{"id":16918,"date":"2023-12-13T15:01:22","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T15:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/?p=16918"},"modified":"2023-12-15T12:26:37","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T12:26:37","slug":"winter-warmth-and-spiritual-glow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/winter-warmth-and-spiritual-glow\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Warmth and Spiritual Glow"},"content":{"rendered":"

03 December 2023| Tampere, Finland [Tiina Keronen with\u00a0<\/em>tedNEWS<\/em>]<\/p>\n

The trees are draped in snow, and the temperature lingers at minus ten degrees outside. Despite the chill nipping at our fingers, the atmosphere at Tampere Christian School in Finland radiates warmth, filled with smiling faces and joyful reunions. What’s it all about? It\u2019s the annual young adult event, themed “Journeying with Jesus,\u201d bringing together approximately 150 young adults from across Finland and neighbouring countries, held 1-3 December 2023.<\/p>\n

Dejan Stojkovic, Trans-European Division (TED) Youth Director, was the guest speaker. Emphasising the importance of maintaining good relationships with each other, Stojkovic, in his opening presentation, highlighted that church membership could nearly double if conflicts between members were addressed before people walked away. During Sabbath worship, Stojkovic urged attendees to be followers of Christ rather than mere fans. \u201cFollow Jesus even when it might not be advantageous,\u201d he said. Including several stories and personal testimonies, his message concluded by inviting listeners to surrender their lives to Jesus fully.<\/p>\n

\"Dejan<\/a>
\u201cAre we ready? He will come!” Stojkovic said.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The weekend featured inspiring worship, excellent music, and touching drama based on Margaret Powers’s poem “Footprints in the Sand.\u201d Workshops on various topics gave everyone the opportunity to participate. On Saturday night, six teams engaged in the ‘Christmas Game’, testing their knowledge of Christmas traditions worldwide. The day concluded with a warm sauna by the frozen lake, providing peaceful moments of relaxation.<\/p>\n

As Stojkovic shared his final devotional on Sunday morning, he reminded everyone of Jesus\u2019s imminent return and asked, \u201cAre we ready?” A vital question because of the certainty and conviction embedded in his following line – “He will come!\u201d It was a matter he noted, inviting reflection and prayer.<\/p>\n

The event concluded with a game at the local bowling centre. \u201cThe entire weekend was a blessing in so many ways!\u201d participants shared. \u201cWe praise God for a heightened desire to continue following Jesus. Let’s all continue our journey – together with Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

[Photos: courtesy of\u00a0Dejan Stojkovic]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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