9 May 2019 | Kalamos, Greece [Claudio Gulyas]
A recent refurbishment of the Kalamos campsite in Greece means that even more children and youth from across the country, many of them in isolated communities, can build deep friendships and learn about God together.
Sometimes questions are easier than answers. Questions like: “How often should youth from across Greece get together?”, “How many events should we organise per year?”, “What is the budget?”, “Who will be the speaker?”, and “Who will organise the events?”
The answers come each year during the planning session – with the need for clear answers with specific figures and names. That is not easy for a small mission like Greece – but with our eyes turned heavenward, and with teamwork and careful planning, our choice is to make youth ministry a priority. As a result, we try to create as many opportunities as possible for our youth to gather together and unite in worship of our Saviour and fellowship with one another.
Kalamos campsite, owned by the Greek Adventist Mission property, has become the meeting point for these get-together conferences. Last year we were able to host the first spring event in cooperation with the Newbold students. That was such a spiritual blessing for our young people we decided to repeat the experience.
Between 19-23 of April more than 40 youth gathered from across Greece to discuss and explore what the “journey of faith” means in their lives. It had an effect:
Seventeen-year-old Vicky noted that “talking about those issues with my friends and people who love me helped me realise that I was growing spiritually. It helped me to take some important decisions that I should have taken long ago”.
Kostas added, “I learned a lot from our speaker, Pastor Zlatko. I really enjoyed worshiping our God with other young people. I enjoyed the whole congress, made new friends, reconnected with old ones, had good fun playing games and just hanging around together; it felt like we all reconnected and became even closer to one another. It was the best!”
Pastor Zlatko Musija, Trans-European Division Youth director, facilitated the discussions, helping youth map out their spiritual journey. His aim is that as young people leave the camp, their lives will continue to be filled with a love for God and for the people around them.
That has a real meaning for Anna. “We choose our friends according to what we have in common with them. Here we all have a common goal – to draw close to God and reach out to others.”
Greek youth have come to love Kalamos with the children’s and youth camps that run there each summer. The spiritual uplift the camps provide have helped generations of Adventist youth, especially those who come from small churches in remote locations.
A recent renovation supported by the Greek American Fellowship and the Trans-European Division now means the site can host events for up to 80 participants not just in the summer, but all year round.
Ana states, “The time we spend in Kalamos is unforgettable. This year we truly understood what it means to care for people around us. Also, it was very nice when we recorded a short video about friendship.”
SEE ALSO:
Newbold Students Lend a Helping Hand in Greece
Forest fire danger averted at Camp Kalamos, Greece
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, editor; Deana Stojkovic, associate editor
119 St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3EY, England
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tedNEWS is an information bulletin issued by the communication department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division.
