Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries Report

Overview

The Youth and Young Adult Ministries Department (AYMD) serves as a dynamic spiritual engine for the 30,000 youth and young adults of the Northeastern Conference. Our mission is carried out primarily through organized youth federations, which include Adventurer, Pathfinder, Master Guide and Nonuniform ministries, in addition to the Medical Cadet Corps. This Department provides spiritual leadership, developmental training, mentorship, and engagement opportunities for children, teens, and young adults across diverse cultural backgrounds, including English, Hispanic, Franco-Haitian, and Portuguese constituencies. To better meet the needs of our diverse communities, we are organized into 17 Federated Areas.

Our ministry initiatives encompass a wide range of programs designed to foster spiritual growth, leadership, and community involvement, such as: Bible Bowl and Pathfinder Bible Experience (Bible knowledge competitions), Teen Leadership Training, Senior Youth Leadership Training, Compassion Ministry (Community outreach), Campus Ministry, Sports Ministry (Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer leagues, and NEC Olympics), Young Adult Ministry and Summer Camp.

Through these efforts, we are committed to equipping the next generation of leaders to serve with purpose, passion, and a heart for Christ.

Accomplishments and Milestones

• Our 2023 Summer Camp achieved the highest number of baptisms to date with 19 baptisms of campers and counselors.
• For the first time in NEC history, the AYM Department became a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, offering a Recognition Letter from the White House, a Presidential medallion, pin and certificate for achieving volunteer hours. These awards were presented during our annual camp meetings.  This recognition enhances résumés and college applications while encouraging impactful service both locally and globally.
• Mission Trips: Our youth actively served on mission trips to Peru, Dominican Republic, Uganda, Guam
• Dr. Pako Mokgwane, Associate Youth Ministries Director for the General Conference, officiated the NEC Senior Youth Leadership Investiture Ceremony.
• The Northeastern Conference 2024 Olympics was featured on News12 Brooklyn, broadening our witness of wholistic faith throughout Brooklyn and beyond.
• We conducted 4 successful Youth Camp Meetings featuring youth-led programs and the annual Pathfinder and Adventurer Tag Parade.
• In 2022, 2023, and 2025, we hosted three successful Youth & Young Adult Leadership Conventions (YLC), each drawing between 1,200 to 1,800 participants. (Note: The 2024 Convention was hosted by the Atlantic Union.) Our highest attendance was at NEC’s 2025 YLC, where Pastor Debleaire Snell served as Sabbath morning speaker. The service was streamed live on Breath of Life TV. These conventions offer leadership training for club ministries and seminars on witnessing, preaching, evangelism, physical and mental health, and substance abuse prevention. At the 2025 Convention, youth and young adults assisted in exceeding our goal of distributing 1,000 new sneakers to local communities.
• NEC brought 2,000 Pathfinders and volunteer staff to the 2024 International Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming. Despite challenging weather conditions, our youth and leaders demonstrated remarkable resilience. With the strong support of our Administration, we ensured a safe and positive outcome for our youth.
• Our Adventurer Ministry conducted the first ever conference-wide NEC Adventurer family camporee.
• We have: 139 Adventurer clubs, 1665 active Adventurers, 128 Pathfinder clubs, 2377 active Pathfinders in 15 areas. We also have 249 Master Guide candidates in our various areas.
• 8 NEC Adventurer clubs participated in the First Adventurer Bible Game at the Union Level.
• Youth Federations organized at least 3 Youth retreats in Massachusetts.

The Youth and Young Adult Ministries Department has experienced a remarkable season of growth and impact, thanks to generous funding and dynamic partnerships. During this term, we secured $70,000 in grants, including $20,000 to expand our Sports Ministry, $10,000 to support our Summer Camp programs, and $15,000 to strengthen our new retail partnership initiatives. A significant highlight was a $25,000 grant awarded for the renovation of the playground at the CVL site, a project that promises to enhance recreational and community engagement opportunities for our youth.

Community Impact: Being the hands and feet of Jesus

           In addition to funding, our reach has grown through meaningful partnerships with key retailers and community organizations. Collaborations with Bed Bath & Beyond, CubeSmart, and Burlington Coat Factory have added valuable support to our efforts.  Our New York-based initiatives received over $47,000 worth of donated goods from well-known brands including Nike, Sharp Appliances, JCPenney, The Gap, Reebok, and Walmart—reflecting the increasing trust and credibility we’ve built within both the marketplace and the community.

           Perhaps most notably, our New England South Area was blessed with a historic donation: a bulk donation of Nike sneakers valued at half a million dollars. This extraordinary gift—combined with an additional $10,000 in product donations from Amazon—marks a milestone that will resonate for years to come, symbolizing what is possible when vision meets partnership and purpose.

           With the AYMD Office applying for these donations and offering steady oversight, our dedicated Federation officers take the helm in managing and distributing donations. But they don’t stop there—they actively pursue partnerships with local shelters and build meaningful connections with retail staff, transforming ordinary transactions into extraordinary collaborations. At the heart of it all, we boldly equip and empower our youth and young adults to lead these initiatives. They rise to the occasion every time redefining what leadership looks like, one donation at a time.

In our ongoing pursuit of spiritual renewal and deeper discipleship among our youth, the department has remained steadfast in creating sacred spaces where young hearts can encounter the presence of God. Every year our Federations host the following: 17 vibrant Consecration Services and 17 spirit-filled Rally Days, each designed to inspire commitment, foster community, and ignite a passion for service. Plus, seven impactful Week of Prayer programs are held across the territory, offering opportunities for spiritual reflection and growth. Our youth have held several 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting initiatives which serve as holy seasons of intercession and alignment with God’s will, while four All-Night Prayer Vigils became powerful encounters marked by worship, testimony, and breakthrough. These initiatives have strengthened the spiritual fabric of our youth community and also reaffirmed our collective calling to walk boldly and fearlessly in faith.

As we reflect on the journey thus far, we are humbled by God's faithfulness and the dedication of our youth. Each initiative has demonstrated what is possible when young people are empowered to seek God wholeheartedly. With hearts full of hope and vision, we press forward—committed to nurturing a generation that is spiritually grounded, purpose-driven, and fearless in their pursuit of Christ.

Click to watch our most recent video Year in Review video.