informal ways, strengthening relationships beyond the meeting rooms. Fellowship games helped participants get to know one another, while the game, Catch Canaan, quickly became a favourite and created an energetic atmosphere.
Sabbath morning marked a more reflective moment for the group, as young participants gathered for an impromptu Sabbath School discussion based on the book of Joshua. For Priscyla Luz, a contracted research assistant in the Department of Analytics and Innovation at Hope Channel International, the experience reflected the unity found within the group despite cultural differences. She described the youth group as “a place where I can feel connected with people from around the world”, noting that although participants came from different countries, cultures and languages, they were united by the shared purpose of “sharing Jesus with the world”.
Several returning participants highlighted how the youth group deepened the overall GAiN Europe experience. Reneta Pirindzhieva, a media technician for Hope Channel Bulgaria and attending the event for the third time, said the youth group made it “much more enjoyable”, as it provided a safe environment to talk openly about church life and possible ways to reach people of their own generation. She described the group as “a small family that grows with each event”, where participants felt free to be themselves and where newcomers were always welcomed.
The sense of encouragement and mutual support was also emphasised by Marti Szydłowska, a social media specialist for Hope Media Poland, who said that spending time with the youth group was “such a blessing”. She explained that sharing daily moments of conversation, laughter and prayer helped participants recharge and reminded them that they were not alone in their struggles. Being part of a group, she said, offered the encouragement needed “to keep moving forward and serving God”.
[Photos: Nikolay Stoykov / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0) and Patricija Oberte]
