10 August 2024| Maruševec, Croatia [David Neal and Vanesa Pizzuto]
In August 2024, nearly 400 young people and 100 leaders converged on Maruševec, Croatia, for the second Trans-European Division (TED) Regional Youth Congress, themed “Withstand.” The event drew participants from across the TED, along with special guests from Canada, the USA, Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands. What set this congress apart? Participants and organisers highlight five compelling reasons…
1. Praise and Worship
The music at the congress was simply outstanding—both inspiring and engaging. This was no coincidence; hours of dedicated work went into this musical offering. Consider the example of Lana Tesin, Jakov Kovačević, and Andrija Kovačević, members of the praise and worship team,¹ who arrived two days before the Youth Congress for rehearsals. “We came here on Sunday and rehearsed for 11 hours on Monday,” shared Lana. “We’ve prepared roughly 40 songs, and we hope they will be remembered,” said Jakov. “How beautiful it is to worship God through singing together because the words and melody of these songs are so significant,” added Andrija, who sees this congress as pivotal for the church in Croatia. “Because we are a small church community in this country, seeing such a large number of youth together in this setting encourages us and the whole community. It reminds us that we belong to a worldwide church.”
“I completely agree,” shared a young lady from Macedonia, “I really appreciated the praise and worship songs!”
2. Excellent Preaching and Teaching
The week featured a mix of homegrown European preachers, including Danilo Puskas (Newbold College of Higher Education), Marcel Ghioalda (TED Youth and Public Campus Ministries director), László Szabó (Friedensau Adventist University), Martin Subatovics (a pastor serving in Latvia), and Dorothea Relić Macedo (a pastor serving in the Rijeka and Pula district, Croatia).
In addition to preaching, the teaching ministry was spread across six tracks: relationships, spiritual growth, mental health, mission, and practical Christianity. With a wide breadth of topics, from ‘Making Sense of Anger,’ and ‘Resilience Through Faith and Science,’ to ‘A Biblical Way to Control Your Thoughts and Emotions’ and ‘How To Use TikTok to Empower Others,’ this was an opportunity for participants to hear from experts in their fields, evangelists, college teachers, counsellors, and youth specialists.
“One of the workshops presented by Karen Holford, which I really appreciated,” shared a Congress participant, “was about how to create caring communities in local churches and within our local communities.” She continued, “It’s also worth mentioning that I really liked the atmosphere of this Congress, where everyone is incredibly kind to each other, and the gracious picture of God that was presented.”
3. Small Groups
“There is something special about small group ministry,” shared Dr László Szabó, “because one of the most meaningful ways to study the Bible, is in small groups. Because studying and sharing together creates community, it is a key value for this generation. As many small groups met outside across the campus under trees, a young person from Croatia commented, “I got closer to God while at Congress, and that’s what I consider the most important point of being here.”
4. Sports and Recreation
One aspect which makes the Maruševac campus special is its serene location and ample space. Space to play football in beautiful surroundings and a very pleasant climate for much of the year. It was all a matter of choice – to build up a sweat playing football, take a hike through fields and forests, or simply lounge under the trees leisurely contemplating the meaning of life. Talking with a group of Serbian ladies, one commented, “I very much like sports,” while another enjoyed the experience of “eating foods from different countries.”
5. Impact Activities
The impact activities included beautifying the school campus by painting 16 lampposts, delivering postcards in the community with an encouraging message of gratitude, and distributing 40 packages of food and essential items to people in need. A group of Croatian young men particularly enjoyed distributing food to the community in a nearby town. But they noted, “We liked distributing food in the community much more than the card distribution, because we could connect with people directly.
Bobo Marceta, (Croatian Conference president) shared, “This congress is primarily important for the church in Croatia because we are a small church community in this country, and when we see such a huge number of young people present here, that encourages us personally, the community, and it revives us, giving us a feeling that we are a part of one bigger world community.”
A Worthwhile Effort!
Zlatko Musija (President, Adriatic Union) feels “wonderfully proud to have the privilege of holding one of the first regional youth congresses at Maruševac.” He explained, “What brings us the biggest joy is seeing young people truly happy, communicating with each other, enjoying the Word of God, and participating in small groups, workshops, and the many activities on offer.”
“And it’s all about connection,” Musija continued. “Every youth congress helps young people stay connected with God and with each other because it allows them to dialogue, to ask questions, and find answers about the real issues and challenges they are experiencing. From a spiritual perspective, as church leaders, we are encouraging them to stay strong and resilient together with God and each other.”
Sticking Together and Having Faith in Jesus
Dragan Grujicic (president, South East European Union Conference) shared two key takeaways from the Congress. “First, the Congress was a great chance for young people from SEEUC to meet other Adventist believers from the region. It helped them see a bigger picture and strengthened their faith beyond their local church experiences.
And second, it showed them that sticking together and having faith in Jesus is the way to find hope and fulfilment in life.”
TED Youth Need Each Other
Reflecting on why youth congress is so important, Daniel Duda explained, “Knowing the mindset and dynamics of young people, five years between one TED congress and the next is too long. It’s a reality that if we wait five years for the next pan-European Congress, there will be many who will no longer be in the church.”
“And as you see from the comment shared by a congress participant,” reflected Duda, “for most TED youth, their local church and even Union experience is ‘small,’ which cannot create events that are attractive or representative enough to draw youth in.”
Duda also went on to commend the excellent leadership of the Adriatic Union Conference and South-East European Union Conference in their organisation of the congress, saying, “I am impressed with many aspects of this congress: the spirit in which both Unions came together to create this inspiring congress, the quality of the presenters, and the excellence of the worship.”
[Photos: David Neal, Vanesa Pizzuto and the Rise Up Youth Retreat Media Team].
Featured image: Rise Up Youth Retreat group photo taken after the 10 August sabbath worship service.
¹Praise and Worship team members: Andrija Kovačević, Jakov Kovačević, Karolina Kovačević, Lana Tesin, Chanel Hadžiefendić, Lidija Đidara, Petar Crnogorac, Filip Stojanović, and Davor Bratić.
